ProtectivePlaces securityof schemesWorship for(POW): placesProtective ofSecurity worshipFunding Scheme

A Welsh translation will be published when available.

Overview of the schemesscheme

InThe 2023 and 2024, the Home Office is continuing to provide protective security measures to places of worship in England and Wales under two schemes:

• Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme

• Protective Securityprovides for Mosques Scheme

The schemes provide funding for places of worship and associated faith community centres that are vulnerable to hate crime. TheseThis schemesscheme aimis intended to reducereduce:

• the risk of a hate crime happening at placesa place of worship soand thatassociated peoplefaith cancommunity feelcentre
• the safeimpact toof attendhate crime on the place of worship itself (the building) and practisepeople theirattending religionthe freely.
  place of worship

Through thesethe schemes,scheme, vulnerable places of worship can apply for physical protective security measures, such as CCTV, secure fencing, and intruder alarms.

Applicantsalarms to thebe Protectiveinstalled Securityat their site for Mosquesfree.

You Schemecan areapply alsofor ablethe installation of up to apply3 forprotective security guardingmeasures services.at Furtheryour informationplace isof providedworship below.

or associated faith community centre. The application process is open from 2119 JuneMay 20232022 until 1528 AugustJuly 2023.2022. We cannot consider any applications received after this date.

ForThe placesscheme ofcovers worshipthe thatcosts areof successfulequipment inand applyinginstallation toof theall schemes, security measures willagreed befor providedyour andplace installed free of charge.worship. This includes any maintenance costs for one year from the installation date (such as for CCTV systems or for monitoredMonitored intruderIntruder alarmAlarm systems).Systems).

However,However you should be aware that the Homegovernment Office cannot fund any additional costs that might result from measures being installed, such as the cost of applying for planning permission or any preparatory work needed (such(for asexample groundclearing clearance).the grounds).

WeThis year, Muslim faith communities will confirmalso be able to apply for funding for some security guarding services, where security guarding staff will be visible at the numberentrance andof typetheir place of measuresworship. thatThese weguarding areservices ablewill tobe provideavailable followinglater yourin sitethe surveyyear, andwhen awe finalwill reviewprovide byfurther theinformation Hometo Office.interested Muslim communities. (see 3. Muslim community below)

Esotec Limited iswill thecontinue Hometo Office’smanage deliverythe partnerscheme foron physicalbehalf protectiveof securitythe measuresHome Office and will be the main point of contact for places of worship whoto arediscuss successfulthe inagreed goingsecurity forwardmeasures tofor thetheir siteparticular surveysite. stage.Esotec TheLimited supplierwill also arrange for the eventual installation of security guardingmeasures servicesat willplaces beof announcedworship laterwho inhave been successfully awarded funding through the year.scheme.

All Successfulmeasures applicantsunder the scheme must be completed and delivered by 31 March 2023.

Eligibility

The scheme is open to all faiths, except the ProtectiveJewish Securitycommunity. forThis Mosquesis schemebecause whoa haveseparate appliedfunding forscheme guardingis servicesavailable willto beprovide informedsecurity asmeasures soonat ascertain possible.

WhoJewish canfaith apply

institutions.

You should apply to the schemes:

• Places of Worship funding scheme if you have experienced hate crime at your place of worship, or

• if you feel that your place of worship is vulnerable to hate crime;crime - for example,example if hate crime has happened at other places of worship or sites in your community, or ifto people attending your place of worshipworship. have experienced hate crime in the local area

The application must be formade aon behalf of your place of worship and/or associated faith community centrecentre. locatedThe scheme is only open to places of worship in England and Wales.

The types of places of worship that can apply under the schemesscheme include (but are not limited to):

• churches

• gurdwaras

• mosques

• temples

• associated faith community centres (for example, a community centre where regular worship takes place that is near a place of worship and run by that place of worship)

ThereThe is one application form that covers both schemes. Muslim places of worship and their associated faith community centres will be allocated to the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme. All other faiths, except the Jewish community, will be allocated to the Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme. A separate funding scheme is available to provide security measures for the Jewish community.

