In advance of Prevention of Violence Against Women Week (April 12-18), British Columbia is putting the Vision for a Violence Free BC strategy into action, investing $5 million for projects focused on ending violence against women and preventing crime.

Four local initiatives are among the 220 grants, funded through B.C.’s civil forfeiture program, being provided to groups throughout the province for initiatives that address violence against women, support youth and community crime prevention, support victims through restorative justice programs, and include police education, training and specialized crime prevention equipment.

Among the British Columbians these projects will reach are women who have experienced violence, Aboriginal youth in isolated communities, educators, students, service providers, and restorative justice practitioners, announced Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton today.

“This year’s civil forfeiture funding is allowing us to support leaders in the community to implement innovative projects that will reach British Columbians in all regions – strengthening and supporting our long-term goal of achieving a violence-free B.C.,” she said.

Nearly 70% of the overall funding, for a total of $3.4 million, is being provided to organizations to begin work this year on the Violence Free BC strategy.

Local initiatives getting funds

– Cranbrook’s Laurie Middle School (School District No. 5, Southeast Kootenay) is getting $10,000 for Looking In. This project will engage community partners in the development of six, day-long retreats for Grade 9 students focused on a series of topics, including: root causes and impacts of violence; relationship violence; social media; healthy boundaries; consent; and, respectful relationships. Students will be able to explore these issues through small and large group activities, which will be facilitated by staff from local community anti-violence agencies.

– Community Connections Society of Southeast BC is getting $30,000 for its Partnerships project. The Partnership project will improve service delivery and help establish formal partnership agreements among service providers in Southeast B.C. for responding to violence against women. The project will also help establish a series of peer driven, agency supported, group activities to help build the life skills of clients who have been victims of violence.

– Elk Valley RCMP Victim Services out of Fernie is getting $10,000 for Elk Valley ICAT – Coordination to End Violence in Relationships. This project will provide training for service providers about domestic violence and the role of the ICAT. The audiences for the training will be nurses, doctors, ambulance, fire, crown, judges and police, as well as assigned support workers for those who work with high-risk youth.

– Rocky Mountain School District No. 6 (SD6) is getting $50,000 to acquire the Respectful Relationships Curriculum for all students in grades 7 – 10 and train a District Team of 20 staff members and 20 youth leaders to deliver it, as part of Building the Skills of Healthy and Respectful Relationships Project.

The Respectful Relationships Curriculum is a nationally and provincially awarded school based primary violence prevention program for youth. The program is co-facilitated using trained adult and youth leaders, providing positive youth role models for the students. SWOVA will provide an online facilitator training program in order to ensure a large number of adult and youth facilitators will be trained in this curriculum. The Rocky Mountain School District covers a large geographic region of the province (Kimberley to Golden) and 12 schools will participate in this project (three Secondary, six intermediate, and three alternate education schools). Funding will support the facilitator training and resources for a new Resource Library.

Since B.C.’s civil forfeiture program became active, it has returned approximately $21 million from successful forfeiture actions to crime prevention and victim compensation in B.C. Moving forward, government has made a commitment to dedicate a portion of civil forfeiture funds to support the Vision for a Violence Free BC strategy in future years.

A number of the grants announced are listed as ‘province-wide,’ meaning some other local organizations may be receiving some funds.

Among today’s grants recipients are 42 school-based prevention programs, worth nearly $700,000, that will work with students of all ages and genders to prevent violence.

Another 43 grants have been provided to projects with a focus on supporting and preventing violence against Aboriginal women and girls, for $824,000 total.

Government announced an open call for applications in November 2014.

Recipients were selected using established grant criteria set out in the application form.

In February, B.C. committed to starting action on the Violence Free BC strategy with up to $3 million in civil forfeiture funding to support anti-violence and prevention initiatives, with a priority focus on violence against women. As today’s announcement confirms, government has provided $5 million.

The strategy’s five key priorities focus on challenging beliefs and behaviours; ensuring services are responsive, innovative and co-ordinated; supporting women to rebuild their lives; addressing violence against Aboriginal women; and fostering strong relationships and new partnerships.

April 12-18 is Prevention of Violence Against Women Week in B.C.

Proclaimed by the province, the week raises awareness of the serious adverse impacts that violence has on women’s physical, psychological, spiritual, sexual, financial, and cultural well-being.

Go HERE for a full list of civil forfeiture grant recipients.

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