The Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster is offering grants of up to £10,000 to organisations that can help victims better understand and access their rights.
Simon Foster has launched the Victims’ Code Innovation Fund: Know Your Rights West Midlands 2026–27 to ensure victims receive the rights and services they are entitled to.
The new £80,000 funding programme is now open to applications from voluntary and community sector organisations, with grants of £5,000 to £10,000 available for innovative, grassroots projects that raise awareness of the Victims’ Code.
The fund will close on 2 March 2026, with successful projects starting from April 2026.
The Victims’ Code sets out 12 key rights which bodies like the police and Crown Prosecution Service must deliver. They include the right to be kept informed, to receive updates on a case, and to access specialist support services. However, victims can only benefit from these entitlements if they are aware of them and feel confident exercising them.
The new fund encourages creative approaches to improving awareness and understanding of victims’ rights, including community drop-in sessions, multilingual resources, peer mentoring, creative arts projects, roadshows and victim feedback initiatives.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, said: “Every victim of crime has important rights under the Victims’ Code, but too often those rights are not fully understood or realised.
“This new fund is about changing that. By supporting innovative, community-led projects, we want to make sure victims know their rights, understand what they are entitled to, and feel confident navigating the criminal justice system.
“I strongly encourage voluntary and community organisations across the West Midlands to apply. Your ideas, your reach and your insight are vital to ensuring victims are informed, supported and treated with the dignity and respect they are entitled to.”
Projects supported through the fund will aim to:
- Increase public knowledge of the 12 Victims’ Rights and local support services
- Help victims recognise and confidently exercise their rights, regardless of background or circumstance
- Strengthen partner agencies’ understanding of their duties under the Victims’ Code
- Use community-led and culturally sensitive approaches to reach underrepresented or underserved groups
- Gather insight on awareness and experience to inform future commissioning and policy
- Make the Victims’ Code real and relevant to the lives of victims
Examples of eligible projects include:
- Community “Know Your Rights” drop-in sessions
- Translated, easy-read or accessible guides
- Training volunteers as Victims’ Code champions or peer advocates
- Roadshows and pop-up advice stalls at local events
- Creative engagement such as podcasts, art projects or drama workshops
- Victim feedback panels and storytelling projects
- Workshops in schools and colleges
- Peer mentoring schemes led by people with lived experience
The Victims’ Code Innovation Fund reflects the Commissioner’s commitment to investing in voluntary sector innovation, empowering communities, and strengthening trust and confidence in the criminal justice system by ensuring victims’ rights are understood and upheld.
You can apply here.
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