Agenda item

To advise of:

·                The current expenditure and balances of the Committee Grant budgets.

·                Recent requests received for Committee grant funding

·                Activities and schemes which the Community Engagement officers have been involved .

·                Community-based activities that will take place during the next few months.

Councillor Keith Hoskins declared a pecuniary interest in that he was a Director of the Hitchin Festival. Having sought advice from the Committee, Member and Scrutiny Manager, he advised that he would take no part in any debate and vote and would turn off his camera.

Councillor Judi Billing declared a declarable interest in that she was a committee member of the Hitchin Festival. Having sought advice from the Committee, Member and Scrutiny Manager, she advised that, as she took no part in the financial decisions relating to the Festival, she would take part in any debate.

Councillors Sam Collins and Ian Albert advised that they had donated to the Hitchin Festival Just Giving page.

AGREED:

(1)       That the Members of the Hitchin Committee supports the award of £2,185 in grant funding to Hitchin Festival to assist with creating a week-long series of events in the Dell Open Air Theatre at Woodside;

(2)       That the Executive Member for Community Engagement be requested to consider and support the grant funding application, as detailed in (1) above.

REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION: 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 – 39 minutes 20 seconds

Councillor Keith Hoskins declared a pecuniary interest in that he was a Director of the Hitchin Festival. Having sought advice from the Committee, Member and Scrutiny Manager, he advised that he would take no part in any debate and vote and would turn off his camera.

Councillor Judi Billing declared a declarable interest in that she was a committee member of the Hitchin Festival. Having sought advice from the Committee, Member and Scrutiny Manager, she advised that, as she took no part in the financial decisions relating to the Festival, she would take part in any debate.

Councillors Sam Collins and Ian Albert advised that they had donated to the Hitchin Festival Just Giving page.

The Assistant Community Engagement Officer presented the report entitled Grant and Community Update together with the following appendix:

·                Appendix 1 – 2021/22 Financial Year Budget Sheet.

He informed Members that the Committee had £1,465 of unallocated funds carried forward from the 2020/21 Civic Year and £11,000 funds to allocated in the 2021/22 Civic Year.

He further updated Members on the following:

Getting Rooted/Ron’s Plot

·                The plot was looking fabulous;

·                Due to Covid restrictions usual activities had not taken place;

·                There were a lot of volunteers keen to get stalls up and running again;

·                The large green house was up and being used.

Coronavirus Support Grant

·                The African Caribbean Lunch Club had received grant funding to provide tablets to enable people to keep in contact.

Quaker Meeting House Pace Garden

·                This was slowly coming out of hibernation and they were working towards getting the project up and running again.

North Herts Creatives

·                North Herts Creatives attended the Cabinet Panel on Community Engagement and Co-operative Development Panel meeting;

·                A lot of ideas about networking and sharing.

Network Groups

·                The Team was supporting various District wide network groups.

Westmill Centre

·                The Team was keeping in contact with the Westmill Centre, particularly in light of the development in the area;

·                There had been some anti-social behaviour at the MUGA, work was being undertaken to clean the area up and make it more secure.

Ravadassia Centre

·                Work had stopped during the pandemic, sue to the difficulties in getting building supplies;

·                Work had now recommenced and was progressing;

·                It was hoped that the Centre would be open for the summer holidays, but more likely would be September.

Grant Funding

·                Hitchin Festival were seeking grant funding of £2,185 to assist with creating a week-long series of events in the Dell Open Air Theatre at Woodside.

Councillor Clark proposed that the Executive Member for Community Engagement be advised that the Members of the Hitchin Committee supports the award of grant funding of £2185 be awarded to Hitchin Festival as detailed in the report. Councillor Sam Collins seconded the proposal and it was:

AGREED:

(1)       That the Members of the Hitchin Committee supports the award of £2,185 in grant funding to Hitchin Festival to assist with creating a week-long series of events in the Dell Open Air Theatre at Woodside;

(2)       That the Executive Member for Community Engagement be requested to consider and support the grant funding application, as detailed in (1) above.

REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION: 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.