Agenda item

Report No: GWP/SE/18/002

 

Members are invited to read through the applications using the scoring matrix, matching them against the community chest criteria, prior to the meeting which may aid discussion.

(Councillor John Burns declared a local non-pecuniary interest in Appendix 22: Application from 'Haverhill Community Trust', as a trustee of this organisation in his capacity as a Haverhill Town Councillor. In addition, in the interests of openness and transparency, Councillor Burns wished it to be recorded that he was involved with PIM:JAM Festival in Haverhill which was raising money for ‘Suffolk Accident and Rescue Service' (Application as Appendix 5). Councillor Margaret Marks declared a local non-pecuniary interest in Appendix 15: Application from 'REACH’, as she was named as a referee for the application.  Both Members remained in the meeting for the consideration of these items.)

 

The Working Party considered Report No: GWP/SE/18/002, which sought approval for a number of applications submitted for Community Chest funding in the 2019/2020 financial year.  The recommendations of the Grant Working Party would be considered by the Shadow Executive (Cabinet) on 27 November 2018 for approval.

 

Applications for Community Chest funding for 2019/2020 closed on 28 September 2018.  A total of 21 applications were received from a wide variety of organisations as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report.  The total value of the applications received was £240,744.35.

 

The Community Chest budget for 2019/2020 was £281,483. There was £95,139.20 also available for allocation through carried over unspent funds from previous years.  £231,942.00 of the 2019/2020 budget was committed in 2017 for second year funding, as listed in Appendix 1 and noted by the Working Party. The remaining budget available for 2019/2020 was therefore £144,680.20.  Applicants could apply for a maximum of two years.

 

There were a number of potential synergies between the applications and as such they were grouped in the following categories for consideration by the Working Party:

 

• Health
• Family Support
• Counselling
• Advice, Advocacy and Support
• Arts, Sports and Young People
• Community Activities

 

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.

 

Following due consideration, the following was agreed.

 

The Working Party considered the following applications fully met the eligibility and selection criteria and supported the allocation of the full amount for each project in 2019/2020, as applied for:

 

(a)     Bury St Edmunds Concert Youth Band;

(b)     Millennium Farm Trust – Artful Farm;

(c)     Honington and Sapiston Village Hall; and

(d)     Stradishall Village Review Group (for a reduced amount of £13,926, see below).

 

The Working Party considered that the following applications met the eligibility and selection criteria and were satisfied that funding should be recommended to be allocated for 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, as applied for:

 

(a)     Gatehouse;

(b)     Suffolk Accident Rescue Services (SARS);

(c)     Bury Drop in;

(d)     REACH Community Projects;

(e)     The Voluntary Network – Community Transport; and

(f)      Haverhill Community Trust.

 

In respect of the above organisations, they would be asked to submit an evidence-based report (in addition to the usual monitoring reporting), detailing the benefits and success of their individual project in 2019/2020 so a re-assessment can be made before releasing funding for 2020/2021.

 

Regarding the application submitted by HomeStart Mid and West Suffolk for support towards funding the delivery of its Birth and Beyond project in Bury St Edmunds, the Working Party considered that whilst it was minded to grant the £9,889.85 funding that had been applied for in 2019/2020 only, further information was required before committing.  As the work appeared to be a diversification from the type of service usually offered by HomeStart in that delivery of this project seemed to duplicate the service previously provided by the County Council’s SureStart programme, Members felt that this project should be offered outside of Bury St Edmunds, particularly in villages that formerly provided Childrens’ Centres.

 

The Working Party recognised the benefits of the project and considered it met the eligibility and selection criteria; however, it felt that it could not fully commit to an allocation until reassurance was given that the project would be provided in the wider area.

 

Regarding the application submitted by Mentis Tree CIC to support Young Carers aged between 10-24 years, a group who experienced disadvantage through isolation, non-identification and mental health issues relating to their caring role, the Working Party considered that whilst it was minded to grant the £10,775 funding that had been applied for in 2019/2020, further information was required before committing. 

 

The Working Party recognised the important work of this project but wished to obtain further details of the Children in Need funding including the reasons for this funding source agreeing to support the project; and whether the organisation had worked in partnership with the well-known established Suffolk Family Carers organisation.

 

Once this additional information was gathered, it was agreed that the Working Party would be consulted by email to ascertain whether it wished to confirm its intention to recommend grant funding to the above two organisations or not.

 

Regarding the application submitted by Stradishall Village Review Group for support towards funding facilities on its playing field for community use, the Working Party initially expressed concern that two thirds of the entire project cost had been sought from Community Chest funding and therefore the organisation needed to be encouraged to seek further alternative match funding sources.

 

The Working Party recognised the benefits of the project and considered it met the eligibility and selection criteria; however, it felt that an allocation of £13,926 in 2019/2020 instead of the £19,052 that had been applied for was a more appropriate amount as this would fund 50% rather than 68% of the total project cost.

