Innovation Fund

£1.5 million over two years

The Violence Reduction Unit’s Innovation Fund will enable community-led groups to test new approaches and ideas to support vulnerable Londoners who are either at risk or have been involved in violence.

Community organisations can apply for grants of up to £50,000 and will also be supported with capacity building workshops to enhance resilience and sustainability.

The Innovation Fund has been informed by discussions and feedback from consultation with youth sector practitioners, Voluntary and Community Sector organisations and, most importantly, young people themselves.

It aims to encourage innovation in tackling violence and promoting positive opportunities for young people, families and communities. We encourage creativity experimentation and piloting new programmes that deal with emerging issues relating to violence. By supporting novel ideas, the VRU intends to identify promising practice that can be piloted and potentially scaled up.

The VRU will empower communities by funding smaller, grassroots community groups, we support those who are closest to the issues with the resources they need to experiment and find new solutions.