Agenda item

To consider the recommendations for the Community Grant allocation for 2024/25 from the Task and Finish Group and to receive a presentation from Community First in relation to the work carried out as part of the Service Level Agreement with the District Council.

The Panel received a presentation from Tim Houghton, Chief Executive and Debbie Grace, Voluntary Sector Engagement Manager from Community First Wessex.  The presentation has been attached to these minutes as an Appendix.

Community First Wessex had been awarded two-year Service Level Agreement (SLA) in April 2023 with the District Council to receive grant funding of £35k per annum.  Community First Wessex aimed to support a strong and sustainable voluntary sector across the New Forest. 

The SLA was based on four areas of work, as follows:

1.     Leadership and Advocacy

2.     Partnerships and Collaboration

3.     Capacity Building

4.     Volunteering

Each of the areas of work was explained and examples were provided.  Community First Wessex also provided a healthy walks programme which encouraged people to look after their health and wellbeing.   Nearly 100 walks had been organised over the last year.  Community First added value to the New Forest by for example, delivering Community Transport, supporting young carers and leading the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Social Prescribing Network, etc.

The Panel thanked Community First for attending the meeting and acknowledged the benefits the organisation brought to residents in the New Forest.

Cllr Tungate for transparency purposes, declared a non-pecuniary interest as a trustee of the organisation, Helping Older People which had applied for a community grant.  He concluded there was no grounds under common law to prevent him from participating in the agenda item.

The Panel considered the Community Grants report which set out the recommendations from a member led Task and Finish Group to consider capital and revenue applications for funding from community organisations working in the New Forest.  The quantity of applications exceeded the numbers received in previous years, both in the number of applications and the amounts applied for. The Task and Finish Group had met over five days to consider 43 revenue and 15 capital applications.  The recommendations in the report proposed to award £130k towards revenue applications and just over £96k in capital grants.  Members noted that advice and information had been provided to applicants to further support and signpost them to alternative funding sources.

A review of the community grant process was proposed for the next financial year and this would be considered as part of the priorities in the emerging Corporate Plan. 

The Task and Finish Group had also considered three community transport schemes provided through Hampshire County Council and Community First Wessex and recommended that these be supported for a further year.  Funding for these schemes was being reviewed by Hampshire County Council and the District Council would respond to the consultation for their continuation.

Members expressed their thanks and support to the officers and councillors who had been involved in the Task and Finish Group.

It was recognised that there had been a number of worthwhile organisations which had not been recommended to receive any grant funding.  A member of the Panel questioned whether it would be possible to increase the level of funding available for next year for both community grants and the individual councillor community engagement grant.  The Interim Strategic Director of Housing and Community Safety confirmed that the proposed review of the Community Grants process and how this meets the proposed Corporate Plan objectives and priorities, would consider appropriate levels of grant funding to be brought back to members in due course.

RESOLVED:

That the Panel recommends to Cabinet that:

a)           Community Grant awards, totalling £130,000 in revenue grants and £96,040 in capital grants, as set out in Appendix 1, and in more detail in Appendix 2, be approved for inclusion in the Medium-Term Financial Plan and proposed budget for 2024/25;

b)           The proposed recommendations as set out in section 4.2 be approved; and

c)           The Community Transport grants totalling £51,100, as set out in section 5.5 be approved along with the recommendation to respond to the HCC consultation, as detailed in paragraph 5.7.