We cannot accept applications for the following:

• living accommodation

• educational facilities (faith schools and other educational institutions are not eligible)

  eligible. As announced there is a separate scheme for Muslim Faith Schools in 2022/23)

• NHS establishments,establishments including chapels and prayer rooms

• other buildings that are owned by the place of worship or faith community but not used for regular worship (for example,example cafes, education centres, youth centres,centres etc). Where these structures exist within the place of worship or on the same site, only the schemesprotection canof onlythe coveractual protectionplace of placesworship thatcan arebe regularlycovered usedby forthe worship

  scheme

If your place of worship has received funding through the Placesscheme of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme in 20212020-21 to 2022 or 20222021-22 to 2023, you may still apply. However, funding for places of worship thatwho have received funding in the last two years will be at the discretion of the Home Office and will only be awarded where there is very strong evidence of an ongoing vulnerability to hate crime. This is to ensure that as many places of worship as possible are able to access funding for protective security measures. We encourage mosques who have received funding through the scheme in the last two years to apply for guarding services if security guarding would be benefit their site and attending worshippers.

Muslim community

IfThis youfinancial representyear (2022/2023) mosques and associated faith community centres can also apply for some security guarding services, where they feel security guards will improve the safety of their site and those worshipping there.

The provision of a mosqueguarding thatservice haswill receivedonly fundingbe previously,available weat encourageMuslim youplaces of worship. Interested Muslim communities will be able to apply for both guarding services ifand physical security measures (CCTV, fencing etc – as outlined above).

If you feelare thatinterested in applying for security guarding wouldservices benefitat your mosquemosque, andplease attendingindicate worshippers.this on your application form. Indicating an interest on the form does not mean a formal commitment.

Please note that guarding services will not be available until later in the year. We will provide further information to those sites who indicate an interest in guarding services over the next few months

Charity status

Places of worship and associated faith community centres are normally charitable and required by law to register as charities if their income from all sources is over £5,000 a year. Some churches are currently excepted from registration.

If you are lawfully exempt, you will be required as part of your application to include a written confirmation of your exemption and the justification for your exemption. You must upload this written confirmation to the application formportal on your organisation’s letter headed paper.

If you are not registered as a charity and are not exempt, you will need to register with the Charity Commission before applying to the scheme.

If you would like advice and support on completing the application to register as a charity, are unsure about whether you need to register, or have any other queries about registering as a charity, please contact, faithoutreach@charitycommission.gov.uk.

What the schemesscheme covercovers

If your application is successful, the scheme will fund equipment and installations costs for up to three security measures. The types of physical protective security measures available are listed below, but you do not need to decide which measures you would like to apply for now. If your application is successful, a survey of your place of worship site will be carried out.out (see section 8). During this site survey, Esotec Limited will discuss with you the most appropriate measures for your particular site,site based on the recommendations made to them by the police DOCO (Designing Out Crime Officer):DOCO:

• CCTV (fixed cameras, not pan-tilt cameras)

• secureSecure fencing and/or railings (no more than 2.1m high)

• manually operated pedestrian and vehicle gates

• doorDoor hardening, locks and mailboxmail box / mail bag

• reinforcing glazed windows (with anti-shatter film or bars/grilles only)

• intruder alarms including integrated smoke/heat detection

• door entry access control (fob or keypad)

• video intercom systems

• lighting (building mounted)

IfThe your application is successful, the schemes will cover the cost of all security equipment (as agreed by Esotec Limited and the Home Office) and installation at your place of worship. However, the schemes scheme cannot be used to fund:

• required planning permission

• general building improvements

• standard security upgrades (for(e.g. example,should if measures installed under this scheme become outdated after a number of years)

• measures to tackle anti-social behaviour, lead theft, or other criminality unconnected with hate crime

Muslim places of worship and their associated faith community centres are also eligible for

security guardingpersonnel/guarding services– underunless thethis Protectiveis Securityat fora MosquesMuslim Scheme.place Applicants can decide if they would prefer to apply for physical protective security measures or security guarding services only, or both. A similar site survey will be carried out for successful applicants to decide the most appropriate guarding regime for each location. The supplier of security guarding services will be announced later in the year.

worship

Submitting an application

In order to submit a valid application, you will need to show that:

• hate crimes or hate incidents have happened at your place of worship, or

• hate crime has happened in your local area and you think there is a high chance that your place of worship could also be targeted

  itself

You will need to provide evidence that the community at your place of worship is vulnerable to the kind of hate crime that targets people because of their religion and race.

