Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE POLICY & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

To update the Committee on the activities and actions of the Communities Officer, to advise on the current expenditure and balances of the delegated budgets and to consider applications for grant funding.

RESOLVED: To endorse the actions taken by the Community Engagement Team to promote greater community capacity and well-being for Hitchin.

REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure the Committee is kept informed of the work of the Community Engagement Team.

Audio Recording – 38 minutes 30 seconds.

The Assistant Community Engagement Officer presented the report entitled “Grants & Community Update” along with the following appendix:

·                Appendix 1 – 2020/21 Financial year budget sheet

The officer drew Members’ attention to section 8.2 of the report which detailed the work of the community engagement team including the following:

·                The first special Arts & Culture themed Town Talk on 19^th October had been a success and Members had discussion with key providers in Hitchin, leading to the formation of a follow-up subcommittee meeting on 9^th December which would discuss how to celebrate Hitchin culture in 2021 and how arts providers could work collaboratively with the Council;

·                A second wider meeting of the town talk was planned for January;

·                Events for the commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day on 27^th January had been arranged along a theme of ‘Be the light in the darkness,’ and the digital order of service was being finalised;

·                Rabbi Alan Garber from the Shenley United Synagogue would be leading the service this year and presentations would be made by other contributors including members of the North Herts Interfaith Forum;

·                A presentations would also be given by Yanky Fachler whose family moved to Letchworth around the time of the Second World War and video testimonial is to be shown from Ivor Pearl, a survivor of the Holocaust;

·                Nominations for the Chair’s Volunteer Achievement Awards were now open and being promoted; there were 4 categories this year with an expanded ‘caring,’ award to include COVID-support;

·                The nomination deadline was Friday 18^th December and further information was available on the Council’s website;

The officer updated Members on the Coronavirus Community Support Fund and advised:

·                £77,700 of the fund of the rough budget of £150,000 had been spent with £3,500 worth of grants pending for Kings Community Church, North Herts and Stevenage Samaritans, which if approved would put sending at £81,200.

The officer updated Members on the work of the Food Provision Network and advised:

·                Officers had allocated a DEFRA grant in the form of supermarket vouchers to smaller scale foodbanks in rural areas who had received little or no prior grant funding from NHDC in the past;

·                The team was in the process of putting together a roundup of food provision options over the festive period.

The Chair thanked the Assistant Community Engagement Officer for their report and their work in the Food Provision Network.

It was:

RESOLVED: To endorse the actions taken by the Community Engagement Team to promote greater community capacity and well-being for Hitchin.

REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure the Committee is kept informed of the work of the Community Engagement Team.