. Picture Mandy Jones
An independent research project that has been looking into the impact of PACT grant-funding has recently been carried out by Wrexham Glyndwr University with community groups across Nort Wales who have received PACT funding over the past three years..
The research, jointly-funded by PACT and Wrexham Glyndŵr University, provides a detailed insight into how the charity is helping to transform lives, supporting people to change their behaviour and bringing communities together.
The North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT) is an independent charity that was launched in 1998 to support community initiatives, particularly those in which the police are involved, which aim to improve the quality of life by reducing crime and fear of crime in North Wales. It has now supported over 2,500 projects, investing over £1,600,000 in communities across North Wales.
For many who are involved in the projects, this is their first interaction with the police, so making this first contact with police a positive experience can have profound consequences on their future life choices as well as their relationship with the justice system. Indeed, 75% of those interviewed said their projects would either not have happened or happened on a smaller scale without PACT.
The results of the survey have shown PACT to be a valuable tool for both police and communities of North Wales and it is making a real difference. It is improving the lives of individuals, helping organisations to sustain and grow essential services, helping communities become safer and stronger, and helping North Wales Police to deliver its service more effectively. The survey has shown that 94% of projects reporting improved community relations following PACT support, 98% of projects positively impacting on policing priorities and 92% of respondents believing the wider community had benefitted from the intervention they had delivered through the charity.
Ashley Rogers, PACT Chair of Trustees said: “From Gwynedd in the west across to Flintshire and Wrexham in the east, PACT continues throughout North Wales to support projects that enable positive and sustainable community development. This community support has never been more important than right now in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The report includes comments from those who took part in the survey. Some examples of these can be found below:
“One young person we worked with, who was previously troublesome and hard to keep out of criminal system, has begun regularly visiting care homes and supporting residents as a result of programme.”
“[Without PACT] my projects wouldn’t have happened, as simple as that.”
“A number of young people at risk of criminality are now on a positive track as a result of engagement with PACT projects.”
“The main impact [for the elderly] is reassurance of police presence – especially for those who are isolated and lonely.”
“Young people have built links with the police and seen them as part of the community – they are not just a faceless organisation.”
You can read the full report into PACT here.