Violence Reduction Fund 2025

The South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit awards funding to community groups supporting young people.

Groups from across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield have received funding from the Violence Reduction Fund to support initiatives and projects aimed at preventing young people from becoming involved in violence. Information on this year’s recipients can be found below.

South Yorkshire/Multi District

Roundabout Ltd

Rapid Rehousing

Their Rapid Rehousing (RRH) service provides immediate housing and intensive, trauma-informed, person-centred support. They serve Sheffield and Rotherham’s most disadvantaged 16–25-year-olds.

This proposal seeks co-funding of the expansion and enhancement of their existing Rapid Rehousing (RRH) initiative, a vital service related to substance abuse and the impact of cost-of-living crisis amongst the young people they support.

Amount awarded – £25,000

Apna Haq

Domestic violence support of young women and girls

This initiative will tackle domestic abuse perpetration by enabling young women and girls from mainly South Asian back grounds to become informed about domestic violence, including forced marriage and honour-based violence and take action to enable themselves to live their lives free of this. This work will take place in one-to-one support sessions, awareness sessions at schools and universities.

Through social media campaigns young women and girls will learn more about gender violence and be able to see that it is not part of the ‘culture’ they need to accept and live within, but that they have rights to live without it. The initiative will educate professionals who come into contact with South Asian young women to be more informed of the types of domestic violence and their impact and be in a better position to offer more suitable support. The initiative will leave a legacy of young empowered South Asian women and girls who will be able to recognise and challenge gender inequality and specifically domestic abuse and thus be role models for future generations.

Amount awarded – £25,000

Barnsley

Barnsley Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Services (BSARCS)

Wellbeing support for victims of sexual violence

Their aim is to support the recovery of victims of sexual violence through the delivery of specialist trauma-informed therapies, practical support and advocacy.
They recognise that many victims are unable, due to vulnerability, needs and personal circumstances, to engage with specialist therapy, which requires a regular and structured commitment. And so, they have developed wellbeing-focussed support services which are delivered more flexibly and focus on enabling individuals to cope with the impact of trauma on their everyday lives.

Their aim is to maintain the flexible, client-led approach in their wellbeing provision and, with additional resourcing, deliver wellbeing support to a minimum of 225 women and girls during the 12-month grant period.

Amount awarded – £25,000

Barnsley FC Community Trust

The Goals Project

Their initiative aims to create safer, stronger communities by engaging young people in positive, inclusive activity that addresses the root causes of violence and anti-social behaviour. Using learnings from the successful delivery model of their Premier League Kicks programme, they will increase knowledge and awareness around community safety, mental health, violence prevention, and substance misuse.

These sessions will use football and multisport as a tool to promote physical activity and emotional well-being, while offering a safe, accessible environment for all young people.

Amount awarded – £23,850.95

The Youth Association

StreetSafe

StreetSafe is a targeted programme providing intensive, wrap-around support to young people in high-risk communities, where traditional services may struggle to engage. It aims to prevent involvement in violence, crime, child criminal exploitation (CCE), county lines, and radicalisation—including ideologies spread through the manosphere or extremist groups that prey on vulnerable individuals.

Unlike general detached youth work, StreetSafe operates at street level, where youth crime and exploitation can occur. Youth workers build trust through consistent, positive relationships, placing themselves at the heart of these communities.

Amount awarded – £23,646

Doncaster

Caged Steel Communities CIC

The Caged Steel Futures Programme

The Caged Steel Futures Programme aims to reduce serious youth violence in Edlington by engaging vulnerable 11 to 16-year-olds through martial arts and mentoring.

Their programme will deliver five structured martial arts and mentoring sessions each week: two at Sir Thomas Wharton Academy (in-school or after-school), and three open-access community sessions at Yorkshire Main Football Club. These sessions use martial arts as a ‘hook’ to instil self-discipline, self-control, and emotional regulation which is key to curbing impulsive or knife-related behaviour. Structured training and mentorship helps at-risk young people resolve conflict non-violently.

Amount awarded – £20,385.68

Family Lives

Doncaster Turnaround

Doncaster Turnaround is a multi-level prevention programme which aims to reduce conflict within 80 families, improving family dynamics and supporting positive long-term outcomes for the child and their family.

The programme includes both a wider universal offer for families, and a more targeted individual approach where a need for a greater intensity is identified. By using their tried and tested Parent Champion peer-to-peer volunteer support model, Turnaround empowers families with skills and support to maintain healthy, conflict-free relationships, and to develop positive parenting skills.

Amount awarded – £22,849.20

Eden House Community Links CIC

Community NVR Groups

The aim of this initiative is to reduce violence in the community by providing accessible, supportive Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) groups for parents, carers, and guardians.

NVR is a structured, evidence-based approach that helps adults manage and reduce aggressive, violent, controlling, or harmful behaviours in children and young people. It empowers adults to respond to such behaviours with calm, consistent, and non-escalatory strategies, rather than confrontation or withdrawal.

