Community groups with innovative ideas to help reduce nuisance fires are being offered grants of up to £3,000 from Cleveland Fire Brigade.
85% of Cleveland’s fire calls are related to deliberate fires – the highest in the country – and divert resources away from other emergencies where lives may be at risk.
Helen Winskill, Commissioned Services Manager, said: “We are looking for projects with innovative approaches to engaging with people who are setting fires or projects that reduce the opportunity for arsonists to start fires. We know where the fires are happening. We need your help to prevent them. We encourage community groups to think outside the box and be creative.
“We are offering small grants and you can apply for any amount up to £3,000. We expect projects to be completed within 12 months of the grant being issued. Your application must tell us what you want to do and why you believe this approach will help us.
“The ideas will be targeted on hotspot areas across Cleveland and application packs will include full guidance notes and outline these areas. All projects will be evaluated to see if they have a positive impact on reducing deliberate fires.”
The Brigade has £15,000 available for grants. The projects can include diversionary activities for young people, new physical structures or cleaning up the local environment.
Applicants must fit in with at least one of the following criteria:
- Reduce the number of deliberate fires set
- Reduce the opportunity for people to deliberately set fires
- Reduce violence to Fire Brigade staff
Groundwork in Middlesbrough received a grant in a previous round of applications. Caitlin Wood, Youth Coach (Tees Valley Pathways), said:
“Working with Cleveland Fire Brigade has been an amazing opportunity. By working in partnership, it has helped to support our project, we were successful in a bid to help reduce arson in the area and Cleveland Fire Brigade gave some of the young people we are working with the chance to visit the station and take part in activities this not only helped with the young people learning how serious arson is and how many false calls they receive but it also gave them an opportunity to take part in climbing ladders to different levels, using the hose and team work to show the intensity of work the fire department do. I feel by linking in with the fire brigade and having them working directly with the young people has helped developed the knowledge and relationship between young people and services.”
The deadline for applications is Thursday 9 March 2023.
