Issue - meetings

(Relevant Portfolio Holder: Councillor K Wright)

The Leader introduced the report of the Corporate Director of Transformation & Resources (Interim) which advised on the recommendations of the Funding of Voluntary & Other Organisations Cabinet Working Group meeting of 24 September 2019 in respect of future funding arrangements for grants to voluntary organisations.

In reaching the decision below, Cabinet considered the details as set out in the report before it, and accepted the reasons contained therein.

RESOLVED  A.      That the following recommendations of the Funding of Voluntary and Other Organisations Cabinet Working Group attached at Appendix 2 to the report, be endorsed:-

i)       that the draft specifications for the commissioning of revenue grants from April 2020 attached at Appendix  A to the report be approved

ii)     that the exploration of a 3 year tiered funding approach be undertaken

iii)    that a £30,000 per annum infrastructure budget be    separated from the revenue grants to voluntary organisations budget and tendered separately to provide a greater level of stability to the sector

iv)    that a sum of £50,000 per annum be allocated from the revenue grants to voluntary organisations budget for the commissioning of revenue grants to support services for the provision of information/advice/money/debt services

v)     that a sum of £50,000 per annum be allocated from the revenue grants to voluntary organisations budget for the commissioning of revenue grants to support services to improve independent living (elderly, young families, vulnerable, veterans, residents with disabilities) and their families

vi)    that commissioning be for a 3 year period from April 2020 if a tiered approach (referred to in ii above) is not feasible

vii)   that a smaller grants pot be established with a budget of £26,000 made up from the current Community Chest and the remaining monies within the revenue grants budget

viii) that the management of the smaller grants pot to remain “in house”

ix)    that the smaller grants pot to retain the individual grants  element

x)     that the Corporate Director of Transformation and Resources in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Health & Community Safety establish an application criteria/mechanism/maximum level of funding etc. for the Smaller Grants pot. 

B.      That following the exploration of a 3 year tiered funding approach, the commissioning of revenue grants to voluntary organisations from April 2020 be for a 3 year period.