Any crime can be classed as a hate crime if the offender has demonstrated, or been motivated by, hostility based on:

• race

• religion

• disability

• sexual orientation

• transgender identity

TheseThis schemesscheme focusfocuses on hate crimes motivated by religion and race.

Please Applicants should provide a detailed description of all hate crimes and incidents that your place ofor worship has experienced. If you feel that your place of worship is vulnerable to hate crime, but has not experienced any hate crime incidents directly, please provide:

• details of the incidents that have happened in your local area

  and

• why you think your place of worship may also be the target of similar hate crime attacks

Please include details about how these incidents have affected worshippers in your community:

• howHow did theyit make people feel?

• wereWere people frightened?

• didDid it make people stop attending worship or other events at the site?

YouIt mayis alsoimportant to try and provide supporting evidence with your application form. This could be photographs of damage or graffiti at your place of worship, police crime reports, or local newspaper reports. You can upload a maximum of 1020 files of evidence in support of your application.

Here are some examples of the types of evidence we are looking for, but there may be other examples you would like to include:

• photographs/reports of incidents at your place of worship/associated faith community centre or nearby

• police reports of a hate crime or incident at your place of worship/associated faith community centre or nearby

• a letter or email from your local police force confirming that your institution is in an area where there has been high incidence of religiously motivated hate crimes

• evidence of particular tensions in the community e.g. from a local authority community coordinator

• reportstestimonials ofabout experiences of hate crime or verbalhateful abusesentiment from worshippers at your place of worship/associated faith community centre

• records and/or time and date logs of incidents that have occurred at your place of worship or associated community centre, or its nearby surroundings

• a survey or consensus of people in your faith community showing how they feel about hate crimes that have happened at your place of worship or feelings of vulnerability about hate crime

Any inreasonable yourevidence localthat communityyou provide will be considered.

To apply for funding through the schemes,scheme, you will need to complete an online application.

As part of the application form you will be asked to provide evidence of hate crimes your community has experienced at your place of worship – please provide as much detail and supporting evidence as you can.

You can only submit one application for your place of worship/associated faith community centre. Duplicate applications will not be considered. If your place of worship and associated faith community centre are on the same site, you should still only submit one application.

The form can be saved at any stage. However,However you must submit your application before the deadline closes at 11.59pm on TuesdayThursday 1528 AugustJuly 2023.2022.

If you require any assistance with submitting your application, help may be available from Strengthening Faith Institutions.

The following information is required for the online application form:

• name, faith, and address of your place of worship

• name of contact and their details

• place of worship location (England or Wales) and type (place of worship and/or associated faith community centre)

• charity number or letter on your organisation’s letter headed paper confirming if and why you are legally exempt from registering as a charity (you will be asked to upload the letter)

• existing security measures at your site

• detailsinformation ofif anyyou’ve previouspreviously applicationsapplied, and the outcome

  of that application

It’s important that you provide asdetails muchfor detail as you can about all hate crimes or incidents that have affected your place of worship and the people that worship there. For each incident, you should make clear:

• what has happened
• when it happened
• where it happened
• why you believe this is a hate crime/incident, and
• the impact it has had on your place of worship

When providing your evidence, consider:

• How recently has the crime/incident occurred?

• How frequently do you experience hate crimes/incidents? Have the crimes/incidents occurred over a period of time?

• Can you identify the motivation behind the crimes/incidents? Have you been targeted specifically because of your faith?

• What is the impact of the crime/incident on your community? How do they feel about incidents that have happened? Has it affected people coming to worship?