 

The following applications were not supported on this occasion and had therefore not been recommended for funding:

 

(a)     Leading Lives;               

(b)     The Voluntary Network – Connect and Support;  

(c)     Aspect Living- Meals on Wheels;            

(d)     EPIC Dad;

(e)     Families and More – Growing Against Violence;

(f)      Fresh Start – New Beginnings;

(g)     Survivors in Transition;

(h)     Lions Club, Bury St Edmunds; and

(i)      Multicultural Women’s Group, Bury St Edmunds Limited.                

 

Reasons for this included:

 

• not meeting the eligibility and selection criteria;
• the quality of the application;
• lack of justification for the amount of funding requested and how it would be utilised;
• similar projects already existed in St Edmundsbury, therefore some projects could be consolidated with other existing organisations through effective collaborative working;
• whether the objectives of the project would benefit sufficient numbers of the community; and
• projects could be funded by alternative funding sources.

 

If the Working Party’s recommendations were approved by the Shadow Executive, the officers would provide individual feedback to those applicants that had been unsuccessful.

 

Subject to approval, a total of £21,403.35 would remain available in the St Edmundsbury Community Chest Fund for 2019/2020.  In previous years, this balance, if left unspent could be carried forward to the next financial year; however, as Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council would no longer exist following the creation of West Suffolk Council from 1 April 2019, this would not be possible this year.  The Working Party therefore considered it appropriate for St Edmundsbury’s Portfolio Holder for Families and Communities to exercise his individual decision making powers, in consultation with the Grant Working Party, to utilise the remainder by allocating suitable funding to other projects that may come forward or to increase the amount of funding already granted to those organisations listed above if it was considered appropriate and justifiable.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That

 

(1)     consideration of the following applications be deferred to enable further information/clarification to be sought on the relevant application for 2019/2020, namely:

 

(a)        HomeStart Mid and West Suffolk: £9889.85; and

(b)         Mentis Tree CIC: £10,775.

 

(2)     Having obtained the further information/clarification required on each of the two applications above, further discussion be undertaken on them with the Grant Working Party by email, following which delegated authority be given to the Head of Families and Communities, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Working Party to determine the level of grant (if any) to be recommended to the Shadow Executive (Cabinet) for approval. 

 

 

RECOMMENDED TO SHADOW EXECUTIVE (CABINET): That

 

(1)    the allocation of Community Chest funding for 2019/2020, as previously approved in 2017/2018 as part of two-year funding agreements, be noted, (Report No: CAB/SE/17/071 refers) namely:

 

(a)    Our Special Friends:	£6,000
(b)    Suffolk West Citizens Advice	£182,000
(c)     Relate Norfolk and Suffolk	£5,000
(d)    St Nicholas’ Hospice Care – Bury St Edmunds	£6,533
(e)    St Nicholas’ Hospice Care – Haverhill	£8,909
(f)     HomeStart Mid and West Suffolk	£10,000
(g)    REACH Community Projects	£10,000
(h)    Suffolk Cinema Network	£3,500

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)    the allocation of Community Chest funding for 2019/2020, as detailed in Report No: GWP/SE/18/002, be approved, namely:

(a)    Bury St Edmunds Concert Youth Band	£3,290
(b)    Millennium Farm Trust – Artful Farm	£6,800
(c)     Honington and Sapiston Village Hall	£3,240
(d)    Stradishall Village Review Group	£13,926

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)    subject to the budget setting process for 2020/2021, and subject to the satisfactory submission of evidence-based reports detailing the benefits and success of each individual project in 2019/2020, the allocation of Community Chest funding for 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, be approved, namely:

	2019/20	2020/21
(a)    Gatehouse	£10,000	£10,000
(b)    Suffolk Accident and Rescue Services (SARS)	£5,000	£5,000
(c)     Bury Drop in	£12,288	£12,288
(d)    REACH Community Projects (separate project to that detailed in (1)(g) above)	£9,360	£9,360
(e)    The Voluntary Network – Community Transport	£14,337	£15,800
(f)     Haverhill Community Trust	£24,371	£25,168

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4)    No Community Chest funding for 2019/2020 be awarded to:

 

(a)    Leading Lives;               

(b)    The Voluntary Network – Connect and Support;  

(c)     Aspect Living- Meals on Wheels;            

(d)    EPIC Dad;

(e)    Families and More – Growing Against Violence;

(f)     Fresh Start – New Beginnings;

(g)    Survivors in Transition;

(h)    Lions Club, Bury St Edmunds; and

(i)     Multicultural Women’s Group, Bury St Edmunds Limited.                

 

(5)    The SEBC Portfolio Holder for Families and Communities, in consultation with the Grant Working Party, be asked to exercise his existing delegated powers for making individual portfolio holder decisions, to make a decision(s) on utilising any unallocated 2019/2020 Community Chest funding to projects, as appropriate and justifiable and to a maximum of £21,403.35.