The Home Office has announced £14m of funding to support charities using innovative ways to tackle crimes in communities.

The money will be spread between two funds, one focusing on communities, the other on young people.

The Innovation Fund will fund charities to create new approaches to tackling crime in the community. It will be worth £5m in 2011/12, with a further £5m set aside for 2012/13.

In addition, the £4m Choices Fund will support the development of innovative local solutions to reducing substance misuse and offending by young people.

A Home Office spokesman said the department is particularly keen for the fund to be made available to grassroots community activists who are not traditional recipients of government grants.

It also wants the funding to encourage the voluntary sector to work more closely with local Community Safety Partnerships, and other statutory agencies that impact on community safety, to drive co-design and co-delivery of services.

Full details of the application process for 2011-12 will be made available on the Home Office website shortly.