Child Therapy Group with Parent sessions

To create a group in which the impact of relational and systemic violence is acknowledged, and experiences can be shared between peers. The group will include a range interventions including specific creative therapy approaches (art, music, drama) and a range of psychoeducation resources to support awareness and understanding of the impact of violence and how to make changes in their future lives.

Amount awarded – £18.745

Worth Unlimited

Positive Pathways – Early Intervention Project

Domestic violence has a devastating impact on children and young people that can last into adulthood, they can experience both short and long term cognitive and emotional effects because of witnessing domestic abuse. The trauma of domestic violence is enough to cause dangerous changes in the developing brains of children, causing problems with sleep, anger, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.

Their aim is to provide early intervention, allowing young people’s issues to be heard and supported at an early stage to steer them onto positive pathways, avoiding poor outcomes and preventing the perpetuation of violence into the next generation.

They aim to:
• Develop skills in anger management / conflict resolution.
• Raise confidence and self-esteem.
• Improve resilience and increase aspirations.
• Improve mental health and well-being.

Amount awarded – £24,047.63

Panthers Fitness & Health CIC

Project STRIVE (Support • Train • Redirect • Inspire • Value • Empower)

Project STRIVE is a community-led initiative aimed at reducing youth violence and knife crime by addressing its root causes through early intervention, mentorship, and positive engagement. The project’s purpose is to provide at-risk young people with the tools, support, and opportunities they need to make safer, more empowered choices.

Amount awarded – £23,372.52

Rotherham

Rotherham United Community Trust

A community-based sports and education programme delivered in partnership with three Rotherham mosques. The project combines weekly structured football training with monthly safeguarding workshops on key VRU themes, culminating in inter-community tournaments to foster cohesion and engage underrepresented young South Asian males.

The aim of this initiative is to reduce the risk of violence and exploitation among young people by combining trusted community partnerships with the power of structured sport and education.

Partnering with 3 Rotherham mosques, they will deliver a targeted programme of weekly engagement, using football as a tool to build trust, increase confidence, and create a sense of belonging. Each month, young people will take part in three structured coaching sessions focused on skill-building, teamwork, and leadership and one focused workshop in the mosques using RealDirection resources. These workshops will address knife crime, county lines, violence against women and girls, radicalisation, and online safety, with space for open discussion and reflection.

Amount awarded – £24,550

Liberty Church

Relentless kids and youth outreach

The aim of the project is to provide children and young people aged 12 – 18 years within Rotherham with a safe and secure open access to a 3-hour youth club delivered within their local community. The sessions will run engaging with approximately 60 or above young people aged 10 to 18 years.

Within the safe space consistent mentors aim to provide children and young people with both diversionary activities and education to build their knowledge to make informed decisions with the overarching aim to have the confidence to say no to peer pressure and gang culture (and the associated risks of violence, knives, and weapons).

Amount awarded – £24,708

Pivotal Health & Wellbeing CIC

Pivotal Strength

Their aim is to reduce violence affecting women and girls in Rotherham by creating a safe, empowering space where young women (aged 14–25) can build strength, confidence, and resilience through movement, education, and support.

The project will combine trauma-informed fitness sessions (like Pilates and yoga) with educational workshops on knife crime, coercive control, and emotional wellbeing. Alongside this, they will offer mentoring, peer support, and clear progression pathways into volunteering, training or further support services.

Amount awarded – £16,360

Titans Community Foundation

Titans Youth Club

The aim of this initiative is to support boys to build positive relationships, challenge harmful attitudes, and grow into respectful, thoughtful young men. Through sports, workshops and mentoring, they will help them understand the impact of violence against women and girls, tackle misogyny and toxic masculinity, and learn how to spot harmful online influences, including those who promote dangerous messages about masculinity.

Their rugby players and coaches will act as strong, relatable role models. They’ll show boys that strength can be shown through respect, teamwork and accountability. Boys will learn how to manage their emotions, think more clearly about the choices they make, and take responsibility for their actions.

Amount awarded – £16,050

Sheffield

Cricket Arena CIC

Play Safe Play Strong

Play Safe Play Strong 2025-26 will guide 300 young people, 270 boys and 30 South-Asian girls, towards safe, purposeful evenings in Page Hall, Grimesthorpe and Burngreave. Three nights a week local halls become high-tempo cricket, futsal and multisport arenas where boredom, postcode rivalries and knife-carrying culture are replaced by teamwork and trusted adult guidance.

A new eight-week, girls-only Cricket-Fit block—co-designed with Masjid Umar and Yorkshire Muslim Academy—gives girls their first culturally sensitive sport option after dark. Ten returning participants step onto a volunteer media / assistant-coach pathway, turning last year’s beneficiaries into this year’s role models.

