The Home Office has placed the sum into the new Victims Fund to support established voluntary and community groups in England and Wales working with people affected by sexual violence and abuse.
The funding stream, which was announced by Home Secretary David Blunkett in April, will run over two years and opened for the first round of applications last week. Organisations have until the end of December to apply for money for 2004/05.
A Home Office spokeswoman said the department was looking to fund a diverse range of projects working with different sectors of the community, including children and young people.
Some of the 4m will be earmarked for the development of sexual assault referral centres run by statutory agencies.
The spokeswoman said this cash had yet to be allocated and she could not say what proportion would be available to alternative community-sector bids.
- www.governmentfunding.org.uk.
