Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Sue Mountstevens has announced that a youth mental health organisation in Cheddar will receive a share of £98,101 additional funding, which is being split between 10 charities who support vulnerable children and young people at risk of exploitation and serious violence.

The PCC and her team were successful in their bid to the Home Office department responsible for tackling serious violence, and among the groups to benefit will be The Space, who recently officially became a charity.

The additional funding is directed towards smaller charities that provide critical frontline services for children and young people, to ensure they can respond to the needs emerging as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as continuing their day-to-day work.

The smaller charities carry out a variety of work at a community level to support parents and families, holiday schemes, befriending projects, counselling and therapeutic activity, provision of food parcels, street-based youth work and intensive mentoring programmes.

PCC Sue Mountstevens said: "We know lockdown has had a significant impact on children and young people in our communities.

"I have been inspired by the work of our smaller local charities who continue to respond quickly and effectively to issues they see in their local communities and so often without fanfare or support.

"The extra funding will be divided among 10 hard-working organisations who go above and beyond to ensure children and young people receive the support they deserve.

"This additional funding will strengthen local support services' response to any change in demand as life starts to return to some sort of normal.

"I hope these grants go a little way to acknowledging their important work and help them continue to be there for our most vulnerable children and young people in these uncertain times."

Local charities were encouraged to apply for the funding and a significant number of high quality bids were received.

Following careful consideration, the PCC's commissioning team have allocated the funding to small organisations whose work closely aligned with the PCC's number one policing priority – to protect the most vulnerable from harm.

Other charities who will be sharing the funding alongside The Space include Escapeline, Speakeasy and Grassroot Communities.