YOUNG people in Purfleet on Thames are set to get more help and support thanks to a grant to Riverview Charitable Trust from the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit’s (VVU) Community Grant Programme.
Riverview Charitable Trust in Purfleet on Thames has been awarded £18,442 funding from the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit to deliver a girls wellbeing group called Empower Her. The group’s aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of teenage girls aged 13-17.
The grant awarded to Riverview Charitable Trust is one of 27 grants – together totalling £463,524 – awarded to local, not-for-profit groups in Essex, that focus on reducing crime and promoting positive development for young people through providing safe spaces and targeted activities.
Roger Hirst MBE, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex and Chair of the Violence and Vulnerability Partnership congratulated all the charities who have been awarded funding: “Local organisations at the heart of Essex communities understand the unique needs of the communities they work with; they understand what tools and resources young people need to stay safe. The community grant recognises this and allows local groups to deliver fantastic, tailored work delivering positive change and tangible results.
“This funding will make a real impact not only to the lives of the young people benefitting, but also in contributing to making Essex a safer place to live and grow up in.”
Rio, Youth Lead from Riverview said: “Through Empower Her, we’ve seen girls grow in confidence, self-belief, and ambition. The programme has opened doors to education, employment, and practical skills that many never imagined possible.”
This round of the Violence and Vulnerability Community Grant Programme is for project delivery between April 2026 and March 2027. Projects have been funded in every district and borough of the county.
Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit works across Essex to prevent serious violence. It focuses on a public health approach, through local provision evidenced as working.
