On 1 February 2010, the Corston Independent Funders’ Coalition and the Ministry of Justice announced the creation of a joint £2m fund to divert women from custody.

The Women’s Diversionary Fund will be managed by the Corston Independent Funders Coalition. Selected organisations delivering or capable of delivering services in the community to women offenders or those at risk of offending will be invited to apply; there will not be an open applications process. The Fund will focus on:
• service development or continuation, filling gaps and further developing services;
• building organisational and sector capacity.

Please do not contact individual trusts and foundations about the Women’s Diversionary Fund.

Third sector organisations currently delivering in this or related fields will be invited to apply, so there is no need to contact the Coalition to register an interest.

Press queries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice Press Office on 0203 334 3536 or to Antonia Bance on behalf of the members of the Coalition.

The first grant recipients of the Women’s Diversionary Fund were announced in May 2010.

They are:
Nottingham Women’s Centre – to develop the centre’s services and diversionary activities for women offenders
Advance – to fund a criminal justice worker for its Minerva women offenders’ project in Brent and Hammersmith & Fulham
The Relationships Centre – to develop their services for women offenders at Halton Women’s Centre
Novas Scarman Group – to provide a court and outreach service for women offenders in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
One25 – to fund a criminal justice caseworker to work with female street sex workers in Bristol
YWCA England & Wales – to develop their services for women offenders in Cornwall
Hafan Cymru – to expand its work with young women offenders in Powys and Ceredigion
Clean Break – to expand its work with women offenders in London
The Women’s Centre Forum (grant held by WomenCentre Ltd) – to develop and independent national forum for diversionary and community services for women offenders and women at risk of offending.