Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) are set to share £35m to improve early intervention work.

The Home Office announced 18 Police and Crime Commissioners will share funding to help divert young people away from crime.

With London seeing an increase in gang activity through county lines and across the 33 boroughs in the capital, it has received the biggest grant of £7m.

Six forces, including Bedfordshire and South Wales, are each getting £880,000.

The VRUs include specialists from health, police, local government, probation and community organisations. They work together to tackle violent crime and the underlying causes of violent crime. This includes projects to divert young people away from gang activity.

Other initiatives include putting community leaders in hospital A&E departments to provide support to those involved in violence when they are most vulnerable.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “These units are already playing a vital role in diverting young people away from crime - and the funding I have announced today will allow them to continue this important work.”

The funding will cover their work for at least a year until a Comprehensive Spending Review sets out government budget plans.

Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) Serious Violence Lead, Mark Burns-Williamson PCC OBE said: “This funding is very welcome as it will enable PCCs to continue to develop and fund their Violence Reduction Units in the short term.

“We will continue to work with the Home Office and our partners to ensure longer-term investment over the period of the next spending review for all police force and PCC areas to deal with the scourge of serious violence in helping to keep our communities safe.”

Successful PCCs said the funding would give their units the certainty that would ensure other organisations to commit to working with them.

Paul Hindson, Chair of Leicestershire’s VRN’s Board, said: “This funding will provide us with the financial security to build on our work to date and evaluate ‘what works and what doesn’t’ so that we can firmly embed those projects which prove most successful.

“Local communities can now have confidence that the work already underway will be continued.  This in turn will encourage more people to become involved and work with us.  Communities play a central role in violence prevention, providing insights which help us to understand the problem in their area and helping us to deliver the most effective response.”

Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping, who is also Chair of the Board of the VRU for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, said: “This means that we can embed and build on the projects already underway and support new initiatives designed to tackle serious violence.  This funding will provide security for our ambitions for the future.

“The VRU illustrates the huge benefits to be realised from true integration with our partners. From the outset I’ve made it clear that I believe that some people need support and challenge to overcome their problems.  That is something in which we can all play a part and communities which take this responsibility seriously are those most likely to thrive.”