Newsletter – July 2026

Northampton School for Boys is the latest organisation to sign the Northamptonshire Women’s Charter, taking the fast-growing campaign to 114 members.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone launched her mission in December to rally organisations to show they are dedicated to listening to the safety concerns of women and girls and take reporting seriously.

Now, a mix of the county’s largest employers from sports clubs, schools, businesses, local authorities and emergency services have made a public pledge to back Danielle’s Charter.

One of those is Northampton School for Boys and during the Commissioner’s visit to meet school leaders and Sixth Form students, she heard how they are working to create an inclusive community.

Sarah Bradley-Brophy, deputy headteacher, said: “By signing the Charter, NSB has committed to continue to listen to the voices of women and girls, promote gender equality, challenge harmful attitudes and foster a culture where everyone feels safe, valued and respected.”

The Charter also has the backing of one of Northampton’s largest employers, Greencore, which employs 2,700 people at its Moulton Park sites.

The Commissioner went along to their summer celebration on July 18 where Police Community Support Officers Dan Freeman and Laura Harmer helped staff fill in the Charter survey.

When organisations join the pledge, they are given a workforce survey to ask their people about their feeling of safety at work. It’s hoped the feedback will help to inform a Women’s Walk in the immediate area to consider environmental and physical security, so workers feel safer on their work commute.

Danielle said: “Everyone, from schools to large organisations, has a part to play in creating a better culture and there are simple steps that every organisation can take towards supporting my ambition for Northamptonshire to be a safe place for all women and girls.”

To become a member, visit the Commissioner’s website to join for free and gain access to the next webinar with Northamptonshire Rape Crisis on 13 August.

Dawn Thomas of Northamptonshire Rape Crisis

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone has awarded £106,458 to 13 organisations in 2025/26 that help meet the strategic aims of her five-year Safe and Sound public safety plan.

Successful applicants can bid to the Safe and Sound Community Fund for grants between £1,000 and £10,000, to reduce harm or offending, improve community engagement or support vulnerable people across the county. The fund also prioritises projects that protect and help children, women and young people.

Northamptonshire Rape Crisis received a grant to help survivors of sexual violence.

The charity’s Dawn Thomas said: “This has enabled us to provide a safe, creative space for women and a safe space to process emotions that have been difficult to understand after years of abuse.”

Organisations that have benefited include:

• Northamptonshire Rape Crisis secured £8,252 towards the costs of delivering an eight-week psycho educational art therapy course, which helps survivors of sexual violence process their trauma.
• Northampton Hope Centre was awarded £10,000 to help train, support and supervise volunteers to support staff in running their homeless Day Centre operations.
• Almost £10,000 to Royal & Derngate to host a conference with parents, teachers and practitioners to confront online culture and the pull of toxic masculinity.
• The Creative Futures project was granted almost £10,000, which gives at-risk young people in care, isolated school children or youth offenders a pathway into creative industries.

As well as the Safe and Sound Community Fund, more than 30 community-led road safety projects have been delivered thanks to grants from Danielle’s Road Safety Community Fund.

A total of £113,084 was awarded to local councils, organisations and community groups in 2025/26, supporting initiatives designed to make roads, footpaths and cycleways safer.

Since the fund was launched in 2019/20, more than £556,000 has been given to road safety projects. Danielle said: “The grant funding from my office is having a positive impact.

“It’s important we work with partners and community groups to help make our communities safer. My grant schemes support projects that help to meet my Safe and Sound public safety plan – whether it’s preventing violence against women and girls, creating safe places or preventing victims.”

To apply for grant funding, please visit www.northantspfcc.org.uk or email [email protected]

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s ASB Early Intervention Team was set up in January to take demand off policing and offer early intervention when a young person has shown concerning behaviour.

Danielle Stone’s Targeted Intervention Officers are now embedded within Neighbourhood Police Teams across the county, working alongside officers to identify the root causes of crime.

The team has worked with 310 children, the youngest child aged only nine years old, as part of the Commissioner’s mission to protect young people from crime.

When a police officer makes a referral to the specialists, it’s their job to step in and provide one-to-one help or tailored family workshops to unpick what’s happening in the young person’s life.

They can provide preventative education around criminal damage, harassment, assault, theft and public nuisance and other themes.

Over the last six months, causing a nuisance in the community has been the top reason a youth worker has needed to intervene with a young person.

Danielle said: “I’m proud of the impact my Targeted Intervention Officers have made in a short amount of time to help prevent problems from escalating, reduce demand on emergency services and allowing enforcement to focus where it is most needed.

“The benefits are clear – stronger safeguarding, safer communities and many more positive futures for young people.”

The success of the project has seen referral routes expand, with youth workers now embedded within some schools. For one day a week, young people who have been involved in low-level incidents will be referred for support with a youth worker to reduce the risk of permanent exclusion further down the line.

Raneem’s Law Domestic Abuse specialists will now be embedded in the Force Control Room seven nights a week, ensuring victims receive a faster response, calls are accurately risk assessed, and officers have expert support during live incidents and scheduled appointments.

The expansion has been made possible through more Home Office funding, allowing the service to increase from five to seven days a week during peak evening hours.

Northamptonshire Police was selected as one of only five forces nationally to pilot Raneem’s Law in 2025.

The initiative was introduced following the tragic murders of Raneem Oudeh and her mother, Khaola Saleem, in 2018, after a series of missed opportunities to protect them from Ms Oudeh’s ex-husband.

In 2021 – Domestic abuse specialists started working with 999 operators from Thursday to Sunday

In 2025 – The rollout of the Raneem’s Law pilot meant this service could be extended to Wednesdays

In 2026 – After the pilot and a new tranche of funding, specialists are now embedded seven days a week

Northamptonshire was already recognised for its pioneering approach, having embedded Commissioner-funded Crisis Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) in the Force Control Room in 2021 from Thursday to Sunday evenings.

The pilot meant this could be extended to support Wednesday nights too, showing the value of having specialist domestic abuse expertise available at the earliest point of contact.

 Danielle Stone said: “This news means our officers have expert resource on hand for advice every night of the week, who can provide help and emotional support at the very earliest moment to victims.

“I am pleased the Government has recognised the impact of our pioneering work and how we are playing a huge part in the mission to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade.”

Anyone experiencing domestic abuse can contact police on 101, call 999 in an emergency, or seek support from Voice on 0300 303 1965 or at www.voicenorthants.org.uk