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Decision details

Review of Community Grant Schemes

Decision Maker: Executive, Chief Executive & Head of Paid Service - Giles Hughes

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

To present a summary of applications to the 3 year grant funded service level agreements awards programme and to set out the recommended level of awards as determined by the Chief Executive under delegation, in consultation with the Leader and Executive Members for Stronger Healthy Communities, Planning and Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Change.

Decisions:

Councillor Joy Aitman, Executive Member for Stronger, Healthy Communities, introduced and gave an overview of the report, which considered proposals to refine the community grant funding schemes, to better align intended outcomes from the Council Plan, fostering greater community engagement. The report set out the process through which the Service Level Agreements would be awarded for 2024/25 onwards and the Civic Crowdfunding Platform that would be introduced to ensure that the defined outcomes were achieved.

In debate, the Executive welcomed the report and acknowledged the hard work completed by Officers. Communities would benefit from the scheme as they could extend their fundraising goals resulting in far more opportunities. It would bring new initiatives and new organisations would be able to benefit. The scheme would make sure young people were prioritised and there would be an amount of £20,000 set aside for youth projects and young people’s initiatives.  

Councillor Joy Aitman proposed that the Executive agree the recommendations as set out in the original report. This was seconded by Councillor Andy Graham, was put to a vote, and unanimously agreed by the Executive.

The Executive Resolved to:

  1. Grant delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader and Executive Members for Stronger Healthy Communities, Planning and Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Change to approve Service Level Agreement awards;
  2. Agree the maximum Service Level Agreement award will be £25,000 per annum unless in exceptional circumstances where evidence has been proven to justify the need for a higher award;
  3. Permit organisations who are awarded a Service Level Agreement to also submit projects to the SpaceHive Crowdfunding Platform.

Report author: Astrid Harvey

Publication date: 15/09/2023

Date of decision: 13/09/2023

Decided at meeting: 13/09/2023 - Executive

Effective from: 24/09/2023

Accompanying Documents: