GREATER Manchester's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) will receive an additional £3.37m of funding, plus £1.862m for policing, the Government has announced.

The VRU works closely with local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to address the underlying causes of violence and work with communities to prevent it.

In March this year, two alliances of VCSE organisations in Bolton and Manchester were awarded funds as part of Greater Manchester's £500,000 investment in community-led pilots.

Each community-led pilot is tailored to the local community’s needs, for example working with youth organisations.

Greater Manchester’s Deputy Mayor for policing and crime, Bev Hughes, said: “This extended funding will enable us to progress with the positive work underway in Greater Manchester to tackle serious violence.

“Through the VRU, agencies and professionals across the city-region have been working hard to address the underlying causes of violent crime. This includes developing a community-led approach which sees residents actively involved in identifying solutions to prevent young people becoming engaged in violence.

“In 2020 nearly 12,500 victims of violent crime were referred to commissioned support services. Alongside this, police are also carrying out targeted enforcement activity to seize weapons, intercept the illegal purchase of weapons and continue to provide reassurance to communities affected by violent crime.”