Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE POLICY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

This report outlines the proposed review of the Community Grants policy and criteria. It outlines a timetable regarding further consultation, with Councillors sitting on each of the five Area Committees; Overview and Scrutiny, Cabinet and Full Council with the view that any changes and updates will be in place for the new policy to commence at the start of the forthcoming financial year 2020/21.

RESOLVED: That the proposed review of the Community Grants Policy and criteria be noted.

RECOMMENDED TO CABINET: That the criteria and outline consultation process be approved, subject to the following amendments:

•        The deletion of ‘projects’ from the table heading found at paragraph 3.1 of the Community Grants Policy on page 105 of the report, to read ‘ELIGIBLE for funding’ and ‘NOT ELIGIBLE for funding’;

•        That the first item under NOT ELIGIBLE should be made clear that this relates to retrospective funding and not events that happen each year.

REASON FOR DECISION: The awarding of grant funding awards to organisations, charities and voluntary groups, and the use of grant budgets devolved to Area Committees allows the Authority to further its aims and overarching Priorities of the Council and District.

Audio Recording – 1 Hour 49 Minutes

The Community Engagement Team Leader presented the report entitled Community Grants Policy Review and advised the following:

·                The report outlined the proposed changes to the grants policy;

·                The process had been simplified;

·                The policy was last reviewed in 2016;

·                Changes to the eligibility criteria were on page 90 of the report at paragraph 8.2.1;

·                Organisations with charitable status, voluntary sector groups, community groups, Community Interest Companies, Community Interest Organisations, Schools, Academies, Business Improvement District Groups, Parish and Town Councils were now able to apply for grants;

·                The 2016 Policy stated that applicants were ineligible for funding if they had other funding from NHDC within 2 years. This would no longer apply under the new policy;

·                These changes would encourage a variety of organisations to apply and;

·                The new criteria was similar to that of other local authorities.

Councillor Judi Billing, Executive Member for Community Engagement, informed the Committee that simplifying the Grants Policy was high-up on the work that both her and Councillor Ruth Brown, Deputy Executive Member for Community Engagement, wanted to achieve in order that people could get the funding needed for their organisation.

The following Members asked questions:

·                Councillor Sam Collins; and

·                Councillor Richard Thake.

In response to questions raised, the Community Engagement Team Leader provided the following:

·         The word ‘projects’ would be deleted from the table heading at paragraph 3.1 of the Community Grants Policy on page 105 of the report, to read ‘ELIGIBLE for funding’ and ‘NOT ELIGIBLE for funding’; and

·         The first item under NOT ELIGIBLE would be made clear that this relates to retrospective funding and not events that happen each year.

RESOLVED: That the proposed review of the Community Grants Policy and criteria be noted subject to the following amendment:

·                The deletion of ‘projects’ from the table heading found at paragraph 3.1 of the Community Grants Policy on page 105 of the report, to read ‘ELIGIBLE for funding’ and ‘NOT ELIGIBLE for funding’;

·                That the first item under NOT ELIGIBLE should be made clear that this relates to retrospective funding and not events that happen each year.

RECOMMENDED TO CABINET: That the criteria and outline consultation process be approved.

REASON FOR DECISION: The awarding of grant funding awards to organisations, charities and voluntary groups, and the use of grant budgets devolved to Area Committees allows the Authority to further its aims and overarching Priorities of the Council and District.