Charities and voluntary organisations that work to make Hertfordshire a safer and more pleasant place to live have been rewarded for their efforts.

Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd has allocated more than £100,000 to schemes that cut crime, reduce anti-social behaviour, improve road safety, help victims or reduce reoffending.

Among the 14 schemes awarded money, five help people across the county.

Hertswatch, which links together the ten Neighbourhood Watch Districts in Hertfordshire, has been awarded £1,000 to help pay for a booklet to advise elderly people about avoiding fraud.

The Be Your Best Foundation has been awarded £1,000 towards the costs of a drug misuse and crime prevention arts competition for young people in Hertfordshire.

Druglink has been awarded £25,000 towards an alcohol diversion scheme that tackles binge drinking among those issued fixed penalty notices for alcohol-related offences.

The anti-knife crime group Billy’s Wish has been granted £8,000 to contribute towards a countywide education programme about the dangers of carrying knives.

Kids Count has been awarded £12,000 for a countywide programme working with children from a youth offending and anti-social behaviour background.

This is the second round of funding to be announced after the first round of bids was announced in September.

Mr Lloyd said: “The Commissioner’s Community Fund is an important part step in the delivery of my Police and Crime Plan Everybody’s Business. It provides a financial boost to local schemes that make a real difference to life in Hertfordshire by supporting victims or vulnerable people, or by diverting people away from crime or anti-social behaviour.

“As with the first round of funding, the quality of the bids was excellent and shows that there are plenty of ideas out there for making Hertfordshire safer and reducing crime.”