Commissioner Clive Grunshaw launches Independent Committee to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls

The Committee, jointly established with Lancashire Constabulary, brings together independent experts from across sectors to provide strategic advice, challenge, and insight into how the force, supported by the Commissioner’s office, address violence against women and girls.

The announcement comes as the Commissioner continues to invest in VAWG initiatives across Lancashire. In recent months, £442,000 in government funding has been secured to support domestic abuse programmes such as Drive and CARA, which focus on long-term behaviour change and reducing repeat offending.

Additionally, £177,000 has been allocated to 38 community-led projects through a dedicated VAWG fund, using money seized from criminals.

Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said:” Preventing violence against women and girls is a top priority in my Police and Crime Plan. This new Committee will provide a forum where professional practice can be reflected upon, and organisational learning can be identified. It sits alongside the growing number of strategic scrutiny meetings led by my Office, including stop and search, custody and ethics, all of which support me in holding the force to account and ensuring transparency in policing.

“This Summer more than 4,000 women and girls in Lancashire shared their views on this important issue and whilst we’re still working our way through the results, this research is helping us understand the real experiences and concerns around safety, especially those that go unreported. The insights, together with this new Committee, will shape future action and ensure our strategies are grounded in lived experience.”

The Committee will meet quarterly and report annually to both the Commissioner and the Chief Constable. Its members will advise on policy, strategy, and operational effectiveness, and help ensure that lessons are learned and best practices adopted.

The inaugural meeting took place on Wednesday 1^st October, and minutes will be published on the OPCC website to ensure transparency.