Issue - items at meetings - GRANTS & COMMUNITY UPDATE

To advise the Committee of the activities and schemes with which the Community Engagement Officer has been involved in.

RESOLVED:

(1) That any unspent funds from the 2021/22 financial year be allocated to Community & Environmental Initiatives for the 2022/23 period.

(2) That the Committee endorsed the actions taken by the Community Engagement Officer to promote greater community capacity and well-being for Baldock

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1) To ensure the Committee is kept informed of the work of the Community Engagement Officer.

(2) This report is intended to inform Members of the financial resources available to the Committee. It draws attention to the current budgetary situation by assisting in the effective financial management of the Area Committee’s budget. This ensures that all actions are performed in line with the Authority’s Financial Regulations, the Council’s Constitution, and the guidance of the existing Grants policy as agreed by Cabinet in January 2020.

(3) The awarding of financial assistance to voluntary organisations and the use of discretionary spending allows the Committee to further the aims of the Council Plan.

Audio recording – 166 minutes 24 seconds

The Community Engagement Officer presented the report entitled ‘Grants and Community Update’ and advised:

· He would be in touch with Members regarding the remaining grant funds balance and this would be pro rata to each ward as previously.

· The report detailed possible grant applications to come to the Committee in the future.

· Farmers Lights Christmas event was very successful, raising over £7500 for Garden House Hospice and there and plans in place to run the event across the towns in the district again this year.

· The Baldock Beast had taken place in February and numbers were down from last year, but this was only held in October 2021.

· Street Food Heroes would be back in Baldock town centre once a month from the 15 April through to September.