Two Bootle community organisations will share funding from a £600,000 scheme designed to steer young people away from crime, Merseyside Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell announced on 2 July. The Youth Empowerment Scheme returns for a third year, with the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association receiving £20,000 for youth empowerment and violence prevention work, while Brunswick Youth and Community Centre secures £15,414 to run structured sports activities.
Thirty grassroots projects across the region will benefit from the YES Fund, which targets areas hardest hit by violence and cuts to youth services. The funding will support activities during school holidays, autumn half term, Halloween and Bonfire Night, times when young people are not in school and risks can increase. Commissioner Spurrell said the scheme is about investing in young people and giving them opportunities to succeed. She added that supporting trusted community organisations helps create safe spaces, build confidence and open up new pathways for thousands of young people.
Brunswick Youth and Community Centre, known locally as The Brunny, has been a fixture on Marsh Lane since 1947 when it was founded by ex-Prisoners of War as Brunswick Boys Club. The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association faced hate crime attacks in April 2025, when its Bootle centre was targeted twice within a fortnight. Windows were smashed and what was suspected to be dog faeces was smeared on its front door, prompting a police investigation. Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi MBE, the charity’s director, said at the time that refugee and migrant organisations should never be a target and urged authorities to take swift action.
Over its first two years, the YES Fund invested more than £1 million and supported nearly 25,000 young people across Merseyside. The scheme is jointly delivered by the police commissioner and the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, with the Community Foundation for Lancashire and Merseyside managing the grants. The projects will run from this summer through to the end of March 2027.
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