Application guidance

Your application is more likely to be successful if you:

• provide clear evidence to explain how and why your place of worship andis the people who worship there are vulnerable to hate crime

• detail allthe hateincidents crimeclearly incidentsand experienceduse atdifferent sources of evidence to show how your place of worship and(the usebuilding) clearor evidencethose tothat showworship whatthere happenedare wherevervulnerable youto canhate (forcrime

• list example,the ancrimes applicantor whoincidents, hasand sufferedprovide hateevidence graffitito shouldback uploadit photosup, ofhighlighting the graffiti)

• tell us about the impact of these incidents on worshippers,worshippers. whichFor couldexample, includean reportsapplicant fromwho peoplehas whosuffered experiencedhate orgraffiti witnessedshould upload photos of the hategraffiti. crimeThey explainingmay also explain how the incidentgraffiti madeimpacted themthe feelcommunity and howcould itinclude hasother affectedrelevant themevidence (forsuch example,as whetherwritten ittestimonies stoppedfrom thempeople attendingwho worship)

  attend the place of worship

Applications in previous years that that were unsuccessful tended to only provide limited evidence and/or did not clarify why their place of worship was vulnerable to hate crime. For example, not explaining what photographs showedshowed; or only providing police incident reference numbers,numbers but not explaining what had happened.

Without clear and detailed evidence of your place of worship’s vulnerability to hate crime, yourapplications applicationunder isthis funding scheme are unlikely to be successful.

Examples

Here are some examples of what successful and unsuccessful applications might look like. This is a guide only and should not be copied in your application form.

Successful applicant 1:

We have experienced several hate crimes and incidents over the past few years. We have not reported all of these to the police. In the past year, we have had three incidences of hate graffiti occur on our walls during prayer times. I attach photographic evidence of the incidents.

At every religious festival, we receive harassment. Protest groups attend and shout abusive things at us. I attach a witness statement from a worshipper who suffered some of this abuse at a recent religious festival.

Last year, we also had an incident of criminal damage. People entered our premises during the nightnight, and destroyed important religious texts and statutes. They broke down the door, and set fire to the religious texts. I attach photographic evidence of the damage. This felt hate motivated as the religious texts and statutes were purposefully targeted and damaged.

We recently had a more serious incident involving a male trying to enter the premises with a knife. Fortunately,Fortunately nobody was hurt, and the police arrived promptly to deal with the man. I attach the police crime reference report from the incident, which provides further information on what happened. This was recorded by the police as a hate crime, as the man stated he had been there to hurt worshippers.

These incidents have made our worshippers feel vulnerable and targeted because of their faith. A local place of worship down the road has also experienced a number of similar religiously motivated hate crimes, and this adds to our feelings of vulnerability, as we feel tensions from the surrounding community.

Successful applicant 2:

We recently experienced a terrible incident where all of our religious statues were destroyed in one night. We also had all of our windows smashed. This attack was deliberate, iconoclastic, and planned. The perpetrators attacked the site at night, and the day before an important religious festival. This meant that we were unable to properly celebrate the religious festival, and instead spent the day talking to the police and clearing up the mess.

This was a terrible attack which has made our worshippers feel really vulnerable. Prior to this, we have experienced some low level anti-social behaviour, with people trespassing and littering on the premises. However, this attack shows a deliberate shift into more direct attacks against our faith and premises.

In support of this application,application I attach photographs of the damage, witness reports detailing the impact, a survey of worshippers and how they feel about safety, police incident reports, and CCTV footage of the incidents.

Unsuccessful applicant 1:

In the current climate, all places of worship are vulnerable to hate crime.

Unsuccessful applicant 2:

We had someone leave a bag of rubbish on our premises.

Unsuccessful applicant 3:

There was a terrible incident involving knives, and 20 police officers attended.

As demonstrated by these examples, the applicants whowhich provide more detail and upload evidence in support of their application, are the applicants which are more likely to score highly.

