Decision details

At its meeting of 14th May 2025, Council considered and recognised the success of the AiEH 2024 programme, especially in terms of providing activities across the whole district, facilitating access to the arts from those with limited previous participation and providing meaningful volunteering opportunities. Council thus decided to devote up to £60,000 of the council’s 2025/26 UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocation from central government to the running of a similar programme in 2025.

Community Alliance Broxbourne and East Herts (CABEH) provided vital administrative support with last year’s AiEH programme and are particularly well-placed to develop local groups and artists. The decision recorded here is to provide grant funding from the Council's latest allocation of UKSPF monies to CABEH to provide similar support this year.

The Executive Member for Communities and Director for Communities are keen to see responsibility for AiEH planning and the securing of funding moving to the local arts and cultural sector itself and so the grant to CABEH will see the organisation both supporting delivery of this year’s programme and building capacity to enable the sector take greater ownership of the programme in future years.

CABEH will work closely with the council’s Communications team and the community outreach officer at BEAM. The programme will be overseen by the Director for Communities.

The Director for Communities (previously the Head of Housing and Health) is acting under the authority delegated by Council at its meeting of 14th May 2025 to utilise up to £60,000 of UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) monies to deliver the Arts in East Herts (AiEH) programme, with the decision being made in consultation with the Executive Member for Communities as required by Council.

Provide grant funding of £15,000 to Community Alliance Broxbourne and East Herts (CABEH) to provide services in relation to (a) the administration of the Arts in East Herts (AiEH) 2025 programme and (b) capacity building among the local arts and cultural sector to enable the longer term sustainability of AiEH beyond 2025.

Option 1 – Not engage CABEH. NOT RECOMMENDED as unfortunately the council continues to have limited inhouse capacity to manage the programme and without external support delivery could be seriously hampered.

Option 2 – Engage with another organisation. NOT RECOMMENDED because of CABEH’s role in provision of administrative support with last year’s AiEH programme and their links with local groups and artists. Of note, commissioning CABEH in this way is compliant with the council’s procurement rules which enable the commissioning of services up to a value of £15,000 on the basis of one quote where good value can be demonstrated.

Option 3 – Engage CABEH. RECOMMENDED for the reasons discussed in this report.