Issue - items at meetings - Applications for Community Chest Grant Funding 2017/2018

Report No: CAB/SE/16/064

Portfolio Holder: Robert Everitt Lead Officer: Davina Howes

RESOLVED

That:

(1) the allocation of Community Chest funding for 2017/2018, as previously approved in 2016/2017 as part of two-year funding agreements, be noted, namely:

(a) Gatehouse Caring in East Anglia

(home furnishings): £5,000

(b) HomeStart

(borough wide): £9,800

(c) REACH Community Projects: £5,000

(d) Relate Norfolk and Suffolk: £5,000

(e) The Voluntary Network (Befriending Scheme): £10,800

(f) The Voluntary Network (Community Cars): £4,434

(g) Suffolk Rape Crisis: £4,800

(2) the allocation of Community Chest funding for 2017/2018, as detailed in Report No: GWP/SE/16/003, be approved, namely:

(a) Gatehouse Caring in East Anglia (towards Dementia Hub): £10,000

(b) Millennium Farm Trust: £10,000

(c) Upbeat Heart Support: £7,875

(d) Suffolk Cruse Bereavement Care: £9,458

(e) Survivors in Transition (SiT): £11,560

(f) Bury St Edmunds Women’s Aid Centre Ltd: £5,400

(g) HomeStart (Mildenhall Road Estate): £10,767

(h) HomeStart (Acorn House): £7,454

(i) HomeStart (Coupals Court): £7,454

(j) Our Special Friends: £6,000

(k) Suffolk West Citizens Advice Bureau (Operations): £182,000

(3) subject to the budget setting process for 2018/2019, and subject to the satisfactory submission of evidence-based reports detailing the benefits and success of each individual project in 2017/2018, the allocation of Community Chest funding for 2017/2018 and 2018/2019, be approved, namely:

(a) Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (SARS):

2017/18 2018/19

£2,000 £2,000

(b) Theatre Royal (Bury St Edmunds):

2017/18 2018/19

£5,000 £5,000

(4) No Community Chest funding for 2017/2018 be awarded to:

(a) ActivLives;

(b) Cancer Campaign in Suffolk;

(c) Rural Coffee Caravan;

(d) Suffolk Academy;

(e) FamilyCarersNet;

(f) Suffolk West Citizens Advice Bureau (Health);

(g) AMP and DECK;

(h) Unit Twenty Three (Bury Youth Forum);

(i) YOPEY Befriender;

(j) Spinning Wheel;

(k) COMPASSION;

(l) Fresh Start New Beginnings;

(m) Junction 10;

(n) Community Action Suffolk (Volunteering);

(o) Community Action Suffolk (Locality);

(p) Suffolk Coalition of Disabled People (SCODP);

(q) Suffolk West Citizens Advice Bureau (MoneySmart);

(r) The Matthew Project;

(s) Multicultural Women’s Group Bury St Edmunds;

(t) Creative Arts East (Rural Touring Scheme);

(u) Creative Arts East (Our Day Out); and

(v) Haverhill Community Trust.

(5) No allocation of Community Chest funding for 2019/2020 be approved at this present time.

(6) As further details and information is required from the following four organisations, the granting of appropriate levels (if any) of Community Chest funding for 2017/2018 be deferred and recommended to Cabinet on 7 February 2017 for approval:

(a) Suffolk Mind;

(b) Catch 22, Suffolk Positive Futures;

(c) HomeStart (Honington); and

(d) Unit Twenty Three (‘Freefall’ production).

The Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/16/064, which presented the recommendations of the Grant Working Party emanating from its meeting on 7 November 2016.

Councillor Robert Everitt, Portfolio Holder for Families and Communities, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet including that the Grant Working Party had considered a total of 39 applications for Community Chest funding in 2017/2018. A wide variety of organisations had submitted applications, as detailed in Appendix 1 to Report No: GWP/SE/16/003. The Community Chest budget for 2017/2018 was £332,147 and applicants could apply for a maximum of three years.

Councillor Angela Rushen, Chairman of the Grant Working Party was in attendance and summarised the process that had been undertaken to formulate the Working Party’s recommendations.

Each application, including those that had previously been allocated funding in 2016/2017 for 2017/2018, as part of two-year agreements, had been summarised in Appendix 1 to Report No: GWP/SE/16/003 with the full applications attached as appendices to that report. Each application was required to be evaluated in accordance with the eligibility and selection criteria set out in Appendix 2, and was considered in turn, as set out in the Cabinet report.

Following due consideration, recommendations for funding had been put forward to the Cabinet for the reasons provided in Report No: CAB/SE/16/003.

Members noted that the Working Party had decided to defer its consideration of four of the applications pending receipt of further information. These applications required further evaluation by email by the Working Party, and therefore it’s recommendations for funding for these particular organisations (if any) would now be considered at the next meeting of Cabinet on 7 February 2017.

Subject to the approval of the recommendations, including subject to approval of the four applications referred to above and outlined in paragraph 1.8.9 of the report, a total of £26,725.70 would remain available in the Community Chest fund for 2017/2018, which if left unallocated, this balance would be carried forward to the 2018/2019 financial year.

Officers were acknowledged for their work in encouraging organisations to apply for funding, with particular recognition given to Richard Baldwin, Families and Communities Officer, for his significant contribution to the Community Chest Funding process and assisting the Working Party in their deliberations. Mr Baldwin was shortly leaving the West Suffolk councils to further his career and he was wished every success for the future. The Working Party was also commended for its exceptionally thorough consideration of the applications.