Mentoring is woven into play, while bi-monthly workshops—knife-crime myths, mental-health first aid, first-job skills—link sport to real-life choices. Over the year they will deliver 5,200 contact hours plus 12 team-building trips, building confidence, resilience and practical networks that outlast any single session.

Amount awarded – £25,000

The Reconnect Education Project CIO ‘ReconnectEd’

Early intervention Emotion Coaching Programme

The ReconnectEd Coaching programme is an early intervention initiative which tackles the root causes of school exclusion, violence and crime —such as trauma, unmet emotional needs, and a lack of belonging.

Through this intensive emotion coaching programme which includes whole-family support, and school and community engagement, they help young people to steer away from crime, reconnect with their education and rediscover their potential.

The target audiences are marginalised young people at risk of exclusion and their families/carers in North Sheffield, particularly Southey Ward.

Amount awarded – £25,000

Grow

Grow Gardeners

Grow Gardeners is a work-based learning programme for 16–24-year-olds facing complex barriers to employment. Young people work with them part time and earn a real living wage.

Recognising the correlation between wellbeing, isolation, limited opportunities, and the risk of exposure to violence, their programme brings targeted relief from these challenges, engaging young people in positive activities that encourage lifestyle change.

Specifically, they combine coaching, social skills training, and practical work experience to help young people improve their mental health and find pathways back into education, employment or training (EET).

Amount awarded – £24,886.05

Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre

Improving wellbeing support to survivors of sexual abuse and sexual violence

This initiative will address the unmet needs of people who they are currently unable to support as well as clients waiting for specialist counselling and eventually those being supported by their Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) at Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (SRASAC).

This project would provide a flexible, inclusive, and trauma-informed support offer that better meets the needs of all survivors of rape and sexual abuse where counselling is not appropriate or while they are waiting for counselling.

The initiative seeks to move away from a rigid, one-size-fits-all model and instead offer a range of wellbeing options that promote safety, stability, and resilience for as many people as possible.

Amount awarded – £25,000

Football Unites, Racism Divides (FURD)

Junior Community Wellbeing Project

The aim of this project is to;
• Engage local young people in safe, structured sports, youth and social activities to divert them away from violence, crime and anti-social behaviour.
• Provide free activities for local young people ensuring finances are not a barrier to participation.
• Upskill a team of volunteers aged 16 to 25 years to become community leaders/sports coaches.
• Reduce/prevent knife crime.
• Reduce violence against women and girls.
• Improve wellbeing (Physically & Mentally)
• Raise awareness of the dangers of substance misuse
• Encourage cohesive behaviour between cultures.
• Providing free, low-cost accessible football and exercise to benefit and improve young people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
• Raise knife crime awareness.
• Raise awareness of substance misuse
• Young people’s rights and opportunities – Workshop with South Yorkshire Police.
• Fire and road Safety with South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue

Amount awarded – £21,855.55

Sheffield United Community Foundation

Mentoring to Reduce Violence

The aim of this initiative is to reduce youth violence by using sport as a platform for structured coaching and mentoring. Through weekly sessions delivered in Richmond, Frecheville and Beighton, they will engage young people aged 8 to 18 in positive activity that builds trust, resilience and life skills. Their approach combines football and multi-sport delivery with youth work and one-to-one mentoring, creating consistent opportunities for young people to form relationships with trusted adults.

The sessions are part of their established Premier League Kicks programme and are designed to reach those most at risk of exclusion or involvement in crime. Coaches and youth workers act as mentors, supporting young people to reflect on their choices, set goals and develop leadership skills. They also deliver workshops on issues such as knife crime, fire safety and road awareness, tailored to local concerns.

Amount awarded – £24,449.34

Sharrow Community Forum

Young Men’s Social Club

Their aim to establish a Boys Youth Club at the newly developed Adventures Hub. They will support 20 boys, aged 10 to 16, who require more targeted, gender-specific provision.

The club will take place every Wednesday evening, led by male role models, with an emphasis on outdoor skill-building and physical activity. It will provide a platform for them to be able to integrate with wider provision offered, including opportunities to participate in voice and leadership initiatives.

Amount awarded – £21,850.13

Sheffield Young Explorers

Youth Leadership Program for Girls

This initiative aims to empower girls aged 12 to 18 from Sheffield’s most marginalised communities, through a bespoke leadership development programme and art therapy that nurtures self-worth, community pride, and resilience.

Drawing on direct consultation with young people, they identified an urgent need to intervene early in the lives of girls at risk of isolation, exploitation, substance misuse, and poor long-term outcomes. Many of these girls face complex challenges, including exposure to domestic violence, single-parent households, family members involved in crime, and a lack of culturally appropriate support.

This initiative will build protective factors around these girls by delivering a structured, bespoke programme co-designed with and led by young people.

Amount awarded – £23,220