Issue - meetings

Community Chest Review 2018

Meeting: 14/08/2018 - Scrutiny and Overview Committee (Item 6)

6 Community Chest Review 2018 pdf icon PDF 164 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Jose Hales, Chairman of Grants Advisory Committee, presented this report which recommended changes to the criteria for the Community Chest grants scheme.

 

During discussion, the following points were raised:-

 

(a)  Limits of total amounts to wards and parishes

Councillor Hales explained that paragraph 12(l) should be removed as it had been concluded that it was unnecessarily restrictive to set a limit on the annual amount of grants received by the size of ward. He also explained that in the Grants Advisory Committee’s view community chest grants should be paid to small parishes, which could not raise sufficient funds via their precept. Further work was needed around eligibility for small parishes. Larger parish councils should not be eligible to receive  community chest grants, as these should be paid from either their parish precepts or other available funds. It was suggested clarification was needed as to whether paragraph 13 (a) should refer to smaller parish meetings and “parish councils”. The Director of Health and Environmental Services agreed to find out what percentage of grants had been awarded to parish councils in the past. It was noted that for these purposes, the location of the organisation determined which parish it was in, not where the activities took place.

 

(b)  Tackling isolation and loneliness

Concern was expressed at the proposal in paragraph 12 (f) for priority to be given to community projects/activities that had a youth development focus and the importance of making available grants to other groups, such as those which tackled isolation and loneliness was emphasised.  It was suggested that this criterion should be reviewed.

 

(c)  Historic buildings

It was noted that community grants would only be awarded to historic buildings in public ownership, but concern was expressed that there was no longer any funding for historic and listed buildings in private ownership and this was having a detrimental long-term effect on those buildings.

 

(d)  Additional funding

Councillor Hales understood the support from the Committee to tackle isolation and renovate historic building, but he explained that extra funding would be required to satisfy all these demands. He asked that the Executive consider this.

 

(e)  Officer support

Councillor Hales explained that officers assessed each application and asked for an estimate of the total costs of the project, before it was presented to councillors.

 

The Chairman thanked Councillor Hales and the Director of Health and Environmental Services for their attendance and participation in the debate.


Meeting: 21/06/2018 - Grants Advisory Committee (Item 5)

5 Community Chest Review 2018 pdf icon PDF 162 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Grants Advisory Committee received and noted a report reviewing the criteria and decision-making timeline for the Community Chest grant scheme.

 

During a short debate, the Vice-Chairman highlighted two areas in need of particular attention. These related to applications for funding from Parish Councils, which had the option to precept for various projects, and schools which, in general, were the responsibility of Cambridgeshire County Council.

 

Councillor John Williams said that the review should take place so as to allow for appropriate publicity in the South Cambs Magazine.

 

Members agreed to establish a Working Group to scrutinise the Community Chest grant scheme in detail, and enable the Grants Advisory Committee to make recommendations to the Finance Portfolio Holder and, where relevant, to Cabinet.