Crime does pay for Brighton and Hove community group

Sussex Police has donated £400 to a community organisation in Brighton and Hove from the money made by selling property confiscated from criminals.

The money went to Mernet (Mediterranean Resources Network) which works with black and minority ethnic communities.

Mernet focuses on people who are originally from or who have links with any of the 41 countries in and around the Mediterranean region.

It provides general advice, mentoring, mediation, conflict resolution and liaison between communities and statutory organisations.

It also aims to promote social and cultural cohesion through events such as the Mediterranean Feast and Party series, Brighton and Hove’s annual People’s Day, the Tarner Festival and Stoneham Park Festival.

And it has its own show on Brighton and Hove Community Radio every Thursday.

Umit Ozturk, Mernet chairman, said: “This generous funding will help to provide further opportunities for even more volunteers to work within Mernet.

“These volunteers will get the chance to research the interaction between Brighton’s many diverse communities and the local authority, healthcare services and the police in order to see how these relationships can be improved for all concerned.

“They will be able to use such mediums as community radio to reach their goal.

“Mernet is extremely grateful to Sussex Police for allowing us the chance to continue our work in this arena.”