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The South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit has awarded funding to organisations to work on new projects aimed at preventing domestic abuse in South Yorkshire.

A total of £200,000 has been awarded to 13 organisations in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield from the Domestic Abuse Prevention Fund to work to prevent and reduce violence across South Yorkshire, focused on the primary and secondary prevention of domestic abuse.

The fund was heavily oversubscribed, with over £760,000 worth of applications received during August.

The successful projects that have been awarded funding includes De Hood Boxing Gym on The Manor in Sheffield.  De Hood want to prepare and develop young men and boys to become positive role models in the community.  They want to provide young people with a clear understanding of domestic abuse and the negative and damaging effect this has on individuals, families, and the wider community.  The funding will pay for the delivery of a targeted programme of activities to break the link with domestic abuse and learned behaviour to make a lasting change in their lives and communities.

Changing Lives in Doncaster have been awarded £15,000 to fund their specialist programme delivering information, advice and support from both peers and professionals, as well as breaking down barriers to accessing provision.

Rotherham Rise have received £20,000 to provide support to children and young people in Rotherham affected by domestic abuse. The Barnsley Sexual Assault Referral Centre have received over £10,000 to offer a targeted range of Continued Professional Development (CPD) accredited training to school staff, college staff and Barnsley based statutory and voluntary sector agencies.  They will also offer Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) training specifically to foster carers, recognising that children in care are highly likely to have experienced more than four ACEs.

Rachel Staniforth, Head of the South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit said:  “We received a large number of applications in to the Domestic Abuse Prevention Fund from a wide range of organisations.  The standard of applications was very high and the panel were faced with some tough decisions.

“The successful recipients are about to embark on some excellent and challenging  work across South Yorkshire, engaging with a range of people to promote healthy relationships and engage with individuals to prevent domestic abuse from happening.

“There is a real focus on attitudinal change and encouraging others to speak up if they know that someone is being abused or living in a home where abuse is happening.  All of the successful organisations are looking to work with young people to break this domestic abuse cycle that we find ourselves in.”

A total of 13 projects have been awarded funding and you can view a full list of the successful recipients here Domestic Abuse Prevention Fund Successful Recipients

Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner said: “Violence and abuse in the home is recognised as one of the great scourges of our time. It impacts not only on the men and women directly affected but also on the children and young people who see it happening within the home.

“There is then a danger that it is seen by them as ‘normal’ behaviour and they repeat it in their own adult relationships. It also impacts on them day to day, affecting their schooling and setting back their emotional development.

“I am pleased that the Violence Reduction Unit is able to fund organisations that help not only the victims of abusive behaviour but also the perpetrators and, crucially, the young people who may witness it. In this way we contribute towards breaking what is otherwise a revolving door of unhealthy relationships.”