Site survey

If your application successfully demonstrates your vulnerability to hate crime, Esotec Limited will arrange to visit your place of worship with a local ‘Designing Out Crime Officer’Officer’. (DOCO).These DOCOs are qualified experts in crime prevention and environment/buildingenvironment design./ building design . They will look at your current security arrangements and recommend theup mostto appropriatethree physical protective security measures for your site. The recommended measures will be designed to reduce your place of worship’s vulnerability to hate crime.

If you are content with the recommended security measures, you will be asked to confirm whether you wish to continue with your application. At this point, you should not undertake any installation works yourself or arrange for the security measures to be installed by another contractor. We cannot reimburse your place of worship for works carried out by another contractor.

Independent assessment

AAll similar site surveyassessments that agree that a particular place of worship would benefit from the installation of physical security measures will then need to be carriedreviewed outby forIndependent successfulAdvisory applicantsPanel. The panel is made up of representatives from the Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities who applyhave forexpertise guardingon servicessecurity underissues in relation to their respective faiths. The panel may also include a representative from the Protectivepolice Securitycrime Mosquesprevention Scheme.initiatives, Thisand a Welsh representative.

After its review, the panel will bejointly make recommendations to determinethe Home Office on the places of worship it considers will most appropriatedirectly guardingbenefit regimefrom forfunding. eachPlease placenote ofthat, worship.even Furtherif informationyou willprovide beevidence providedof being vulnerable to relevantreligious applicantsand onceracially-motivated ahate suppliercrime, hasthe beenpanel announcedcan latertake inother factors into account and may still recommend your application is declined. For example, they may recommend either part approval of the year.funds or measures requested, or recommend refusal of the full amount.

Application outcome

Due diligence checks will be carried out by the Home Office throughout the application process.

Applicationprocess outcome

. We will let applicants know by email whether they have been successful or not under the schemes.

Wescheme aimat to let you know the resultearliest of your application no later than November 2023 (this date is a guide and may be subject to change).opportunity.

Installation of physical security measures

If your application for funding under the scheme is successful, Esotec Limited will contact you to arrange a date to install your approved physical protective security measures. The Home Office will cover all100 percent of the costs to purchase and install agreed security measures, which will be paid directly to Esotec Limited. This does not include costs associated with permissions/consent required, or preparatory work required (for example, costs associated with clearing site debris or foliage to allow installation works to occur).

The Home Office will conduct random audit checks on a number of completed projects to ensure that all installations are in line with the agreed measures and to a satisfactory standard. All successful applicants should be prepared for the Home Office to arrange its audit.

We also ask that successful applicants complete a short survey once security measures have been installed. This will give you an opportunity to say how the funded measures have benefitted your place of worship or associated faith community centre and provide any feedback on the process to the Home Office.

Esotec Limited may use third party sub-contractors to install any future physical security measures, as and when required.

If your application is successful,successful we ask that you engage quickly and fully with Esotec Limited to agree a survey visit to your place of worship and any further arrangements with contractors etc. We may otherwise need to withdraw any offer of funding.

Planning restrictions

The award of a grant to install security measures at your place of worship does not include permission to carry out the works. If your application is successful, you will need to check if further permissions are needed for the work to be carried out (for example, planning permission, listed building consent, faculty permission etc).

We ask you to seek any permissions required as quickly as possible.possible, as all measures must be delivered and completed by 31 March 2023. Esotec Limited will seek confirmation from you that the application process for any consents needed has been started within two weeks of notification that your application has been successful.

Timetable

Bid opens	Bid closes
19 May	11:59pm on 28 July

Site survey appointments

Initial site surveys will be organised and carried out between July and August 2022 (this date is a guide and can be subject to change)

Application review period commences

Applications will be considered by an independent advisory panel in August 2022 (this date is a guide and can be subject to change).

Outcome communicated

All application outcomes will be emailed by the Home Office no later than October 2022 (this date is a guide and may be subject to change).

Contact us

Esotec Limited is your first point of contact for any queries under the Places of Worship Protective Security Funding scheme (referring any queries to the Home Office as appropriate). They can be contacted at Esotec Limited

Data protection

To find out more about how we process and protect your information, and your rights in relation to this, please see the privacy information notice (PIN).