Agenda item

Report No: GWP/SE/15/003

Members are invited to individually score the Community Chest applications prior to the meeting which may aid discussion.

The Working Party considered Report No: GWP/SE/15/003, which sought approval for a number of applications submitted for Community Chest funding in the 2015/2016 transitional year.  The recommendations of the Grant Working Party would be considered by Cabinet on 20 October 2015 for final approval.

The Community Chest fund had only been established this year, therefore funding for existing Service Level Agreements (SLAs) totalling £199,770 had moved into the Community Chest.  All previous agreements had been honoured and these would finish at the end of March 2016.  As such the remaining Community Chest funds available for the 2015/2016 transitional phase amounted to £56,850. 

The following five applications totalling £44,728.50 were considered in turn:

Appendix 1:                    Home Start – application for £5,000;

Appendix 2:          Suffolk Accident and Rescue Service (SARS) – application for £1,500;

Appendix 3:                    Unit Twenty Three – application for £5,000;

Appendix 4:          Catch 22, Suffolk Positive Futures – application for £8,902.50; and

Appendix 5:          Suffolk West Citizens Advice Bureau – application for £24,326.

Each appendix provided further details of the application to assist the Working Party in their discussion.  Each application was required to be evaluated in accordance with the eligibility and selection criteria set out in Appendix 6.

Home-Start

The Working Party fully supported this application with the majority of Members recognising the significant role this organisation played in supporting families to help themselves. The application was considered to meet the eligibility and selection criteria extremely well.

All agreed that the full amount of £5,000 should be granted.

Suffolk Accident and Rescue Service (SARS)

The Working Party considered that despite not quite meeting all of the eligibility criteria, the application should be fully supported as the service was considered to be extremely beneficial to those in urgent, critical need. 

All agreed that the full amount of £1,500 should be granted.

Unit Twenty Three

Concern was expressed with this application with anomalies identified and clarification needing to be sought on a number of issues.  Members considered the application lacked direction and focus, and may not be the most effective  means of targeting young carers. Whilst it was acknowledged that young carers needed support, the Working Party felt that an application for practical support would be considered more favourably than this submission.

All agreed that the application for £5,000 should not be granted.

Catch 22, Suffolk Positive Futures

Some concern was expressed regarding the quality of the application, which appeared to contain anomalies, contradictions and lacked factual information.  Members recognised the general substance of the work of this organisation, however the majority of Members required further detailed information to make an informed decision.

Councillor Margaret Marks fully supported the application and had particularly observed the benefits this organisation had made to young people in Haverhill. 

As the majority of Members remained unable to make a decision on the application given the information provided, the following was agreed, that:

(a)     Catch 22, Suffolk Positive Futures, should be asked to supply a summary of what was currently being delivered together with an example model programme of what could be expected;

(b)     the organisation should also be asked to condense its application by providing factual information only, together with giving clarity on the figures provided;

(c)     as Councillor Marks had explained that the applicant had successfully worked in partnership with Abbeycroft Leisure in Haverhill, an endorsement expressing support for the application should be sought from Warren Smyth, Chief Executive of Abbeycroft Leisure; and

(d)     following discussions with Abbeycroft Leisure and further information/clarification being sought on the application, delegated authority then 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 Cabinet for approval.

Suffolk West Citizens Advice Bureau

The Working Party considered this was a commendable project which would provide enhanced access to free advice; however some concern was expressed regarding the level of funding requested.

A discussion was then held on the grants currently provided under the existing SLAs.  

Having made further calculations on the level of grant that the Working Party considered was fair and equitable given the information available in the application, Members concluded that approximately three fifths of the application for £24,326 funding for this project should be awarded. 

All agreed that £17,500 should be granted and that Suffolk West CAB should be asked to source the remaining funding of £6,826 from elsewhere.

The Working Party was then informed of the arrangements for determining applications for the next round of Community Chest funding for 2016/2017, including that the closing date for applications for the total fund of £281,483 was 30 September 2015.  It was agreed that the process followed for this 2015/16 funding be continued, including the same level of information provided to Councillors in advance of the meeting.

RESOLVED:

That, following discussions with Abbeycroft Leisure and further information/clarification being sought on the application submitted by Catch 22, Suffolk Positive Futures, 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 Cabinet for approval.

RECOMMENDED: That

(1)    the allocation of Community Chest funding for 2015/2016, as detailed in Report No: GWP/SE/15/003, be approved, namely:

(a)    Home Start: £5,000;

(b)    Suffolk Accident and Rescue Service: £1,500;

(c)     Suffolk West Citizens Advice Bureau: £17,500; and

(2)    no Community Chest funding for 2015/2016 be awarded to Unit Twenty Three.