Knife, gun and gang-related violence

Communities against guns, gangs and knives fund

The communities against guns, gangs and knives (CAGGK) fund will provide £4 million for the voluntary and community sector over the next two years; £2 million will be available during 2011/12 and a further £2 million during 2012/13.

The funding criteria are focused on voluntary sector organisations working with young people at risk of involvement in gang, gun and knife crime or to support those who are involved to leave. Each successful organisation will receive up to £10,000 each per year to prevent the involvement of teenagers in gun, gang and knife crime. 

The application process for the CAGGK fund has now closed. Applications are currently being assessed and applicants will be informed of the outcome shortly.

What we're doing

The Home Office has committed £18 million of funding for 2011-2013 to support the police, local agencies and the voluntary sector to tackle knife, gun and gang-related violence and prevent young people entering a cycle of crime.

The funding will support enforcement and prevention work by police in three knife crime hotspot areas. It will sit alongside positive activities for young people and local work to bring about long-term changes in attitudes and behaviours. The money includes up to:  

• £3.75 million for the three police forces areas where more than half of the country’s knife crime occurs – London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands
• £4 million for local voluntary organisations across England and Wales working with young people to stop involvement in knife and gang violence - the Communities Against Guns, Gangs and Knives Fund
• £10 million for prevention and diversionary activities and engagement with young people at risk of becoming involved in crime, including knife related violence, through the Positive Futures Programme
• £250,000 for one further year of the Ben Kinsella fund for young people to run anti-knife crime projects in their local area

The funding will run from April 2011 to March 2013, when police and crime commissioners will be in place.

Brooke Kinsella’s report

In June 2010 the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary asked Brooke Kinsella, whose brother Ben was murdered two years ago, to undertake a fact-finding mission. She was asked to examine schemes running in local communities that are working to stop young people from committing violence, including violence using weapons.

Ms Kinsella’s report, Tackling knife crime together - a review of local anti-knife crime projects was published on 2 February 2011. The report makes a number of recommendations including: 

• anti-knife crime presentations for school children
• more data sharing between police, schools and other agencies on local issues
• a best practice website for local organisations 
• more work with young children to stop them getting involved in knife crime

Tackling Knives and Serious Youth Violence Action Programme (TKAP) Good Practice Guide 2010/11

TKAP ended in March 2011. The Good Practice Guide contains good practice examples and case studies of activities drawn from across the participating areas in 2010/11.

On 24 May 2011, we published a research report titled 'An assessment of the Tackling knives and serious youth violence action programme (TKAP) Phase 2'. The report summarises data from a variety of sources, including police recorded crime and hospital admissions for assault.