Decision details

At its meeting of 18th January 2023, Council approved the use of UKSPF funds to fund cultural activities grants in support of the council's Cultural Strategy. An allocation of £20,000 was subsequently set aside for the awarding of grants in 2023/24.

At the same meeting, Council delegated decision-making on all environmental grants and contracts to the Head of Housing and Health acting in consultation with the Executive Member for Communities.

A grants application for environmental sustainability grants ran from November 2023 to January 2024, alongside the community grants and UKSPF-funded environmental sustainability grants application process.

A total of 16 applications were received which were assessed using the grants policy approved by Council on 18th October 2023.

Fund the eight applications which met the eligibility and assessment criteria. The grant recipients and amounts are as follows:
* Drawing Voices - £3,000
* Ware Poets - £1,275
* Herts Musical Memories - £3,000
* Buntingford Writers Group - £450
* All Sorts Dementia Group - £2,580
* Hertfordshire Festival of Music - £3,000
* Generation Circus - £2,970
* Buntingford Live! - £3,000
* Ware District Photographic Society - £300.

Option 1 - Not fund all or some of the applications listed in the decision. NOT RECOMMENDED because the applications it is proposed to fund were eligible, assessed within the approved policy and will clearly contribute to the UKSPF outputs on which the council is required to report to government.
Option 2 - Fund the proposed applications. RECOMMENDED.