Agenda item

Report No: CAB/FH/17/065

Portfolio Holder: Robin Millar          Lead Officer: Davina Howes

RESOLVED:

That:-

(1)        The allocation of funding from the Community Chest 2018/2019 be noted as follows:

2.   Suffolk Mind

                             2018/2019                     £5,000

3.   Anglia Care Trust

       2018/2019           £3,434

       2019/2020          £3,434

4.   Suffolk West Citizens Advice (MoneySmart)

                   2018/2019           £27,167

5.   The Restoration Trust

                   2018/2019           £3,542

                   2019/2020           £3,611

6.   St Nicholas Hospice Care (Brandon)       

          2018/2019           £2,233

8.   HomeStart Mid and West Suffolk

             2018/2019          £9,600

9.   Sharing Parenting (Parenting Map)

             2018/2019          £14,000      

10.  Brandon Community Association

            2018/2019           £7,000

(2)        The following allocation of funding be approved:

1.   Our Special Friends

              2018/2019           £3,000

(3)        In relation to the allocation of funding for:

7.   EPIC Dads

             2018/2019          £30,000

    this be deferred to allow for further information to be circulated to the Cabinet relating to the governance of the organisation and on how the funding would be utilised.

Subject to the Cabinet being satisfied with the further information provided, the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance be given delegated authority to allocate the proposed funding, unless it is considered that it needs to be referred back to the Cabinet collectively for a decision.

(4)        Those organisations who have requested funding for 2019/2020 be informed that the confirmation of this funding would  be subject to the budget setting process for 2019/2020.

(Report No: CAB/FH/17/065)

Prior to the consideration of this item, Councillor Robin Millar, Portfolio Holder for Families and Communities, declared a local non-pecuniary interest as he was a member of the Abundant Life Church (Project 7: EPIC Dads) and was also a friend of one of the applicants (Project 1: Our Special Friends).  Councillor Millar did not participate in the discussion or voting on these two particular applications and left the meeting during the discussion and voting by the Cabinet. 

Councillor Millar also remained in the meeting for the discussion on the remaining applications, but abstained from voting.

This report explained that applications for Community Chest Funding for 2018/2019 had closed on 29 September 2017.  A total of 19 applications had been received from a wide variety of organisations.

The total budget for the Community Chest in 2018/2019 was £110,181.31 which included £29,300.64 which had been carried over as unallocated funds from 2017/2018.  Applicants could apply for a maximum of two years, but this was subject to budget setting each year and satisfactory monitoring and review of each project.

In determining this year’s allocation, each application was assessed against the Scheme’s criteria.  Following consideration by the Portfolio Holder for Families and Communities, it was considered that a number of the applications received were either not appropriate for Community Chest funding or that although the value of their work was recognised, other applications better met the Families and Communities priorities for this over-subscribed fund.  Those not recommended were listed in paragraph 1.4 of Report No: CAB/FH/17/065.

Whilst discussing this report, Members requested that in the interests of probity, governance and visibility, further detail should be provided within future Cabinet reports.  They would wish to see listed the Company/Organisation/Charity Number (where applicable) and also under the summary contained within the ‘Project Details’, further detail explaining how the funding was to be utilised.  Councillor Millar acknowledged this request and stated that this would be considered in future reporting.

The Leader then stated that he wished to adjourn the meeting to allow the Cabinet Members to have a further private discussion in relation to the allocation of funding for ‘Our Special Friends’ and also for ‘EPIC Dads’.  Therefore, the meeting was adjourned at 6.30 pm and was reconvened at 6.40 pm.

At the reconvening of the meeting, the Leader explained that the Cabinet Members had supported the funding allocation in relation to ‘Our Special Friends’.  However, in relation to the funding for ‘EPIC Dads’, the Cabinet Members had proposed that this should be deferred to allow for further information to be circulated relating to the governance of the organisation and on how the funding was to be utilised.  It was also proposed, that subject to the Cabinet Members being satisfied with the further information provided, the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, be given delegated authority to allocate the proposed funding, unless it was considered that it needed to be referred back to the Cabinet collectively for a decision.

Councillor Stephen Edwards also referred to those organisations who had also requested funding for 2019/2020 and asked for these to be informed that the receipt of this funding would be subject to the budget setting process for that year.

It was proposed, duly seconded and with 5 voting for the motion and with 1 abstention (Councillor Robin Millar), it was

RESOLVED:

That:-

(1)        The allocation of funding from the Community Chest 2018/2019 be noted as follows:

Project 2: Suffolk Mind

                             2018/2019                     £5,000

Project 3: Anglia Care Trust

       2018/2019           £3,434

       2019/2020          £3,434

Project 4: Suffolk West Citizens Advice (MoneySmart)

                   2018/2019           £27,167

Project 5: The Restoration Trust

                   2018/2019           £3,542

                   2019/2020           £3,611

Project 6: St Nicholas Hospice Care (Brandon)      

          2018/2019           £2,233

Project 8: HomeStart Mid and West Suffolk

             2018/2019          £9,600

   Project 9: Sharing Parenting (Parenting Map)

             2018/2019          £14,000      

Project 10: Brandon Community Association

            2018/2019           £7,000

It was also proposed, duly seconded and with 4 voting for the motion and with 1 abstention, it was

RESOLVED:

That:-

(2)        The following allocation of funding be approved:

Project 1: Our Special Friends

              2018/2019           £3,000

(3)        In relation to the allocation of funding for:

Project 7: EPIC Dads

             2018/2019          £30,000

          this be deferred to allow for further information to be circulated to the Cabinet relating to the governance of the organisation and on how the funding would be utilised.

Subject to the Cabinet being satisfied with the further information provided, the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance be given delegated authority to allocate the proposed funding, unless it is considered that it needs to be referred back to the Cabinet collectively for a decision.

(4)        Those organisations who have requested funding for 2019/2020 be informed that the confirmation of this funding would  be subject to the budget setting process for 2019/2020.