Agenda item

Revenue Grants 2016/17

Minutes:

The Council funded a number of voluntary organisations which either worked in partnership with the Council or perform functions on the Council’s behalf.  The allocation of these grants in 2015/16 had been £133,970 for community organisations and £24,900 for leisure organisations, totalling £158,870.

 

The Executive considered a table providing a breakdown of these organisations’ funding requests, together with supporting information.  The table compared the funding requested against the grant awarded for 2015/16, the percentage of funding requested against annual running costs and, where appropriate, the in-kind financial support given to the organisations.

 

Members were also provided with information relating to the achievement of targets contained in each of the Service Level Agreements (SLA). 

 

With regard to Tringhams, West End it was proposed that the grant be reduced to £15,000 as a number of SLA targets had not been met.  In addition it was noted that the future viability of the club would continue to be monitored.

 

An application had been received from the Camberley Central Job Club for the first time.  The organisation provided training and support to local people who were unemployed.  A grant of £5,000, which would be subject to a SLA, was recommended which would help to fund staff costs.  

 

In relation to the Surrey Heath Sports Council, the Business Portfolio Holder proposed that the grant be reduced to £1,500, in 2016/17, in view of the current level of reserves.

 

The Executive also noted that the External Partnerships Select Committee would review these grants over the coming year and would report back to the Executive in due course.

 

Resolved that

 

(i)              subject to the delivery of the service level agreements, revenue grants be allocated for the period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 as follows:

 

Organisation

Grant for 2016/17

Surrey Heath Citizens Advice

£80,000 - subject to the Portfolio Holder being asked to monitor the local situation and any potential impact in relation to the Money Advice Service, and other changing trends within local demand and service provision.

Voluntary Support North Surrey

£30,000 - subject to specific terms of the service level agreement to be delegated to the Transformation Portfolio Holder.

Surrey Heath Age Concern

£10,000 - subject to the continued delivery and expansion of the visiting and befriending service provided to combat loneliness in the elderly, and for a clear strategy to be implemented around respite care within Surrey Heath.

Tringhams, West End

£15,000 - with the specific terms of the service level agreement to be delegated to the Transformation Portfolio Holder to focus upon increasing the existing client numbers.

Camberley Central Job Club

£5,000 - subject to monitoring with the specific terms of the service level agreement to be delegated to the Transformation Portfolio Holder.

Basingstoke Canal Authority

£10,000

Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership

£10,000

 

Surrey Heath Sports Council

£1,500

Surrey Heath Arts Council

£1,400

 

(ii)            all of the above organisations be informed that there was no guarantee that the Council would be able to award any grants in 2017/18; and

 

(iii)          the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership be given 12 months formal notice of termination of the current arrangements in order to provide for the cessation or reduction in the grant should this become necessary in the future.

 

(Note:  In accordance with the Council’s Members Code of Conduct, Councillors declared interests as set out below:

 

(a)                Councillor Rodney Bates, for the record, as a friend was a volunteer at the Camberley Central Job Club;

 

(b)                Councillor Colin Dougan, for the record, as his daughter was a volunteer at Surrey Heath Age Concern; and 

 

(c)                Councillor Charlotte Morley, a non pecuniary interest as the Secretary and the Council’s representative on the Surrey Heath Sports Council.)

Supporting documents: