A Coalville recruit is among the first of a number of dynamic community leaders who have been appointed as part of a new project to reduce harm and prevent violence in Leicestershire.

Leicestershire's Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach, through the county's Violence Reduction Network (VRN), has picked 20 community stalwarts to pioneer his new PCC Community Leadership Programme.

The team of leaders will support the PCC's work to reduce and prevent violence by building the capacity of communities and empowering local change.

Among them is Paul Fagan, who manages the non-profit charity Marlene Reid Community Action based in Coalville which is already one of the PCC's People Zones.

It is an existing multi-agency partnership approach to build stronger, safer communities.

The charity operates a self-funded community hub providing a range of positive community activities and services through its centre including an older generation community transport service

Paul, 41, said: "I'm delighted with this opportunity and the doors it will open up to improve community services throughout Coalville.

"I'm ideally positioned in the role I'm doing now and it felt appropriate someone from this organisation should be part of the project.

"I already have a good idea of what the voice of the community is and understand what people are saying they want and need in the area.

"The youth voice is particularly strong and there is a lot of will to get some youth engagement off the ground and the PCC is aligned to that in terms of addressing antisocial behaviour.

"We will be looking to develop our services and our networking opportunities to get things started.

"As an area Coalville has its fair share of social issues, not on a city level but a much smaller scale.

"We're a former mining town and employment is pretty good, however the younger generation especially are under-supported and that is something I'm keen to reverse."

The new recruits will now embark on an intensive, three-month training programme to develop their advocacy and leadership abilities through a series of interactive sessions delivered by Leicester-based leadership development experts, Jones Consulting. 

The PCC's Community Leadership Programme is part of a public health approach to violence which involves supporting people and working through their problems to prevent crisis and stop them turning to crime.

The project will eventually see the appointment of 40 Community Leaders across the LLR area over the next two years.

Lord Willy Bach, who sits on the VRN Board, said: "With the right support and amenities in place, people can overcome obstacles to improve their futures and this is what this programme is really about.

"At the centre of our communities are talented and driven individuals who have the power to unlock potential and we need their ideas and their skills to help people flourish. This is about helping communities to help themselves and I believe this is how we prevent violence in the long-term."

The programme is launching with weekly meetings.  

Deborah Jones, of Jones Consulting, said: "We are delighted to be able to support leaders across our city and county in this crucial work for our communities".

Through the training, participants will be supported to develop their impact as community leaders, better identify and develop new projects which will have a positive impact on their communities, demonstrate confidence in decision-making and successfully develop long-term plans and strategies.

They will also have a greater understanding on how to write funding bids and evaluate the impact of their work.