Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Communities presented the Community Grants Policy and Priorities 2023/24 report and recommendations. She thanked Officers for their hard work on the report and for ensuring that the application process would allow the same forms used for other grants such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. She said that the amount of grant money available had been reduced compared to last year but another £40,000 was available from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. She said that if the policy was agreed, it would be launched on 1 November 2023.

Councillor Daar proposed that the recommendation in the report be supported. Councillor Wilson seconded the proposal.

Councillor Goldspink said she supported the recommendation and was pleased to see the change that would allow small community groups apply for the grants if supported by their local councillor.

Councillor Clements thanked Councillor Daar and Officers for listening to the comments from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and including in the policy.

Councillor Deering said that the Conservative group supported the recommendation.

Councillor Wilson echoed the comments from Councillor Clements and said that it showed the Overview and Scrutiny Committee process worked well.

The motion to support the recommendation having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED - That the revised Community Grants Policy including the priorities for 2023/24 be approved.

The Executive Member for Communities submitted a report that set out the updated priorities for 2023/24, with Members having the opportunity to review the community grants policy on an annual basis.

The Executive Member for Communities said that this policy had been to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Executive were being asked to recommend to Council that the updates be accepted and approved on 18 October 2023. She thanked Officers for their hard work in making sure that the policy aligned with the current priorities and reflected the updating of existing priorities so that the amount for community groups to apply for was maximised.

The Executive Member for Communities drew the Executive’s attention to the items that were detailed in the report and what had been changed. She said that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had stated that individuals as well as constituted groups should have the opportunity to apply for funds.

The Executive Member for Communities said that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee were also concerned about the amounts that could be applied for. Members felt that it was important that smaller amounts could be applied for by individuals and smaller groups. She said that the figure had been changed to £300 at the lower end of the scale for grants.

The Executive Member for Communities explained that changes had also been made to the wording to make it clear that there were options for people to apply for funding relating to priorities around physical and mental health.

Councillor Daar proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Hopewell seconded the proposal.

The Executive Member for Neighbourhoods welcomed the changes and said that she was very pleased that policy had been made clearer and simpler. She welcomed the idea that small community groups would be eligible to apply for grants even if they were not officially charities or statutory bodies. She hoped that the changes would be publicised.

The motion to support the recommendation having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that the revised Community Grants Policy including the priorities for 2023/24, incorporating amendments agreed by the Executive Member for Communities following consideration by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, be recommended to Council for approval.

The Executive Member for Communities submitted a report that set out the updated priorities for 2023/24, with a slightly reworded policy in respect of the community grants policy. The Executive Member explained that this matter would be reported to Council on 18 October 2023.

The Executive Member for Communities talked about updates to community grants and reductions in 2022/23. She said that the previous maximum grant limit of £5,000 would be replaced with a grant range of £500 to £3,000. She stated that this range would enable the council to still make a significant number of grants.

Members were advised that other projects from community groups would be eligible for grants from the council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. These two extra funding programmes would be entitled to cultural activities and environmental sustainability grants, which together totalled another £40,000.

The Executive Member for Communities talked about reductions in community grant funding and said that the community grants policy would be amended to reflect the comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Williamson commented on how many smaller grants could be given out and whether some organisations might no longer qualify for smaller grants where they might previously have been awarded a grant of £300.

Councillor Clements commented on priorities and asked whether the text on mental health support could be expanded to include all mental health support and not just support for young people. He also highlighted support with gaining employment and referred to supporting people with gaining CV writing skills and helping people into work.

Councillor McAndrew said that the Stansted Airport Consultative Committee had a grants funding programme, and this did include applications from town and parish councils. Councillor McAndrew asked a question in respect of grant funding and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The Healthy Lifestyles Programme Officer referred to the work of the Healthy Hubs and other return to work schemes. A question was asked in relation to Town and Parish Council precepts in terms of whether there was a list of the amounts that related to the precepts.

The Healthy Lifestyles Programme Officer said a list was produced by Benefits and Revenues. He referred to alterations that had been made to the scoring assessment process.

The Chairman commented on how the revised policy might impact on Town and Parish councils in terms of compatibility given that they could precept or set a precept themselves.  The Chairman asked Members to send any further comments to the Executive Member for Communities as the matter would be presented to council on 18 October 2023.

Councillor Williamson proposed and Councillor Clements seconded, a motion that the revised Community Grants Policy, including the priorities for 2023/24 be considered, and comments be passed to the Executive Member for Communities prior to presentation to the Executive for onward recommendation to Council for approval.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that the revised Community Grants Policy including the priorities for 2023/24  ...  view the full minutes text for item 132