Agenda item

Community Chest: Funding Applications

Minutes:

The Committee considered new applications received between 8 March 2022 and 12 April 2022 for grant aid from the Community Chest Grant funding scheme. 

 

With the Committee’s agreement, the Chair said that he would invite Members to determine as a whole but with one exception those applications for funding to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

 

The Development Officer said that the total amount of funding available for Community Chest Grants 2022-23 was £61,768.83. This sum included £3,768,83 carried over from 2021-22. Were all the applications at the current meeting to be met in full then the sum granted would be £35,438.24. This was lower than the figure in the report because of a reduced sum being requested by Longstowe Parish Council following the receipt by them of a revised quote.

 

The Committee considered in turn applications from

 

·       Swavesey Spartans Football Club

·       Gamlingay Leisure

·       Active with Parkinsons

·       Friends of Barrington School

·       Cambridge Open Art Exhibition (COAX)

·       Melbourn Playgroup and Out of School Club

·       Lolworth Parish Meeting

·       Landbeach Village Hall

·       Waterbeach Parish Council

·       Longstowe Parish Council

 

as detailed in the report from the Development Officer.

 

Members made the following specific points:

 

·       In respect of the application from Swavesey Spartens, Councillor Sue Ellington (the local Member) confirmed that the Parish Council was in support and that there should not be a problem in meeting the shortfall in funding.

 

·       In respect of Gamlingay Leisure, Members queried whether the £7,454 was part of the £15,000 or in addition to it. However, given the evident importance of the community gym to Gamlingay, the Committee recommended a grant subject to the Development Officer receiving further details about the lease arrangements.

 

·       Councillor Ellington said that she would welcome Cambridge Open Art Exhibition making an approach to Wysing Arts and including them in their activities.

 

·       Referring to the application from Landbeach Village Hall, Members expressed concern about the type of heater being proposed given South Cambridgeshire District Council’s ‘green’ ambitions. They expressed support for the application subject to the proposed heater being infra-red.

 

·       In respect of the application from Waterbeach Parish Council, Councillor Dr. Claire Daunton prompted a discussion around the local demographic and maintenance issues. Members requested that the Development Officer obtain further information from the applicant and that the application be deferred until the Committee had considered that further information.

 

The Committee considered grant applications relating to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee as detailed in the report from the Development Officer. While such grants would be funded initially by the Community Chest, Councillor John Williams (Lead Cabinet Member for Finance) informed the Committee that his intention was to reimburse those monies in full from the £12.5 million profit made by selling the Vitrum building. It was noted that this would not be finalised until after the local elections to be held on 5 May 2022.

 

Subject to the above, the Committee agreed the following:

 

·       Swavesey Spartans Football Club - To be funded at the requested amount of £2,000 pending further information.

·       Gamlingay Leisure Centre - To be funded at the requested amount of £2,000 pending further information.

·       Active with Parkinsons Cambridgeshire - To be funded at the requested amount of £1,000.

·       Friends of Barrington school - To be funded at the requested amount of £2,000

·       Cambridge Open Art Exhibition - To be funded at the requested amount of £1,128.49

·       Melbourn Playgroup out of school club - To be funded at the requested amount of £2,000

·       Lolworth Parish Meeting - To be funded at the requested amount of £1,716

·       Landbeach Village Hall - To be funded at the requested amount of £569.95 pending further information.

·       Waterbeach Parish Council – deferred pending further information.

·       Longstowe Parish Council - To be funded at the requested amount of £1,129.08 pending further information.

·       Jubilee grants to be paid in full subject, In respect of the application from Balsham Trinity church flower arrangers’ group to the application being revised to cover a long-lasting item.

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