Issue - meetings

The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Governance, Access and Engagement to submit a report outlining and seeking approval for a new Community Grants Policy to allocate grants, following extensive consultation with internal and external stakeholders, including elected Members and community groups.

Cabinet APPROVED the Community Grants Policy;

Cabinet OPENED the application window for applying for Community Grants with immediate effect, with grant funding to be allocated in 2020/21.

Councillor Alison Freer-Jones, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Governance, Access and Engagement introduced the report, the purpose of which was to outline and seek approval for a new Community Grants Policy to allocate grants, following extensive consultation with internal and external stakeholders, including elected Members and community groups.

Councillor Freer-Jones provided a brief summary of the report, thanking the People Manager for her work and acknowledging her passion for this issue.

Councillor Freer-Jones highlighted that the new Community Grant Policy was in line with a number of corporate priorities and it applied across the whole Borough.  The Community Grants Review process started early in 2019, prior to the Council implementing its new governance structure.  There were already three recipients of Council funding and applications for further grant monies were encouraged from them, but opportunities for funding were being widened to other organisations.

Councillor Freer-Jones confirmed that in addition to the £43.6k pot of grant funding available, £88k discretionary business rates relief was given to organisations by the Council, Axis Social Fund was another pot of money used by the Council for the community.

Councillor Free-Jones summarised the application and decision processes, advising that the Council would have flexibility to hold some funding back, in the event of any smaller projects which may apply.  The Assessment Panel, responsible for awarding grants would be made up of the People Manager, the Community Policy Officer and herself.  From this panel recommendations would come back to Cabinet for final decisions.

Councillor Freer-Jones advised that Service Level Agreements would not form part of the arrangements between the Council and grant recipients, but commitment from recipients would be obtained through the application process.

Councillor Freer-Jones advised on the next steps, highlighting that stakeholders would be informed about the Policy and application window and that this process of administering grants would help to inform a ‘community-commissioning’ approach.

Councillor Freer-Jones confirmed that any applicant that was unsuccessful unsuccessful in their bid for funding would be signposted to other suitable support.

During discussion the following points were noted:

·         Members noted the excellent work undertaken by Councillor Freer-Jones and the People Manager and thanked them for the comprehensive report.

·         Members thanked Councillor Cumbers and the Scrutiny Committee for their feedback, which had helped to inform the Policy.

·          It would not be appropriate to fund transport links through the Community Grants pot of funding.

·         It was anticipated that performance monitoring would be undertaken possibly half way through or at the end of the first tranche of applications.

·         A Member cautioned against Councillor involvement in ‘too many’ organisations due to reputational risk for both Councillors and the Council.

·         Members agreed with Scrutiny Committee that awarding a sum of money with the aim of having a significant impact was a good idea, rather than ‘spreading the money too thinly’.

DECISIONS (KEY)

1)    Cabinet APPROVED the Community Grants Policy;

2)    Cabinet OPENED the application window for applying for Community Grants with immediate effect, with grant funding to be allocated in 2020/21.