The Birmingham Residents Antisocial Behaviour Victim Empowerment (BRAVE) project is an innovative initiative run by Victim Support, designed specifically to help people experiencing antisocial behaviour (ASB) in Birmingham.
In order to help those suffering from the effects of persistent ASB, Victim Support intends to improve the emotional wellbeing of people affected by ASB and empower them to tackle it, by offering tailored emotional and practical support as well as guidance, information and advocacy through those who have experienced ASB themselves.
There is nothing more valuable than first-hand experience, and the primary ethos of BRAVE is to help prevent more people suffering from the effects of ASB, by utilising the knowledge and experiences of previous victims.
Objectives
Improve victim’s emotional wellbeing. Develop skills and knowledge to tackle future ASB from multi agency support co-ordinated by BRAVE.
Create new skills and knowledge to support local ASB victims, developed through the BRAVE training programme.
Gain better knowledge and skills through receiving support from BRAVE.
Activities
Offer emotional and practical support.
Signpost and refer people to other agencies so that we can work together to support people as they tackle ASB.
Act as a single point of contact for victims of ASB.
Provide emotional and practical support at Birmingham Civil Justice Centre.
Provide information about reporting ASB. Advocate with other organisations on behalf of our clients.
Funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery from March 2012 to February 2015 and the Birmingham Community Safety Partnership since then, the BRAVE project brings together Victim Support, the police and community safety teams, local housing and voluntary agencies, and Birmingham City Council to support people experiencing antisocial behaviour in the city.
We are supporting people from the local community to deliver the project, offering people new life skills and experiences. We welcome any volunteers, but in particular we are actively seeking involvement from victims of antisocial behaviour who would like to volunteer for the project.
Impact
For the period April 2015 to January 2016, BRAVE received a total of 298 referrals from a range of sources including West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council, including Housing and Community Safety. Referrals were also taken from registered social landlords and Victim Support Community Services, as well as people contacting us directly for support.
In total 84 cases have been resolved, and over 400 people have accessed the service.
