Agenda item

Report No: RUR/SE/15/001

The Working Party considered Report No RUR/SE/15/001 which, following the consultation with Members as agreed at the last meeting of the Working Party, proposed a programme for rural youth work in 2015.  The proposed programme would involve 54 sessions in six villages from May or July 2015, provided by the YMCA using spare capacity of the Council’s ‘On the Spot Vehicle’ in Haverhill.  Before taking into account any contributions from parishes, the proposed programme would cost £18,400, reflecting the roll-over of the underspent 2014/2015 budget and allowing for an element of ‘pump-priming’ work in the form of targeted volunteer recruitment and training and extra publicity.   Additional sessions could also be arranged if funded by the parish councils or locality budgets.

The Working Party considered that, whilst it had served its original purpose, there was now a need to introduce a new approach to the provision and funding of the rural youth work programme, which complemented the Families and Communities Strategy and the work of Locality Officers.   The Officers were, therefore, asked to carry out a review for implementation in 2016/2017, with a view to ring-fencing the core budget (£10,600) and any carried forward underspends within a wider Community Chest/Locality Budget system of grants designed to encourage rural communities to innovate around sustainable and locally-led youth initiatives in their villages.  It was recognised that some villages would continue to want to access a service like the ‘On the Spot Vehicle’, but others may have other ideas for engaging young people in positive youth activities. 

In relation to 2015, the Working Party noted that, pending their meeting, no formal arrangements had yet been agreed with the YCMA and, therefore, there was some flexibility for Councillors to amend the approach proposed by the Officers, provided it was undertaken quickly. 

Therefore, the Working Party requested that a transitional arrangement be put in place for 2015, whereby all parishes were given the opportunity to express an interest in receiving free ‘taster sessions’ from the ‘On the Spot Vehicle’, with a view to establishing if this was something they would want to continue with under the new approach from 2016.  A condition of receiving the sessions, would be that parishes would publicise them and they would also be encouraged to take up the offer of community volunteer training.   When the level of interest was known, the available sessions (provisionally up to 54 as originally planned) would be shared fairly between the parishes.   Parishes or Ward Members would also still have the chance to purchase additional sessions.

The Working Party was asked to note that the agreement of the YMCA, as provider, would still be needed to the new approach, and some negotiation may be required over the cost and number of sessions which could be offered on this new transitional basis.  Given the urgency of finalising a programme for this Spring, the Working Party therefore noted that the fine detail of the 2015 scheme would need to be agreed with the relevant Portfolio Holder, within the broad framework it had suggested.  However, the Working Party asked that any communications be shared with local Ward Members before being sent to parish councils so they could assist in promoting the scheme in their areas.   Given the timetable, parishes would also be asked to respond with five weeks to the offer of the sessions. 

RECOMMENDED: 

          That:-

1.       The Council’s existing funding of £10,600 for rural youth programmes continue to be ring-fenced for that purpose within any new wider approach to grants and commissioning, and underspends in that budget in any year be rolled forward as appropriate;  

2.       A review of the delivery and funding of the rural youth programme be carried out for implementation in 2016, with a view to enabling rural communities to provide sustainable and locally-led youth initiatives in their villages; and

3.           For 2015, Officers to negotiate with the Suffolk YMCA to provide a transitional programme using the ‘On the Spot Vehicle’, taking into account the steer of the Rural Area Working Party (at its meeting on 26 January 2015) and with the final detail to be approved in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder.