Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership launches new website
07.12.23 - Merseyside
The Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership has launched a new website, making it easier for communities to find out more about its vital work to prevent and reduce serious violence across our region.
The new and improved www.merseysidevrp.com website offers a fresh, clean, engaging look, easier navigation, and enhanced tools for booking training being delivered by the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP).
Designed and built by Liverpool digital agency Connect Internet Solutions, the new user-friendly website will be a key tool for raising awareness of the work of the MVRP and helping to increase communication through an enhanced online presence.
The site provides vital information to communities across Merseyside about the MVRP’s aims and objectives and importantly, how it leads, supports, and funds a wide range of project and initiatives across Merseyside, all with the single aim of reducing and preventing violence.
Designed to be neurodiverse-friendly with a muted colour palette and more white space to reduce cognitive load, the new site offers news, blogs, and a host of information for use by the public, professionals, and educators, offering clear signposting to a wide-range of resources. The website also has a “hide site” button which is always visible for safety.
The homepage includes a regularly updated panel featuring the top four news, events and blog articles, as well as easy-to-navigate links to all the projects the MVRP delivers across five key overarching themes – early years, education, whole-family, health and preventing offending. It also makes it easier to find out about the MVRP’s strategy and aims, its research and the evaluation of the projects it delivers.
Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “Merseyside’s Violence Reduction Partnership is intervening in a positive way to help young people and families, prevent violence and make our communities safer and stronger, and the launch of this new website is designed to help more people find out about their vital work.
“The new site is much easier and faster to use, it looks great, and it provides a wealth of resources that can be used by families and professionals, all focused on reducing and stopping violence and building brighter futures. I’d encourage everyone to go online, take a look, and find out more about the MVRP.”
Temporary Director of the MVRP, Supt Georgie Garvey added: “Our goal is to put a stop to violence, so we want as many people as possible to find out about the projects and programmes we’re running in their communities and the difference they are making.
“Our new-look website will be a key tool in helping us achieve that, increasing our communication with the communities we serve and making it easier for them to learn about our aims, progress and achievements.
“I’m thrilled that the new site really reflects our work – and with more content still to come, I hope people find it a valuable and helpful resource.
Connect’s Managing Director, Janet Symes said: “The Violence Reduction Partnership is a vital resource across Merseyside, providing much needed assistance in the effort to make communities and families safer. We are really proud of the work we have done for them and the part we have helped to play in their incredible work.”
What is the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership?
In total, 20 Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) have been established across England and Wales to help deliver the Government’s Serious Violence Strategy to tackle knife and gun crime and homicide.
Police and Crime Commissioners lead on commissioning these multi-agency units in their areas, bringing together strategic partners to deliver system-wide interventions to prevent and reduce crime.
In Merseyside, we renamed our unit to the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) because we believe the word ‘partnership’ reflects the way we work and approach this challenge.
The VRP brings together Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue, local government, National Probation Service and the county’s Youth Offending Service, health and education professionals, community leaders and other key partners.