POCA Grants

From time to time the England Illegal Money Lending Team offers grants to community organisations wanting to raise awareness about the dangers of loan sharks in their communities.

This funding pot comes from money seized from convicted loan sharks under Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) legislation.

Please watch our social media channels for details of when the next round of funding will be available.

➡️ Stop Loan Sharks Community Fund – Frequently Asked Questions 

Who Can Apply? 

We welcome funding bids from local residents, charities, community and voluntary groups, schools and statutory agencies.

What Can The Money Be Spent On?  

Funds can be spent on any worthwhile community project that meets the following criteria:

➡️ Contributes to raising awareness of the dangers of using loan sharks

➡️ Prevents crime and disorder and publicises the Stop Loan Sharks message

➡️ Promotes the work of the Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) in communities

➡️ Encourages reporting of loan sharks

Full Funding Criteria Can Be Found On The Application Form. 

The Fund Has 4 Main Objectives:

✅ Innovative ✅ Community Engagement ✅ Impact ✅ Legacy

Looking for some inspiration for your next project?

Here are some amazing projects that have benefited from POCA funding

Mural unveiled in Jaywick raises awareness of loan sharks

We worked in partnership with Mind Charity and London-based muralist Will Redgrove to create this striking mural warning Jaywick residents about the dangers of loan sharks.

Members of the community took part in the painting of the mural and shared their own experiences of mental health and loan sharks to help break down barriers and reduce stigma.

Storybook warns children about loan sharks

We worked in partnership with Hafsha Dadabhai-Shaikh and Salim Shaikh from the Get Families Talking project, run by Smartlyte, to launch a new storybook warning children and families about the dangers of loan sharks online.

Read about the exciting Amsty Meets Mr Loan Shark book here.

Bike project helps break vicious cycle of loan sharks 

We collaborated with the Henderson Trust to deliver a bike project in Norwich which helped raise awareness of illegal money lending and steered people away from using loan sharks.

The ‘Not About The Bike’ project involved working with young people to build a fleet of bikes with warning messages about the dangers of loan sharks. The six customised bikes were showcased at a Summer event last year and visitors took part in a competitive ‘beat the shark’ bicycle race. They were also given information about safer lending options through their local credit union.

Stunning pixel art installation warns of dangers of loan sharks 

A massive stained-glass pixel art installation is helping to raise awareness of the dangers of loan sharks at Norton Priory Museum and Gardens in Runcorn.

We teamed up with Digital Arts Box CIC and youngsters across Runcorn primary schools to create unique pixel artwork to raise awareness about illegal money lending and how to spot the warning signs.

The completed artwork spans nine, floor-to-ceiling, stained glass windows within the atrium of Norton Priory’s main building. It highlights the many different guises of loan sharks, such as the friend of a friend, the work colleague and the online search.