Youth spaces set to benefit from a cash boost thanks to Bedfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner

Spaces for young people in Chronicle Country are set to receive a cash boost thanks to Bedfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Festus Akinbusoye

Council leaders from across Bedfordshire were invited to bid into the Commissioner’s Youth Spaces Fund.

Bids were encouraged to either make spaces safer or to provide safe spaces to go to for young people.

Over £40,000 worth of bids were received so the young people Shefford based Youth Involvement were asked to take part in analysing the bids and help decide where the money should be allocated.

Students from Bedford Academy and Denbigh High school also joined the event on Tuesday hosted by the PCC and Chief Executive of the office of the PCC Clare Kelly.

The winning bids included improving the recreational ground in Tempsford, creation of a skatepark in Sandy, installation of CCTV and funds for more youth workers at the youth centre in Shefford, outdoor sports equipment for the youth centre in Potton, including table tennis, snooker, chess and table football, and hub space creation and yotuh workers in Stotfold, Meppershall and Potton.

The winners will receive the money in the next few weeks.

Commissioner Akinbusoye said “One of the best things decision-makers can do is to empower the people they are trying to support. I offered the chance to our young people to make decisions on behalf of their generation and they did not disappoint. They worked together and showed decisiveness as they worked through carefully all the options we gave them.”

The fund of money has become available to the Commissioner because of the Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit grant that was won this year.