Cheshire groups can bid for up to £2,500 from a £50,000 pot of seized criminal cash. Bids close at 9am on 30 November, with decisions by 17 December.
Community groups, charities and state schools in Chester and across Cheshire can now bid for grants of up to £2,500 for projects that cut crime or stop people drifting into it. Cheshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Dan Price, has put £50,000 into this year’s SWAP Fund, which opened at 9am today and closes at 9am on Monday 30 November.
The money is cash recovered from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The commissioner’s office puts the idea in one line on its fund page: “use money from crime to prevent crime and create positive change.”
This is the fund’s third year. Once this round is paid out, the commissioner’s office says more than £500,000 will have gone into projects across Cheshire during Mr Price’s term.
What has changed this year
The maximum grant is smaller. In earlier rounds of the main SWAP Fund, organisations could apply for up to £5,000, according to the commissioner’s list of successful projects. This round caps each grant at £2,500, and the office asks groups to bid for what their project actually needs rather than the maximum.
There is a single application window, and the office is blunt about it: late applications will not be accepted “under any circumstances”, and technical problems or last-minute issues will not earn an extension. Every applicant will be told the result by email, successful or not, by Thursday 17 December, though the office warns that date could slip if it is flooded with bids.
What the money is for
Every bid has to show a clear link to at least one of five priorities:
- reducing crime and anti-social behaviour
- improving community safety
- supporting the delivery of policing and crime prevention outcomes
- preventing individuals from becoming involved in criminal behaviour
- increasing community resilience and confidence
The commissioner’s office lists four kinds of project it expects to see:
- Support for children and young people: holiday activities, youth provision, mentoring, diversionary activities and youth engagement that reduce vulnerability or keep young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour.
- Promotion of wellbeing: sport, leisure, arts or wellbeing activity, where the applicant can show a clear connection to reducing crime, improving safety or building resilience.
- Reducing isolation and promoting inclusion: work with marginalised communities, vulnerable people or under-represented groups that clearly benefits community cohesion, safety or confidence.
- Early intervention and prevention: specialist mentoring, skills development, educational programmes, crime prevention schemes and targeted support to prevent offending or reduce reoffending.
Bids should also fit the commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan.
Who can apply, and what will not be funded
According to the fund page, applications are welcome from registered charities, community groups, friends’ and neighbourhood groups, social enterprises, community interest companies, parish councils and state schools. Applicants need a bank account with at least two unrelated signatories, and a constitution or governing document that shows community benefit.
Schools can only use the money for activity outside the curriculum that is clearly extra to normal school provision. Private and independent schools are not eligible. The police and councils cannot apply directly, but they are encouraged to work with groups that can.
The fund can pay for sessional workers and specialist facilitators, venue hire, project equipment and materials, volunteer expenses, training, the promotion needed to reach people, and insurance or safeguarding costs tied to the project. It will not pay for:
- standalone capital projects (equipment is allowed only as part of a wider project, such as sports kit for a youth diversion scheme)
- anything that has already happened
- work that is another body’s statutory responsibility, such as a school’s or a council’s
- political or religious activity, travel outside the UK, or reserves
- applications from or for individuals
- policing equipment, or projects that only buy or install CCTV
- planning permission or legal fees
In their words
Mr Price said:
“Having visited many of the projects supported through the fund, I’ve seen first-hand the impact they are having on local people and experienced the passion and commitment of those that organise the opportunities.
“If you’ve got an idea that could make a difference in your community, I’d encourage you to put an application in. By backing local people and local organisations, we can continue building stronger, safer communities and creating opportunities for residents right across Cheshire.”
Primal Mentality, a Halton group that has had money from the fund before, ran fishing-based wellbeing sessions for young people at risk of offending with the Halton Youth Justice Service. It said:
“The funding enabled us to work with young people who were at risk of becoming further disengaged from education and positive community activities. By working in partnership with Halton Youth Justice Service, we were able to provide a consistent, supportive environment where participants developed confidence, learnt new skills and built positive relationships.”
The picture at the top of this story shows Mr Price on a visit to Rage Fitness, which the commissioner’s office says is a previous recipient of the fund.
Closer to home, the successful projects list shows Cheshire West Voluntary Action was funded in 2025-26 to run workshops with adults who have criminal convictions, looking at what stops them volunteering, and to train local groups to support volunteers with convictions.
What it means for you
If you run a youth club, sports group, residents’ association, charity or school project in Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich, Winsford or the villages, and it keeps people safer or away from trouble, this is money you can bid for. Apply through the online SWAP Fund application form before 9am on Monday 30 November, and leave time: the deadline will not move.
If you want help writing a bid, the commissioner’s office suggests contacting your local Council for Voluntary Service, Voluntary Action organisation or Community Development Agency.
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