PCC Darryl Preston has allocated the funding from the government’s Safer Streets Fund.

Cambridgeshire was awarded £471k from the Safer Streets Fund in October of last year. The fund was created in a bid to tackle acquisitive crimes and anti-social behaviour but also has a focus on VAWG. The funding was first launched in January 2020.

PCCs and local authorities bid for allocations of the fund which will be evaluated by the Home Office. Applications for the fourth round of funding are currently open and due to close in May.

The College of Policing have also published a Safer Streets Fund toolkit.

Cambridgeshire Street Pastor volunteers are trained to help those who find themselves in need while in public spaces on Friday and Saturday nights.

The volunteers patrol busy areas around the city centre and wear uniforms and carry ID cards. They additionally carry radios which link to other volunteers, club doormen, police, paramedics and CCTV.

Street Pastors began in Brixton but now have 240 teams around the UK running similar initiatives. The volunteers are from local churches of all Christian denominations and will complete 42 hours of training after being commissioned.

They also run other initiatives including ‘Response Pastors’ who help with major incidents and crisis situations and ‘Rail Pastors’ who work in areas which see high numbers of suicides.

The Cambridgeshire team also operate ‘NightLite’ - a drop-in safe space in the city centre on Saturdays which provides a space where people can wait, lie down or access facilities or talk to volunteers.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston, said: “Everyone has the right to enjoy our county’s night life without fear for their safety. For too long this has not been the case for many women,” Darryl Preston said. “I have spent a shift with Cambridge Street Pastors and seen first-hand the reassurance they provide.

“They are a safe space for anyone in need.”