GROUPS striving to make Hampshire a safer place have received grants totalling almost £335,000.

Hampshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Michael Lane, has so far invested £1.7 million in the current financial year in a bid to protect the vulnerable, support victims of crime and reduce offending.

In the latest spending round Mr Lane’s Safer Communities Fund has awarded 32 grants worth a total of £334,774.

He said: “I’m keen to do everything possible to support projects that maximise protecting those who are most vulnerable, support those who have been affected by crime, and seek to reduce offending.

“These services provide a lifeline for the people they work with and additionally support frontline policing by helping prevent people from taking the wrong path or being increasingly vulnerable.

“This reduces demand on our hard-pressed officers. “With limited resources and an over subscription of bids for my initial funding round earlier this year, this second round of grants has offered those organisations working to help keep our communities safer a further opportunity to seek financial assistance.”

Recipients include Aurora New Dawn, a training package for professionals which aims to raise awareness of cyber-stalking and how to support victims.

One of the other recipients is Blue Apple Theatre, which has been awarded £11,850 towards the cost of a putting on a new 45-minute play based on real hate-crime testimonies and case studies. The play will tour schools in the county to raise awareness of the issue.

One Community Eastleigh has received £3,045 to help fund a project which aims to combat abuse of the elderly.

The Spectrum Centre for

Independent Living in Southampton has been awarded £14,976.

The money will be used to help bring communities together as well as improving ways of reporting hate crime and reducing its impact.

Winchester-based Street Reach has received £2,136 towards the cost of monthly workshops which aim to help vulnerable and disadvantaged young people and reduce the risk of them offending.

The Citizens’ Advice Bureau has received £4,880, which will help it provide free, impartial and independent advice sessions for inmates at Winchester Prison.