Agenda item
Community Facility Grant Awards - 2nd Round - 2021/22
Purpose
To consider applications for grant aid from the Community Facilities Grant Scheme.
Recommendation
That Cabinet agrees to award grants in accordance with the recommendations set out in Annex A.
Minutes:
Members received a report from the Business Manager – Contracts, which asked them to consider applications for grant aid from the Community Facilities Grant Scheme.
The report explained that these recommendations represented the second of two rounds of funding for the Community Facilities Grant scheme, with Round 1 awarding £11,563. This had left £188,437 in the scheme and, if agreed by Cabinet, Round 2 would total £134,472.
All applications had been scored against a matrix and funding allocations were proposed in line with this. A list of the applicants and a breakdown of each financial commitment was provided at Annex A to the report.
An alternative option was that Cabinet could choose to offer differing levels of grant aid than those proposed in Annex A, but within the budgets established for these purposes, however, this could result in the projects not being viable due to insufficient funding.
The Cabinet Member for Customer Delivery, Councillor Doughty, introduced the report and provided a breakdown of each application, details of the individual schemes and the different areas of the District that this would help and support. The applicants were as follows:
· Stonesfield Playing Field Association, who required funding to develop their outdoor sports facilities;
· 1st Stonesfield Scouts, who had to rebuild their scout hut following demolition of their previously, unsafe premises;
· Witney Rugby Club had applied for funding towards an extension to their existing clubhouse, work to outside patio areas and to allow winter fitness training to take place inside;
· Ducklington Parish Council required assistance to make improvements to the playground and installation of a multi-games area;
· Witney Mills Cricket Club had applied for funding to purchase a new outfield mower; and
· Filkins Village Centre required funding for playground refurbishment.
Councillor Doughty expressed her delight at being able to recommend these grants for approval and proposed the recommendation as laid out. This was seconded by Councillor Coul. The Leader highlighted how impressive it was that all of the organisations had been successful in raising their own share of funding towards the projects, especially during Covid times.
Councillor Cooper queried why not all of the applicants had secured Parish or Town funding. Councillor Doughty agreed to speak to officers and respond outside of the meeting.
Councillor Dingwall addressed the meeting and passed on his thanks to the Cabinet for continuing to support these community projects. He went on to highlight the inspirational and diverse services that organisations such as Witney Rugby Club provided to residents of West Oxfordshire and Councillor Dingwall reminded the meeting that Community Facility Grants were not a statutory responsibility of the Council. Therefore, he felt that officers and the administration should be thanked for helping communities to continue to bring in additional funding for projects.
Councillors Bolger and Graham added their support to the proposals. Councillor Graham thanked all involved to continuing to assist these schemes which reflected the needs of the community.
Having been proposed and duly seconded, the Cabinet
Resolved that the grants as recommended in Annex A to the report are agreed.
Supporting documents:
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