December 2021: Our county; going country social media campaign evaluation
At the end of March 2021, the VVU ran a campaign on social media to raise awareness of County Lines drug gangs. The target audience for the campaign was young people who were possibly on the periphery of getting involved in County Lines. These young people may have seen drug deals locally, have concerns about […]
June 2021 – Our work to tackle serious violence in Essex
While the VVU brings together partners to tackle the root causes of why people become involved in violent crime, knife crime and gangs it is important that the enforcement activity remains high profile and centre stage. Enforcement activity not only catches and punishes criminal behaviour, but it reassures and protects the Essex public, and helps […]
Summer 2021 Essex Virtual Crucial Crew
The VVU is delighted that between April and November this year it is working with Chelmsford City Council and Maldon District Council, Community Safety Partnerships to bring Virtual Crucial Crew 2021 workshops to 16,000 school children across Essex. Crucial Crew is an immersive theatre experience, created by TIC Box Productions which explores difficult issues that can affect […]
Grants awarded from V&V funds during 2020/21 to local, small charities and not for profit organisations
We have been able to support many projects with extra funding during 2020/21. See the list of projects and the type of support provided.
Listening Projects
In 2020, youth leaders across Southend, Essex and Thurrock engaged with more than 600 young people on the violence and vulnerability themes for 2020. The feedback from young people was exceptional and helped the violence and vulnerability unit to prioritise issues that young people felt were important.
Cuckooing training (March 2021)
We are running training sessions focussing on the subject of cuckooing for professionals in any area of work in which they might come into contact with potential victims of cuckooing. The intention is to raise awareness to allow participants to spot the signs and have the confidence to make a positive difference to the situation, or know who to refer to.