The Cumbria Victims Charitable Trust was established in 2015 by Cumbria’s previous Police and Crime Commissioner, Richard Rhodes, to generate additional income to supplement the funding provided by the Ministry of Justice for victims’ services.

Funding from the Trust supports the needs of Cumbrian victims of crime and anti-social behavior, as well as community organisations that support victims of crime throughout the county.

In 2017, the trustees decided to outsource the administration of the Trust to the Foundation to manage the application process, advertise the fund, carry out due diligence and monitoring checks as well as produce meeting papers and provide annual reports. The trustees retained an interest in the Trust by continuing to agree on the grant awards.

One young victim of crime received a grant to replace what was stolen from him. Matthew Peacock, 17, a child in foster care and a voluntary member of the Children in Care Council, had saved for a long tome to buy a Nintendo Switch only to have it stolen a few weeks later while on a city bus.

PC Mark Christie, who investigated the crime, said: “Matthew mentors other disadvantaged children in care and worked incredibly hard to get through his exams and achieve. He has waited and saved a long time to get this games console and deserved to enjoy it. Unfortunately, I was unable to trace those responsible for the theft, but I know the grant went someway to repairing the impact this crime had on him.”

Matthew’s replacement console was handed over at Carlisle Youth Zone by Inspector Andy Hanson, who heads Carlisle’s neighbourhood policing team.

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive at the Foundation said: “No one should feel alone or unsupported after being the victim of crime. This funding can be used to access emotional support or practical help to anyone who needs it, in a way that suits them best.”