Issue - meetings

To receive and consider report 93/08 of the Strategic Director. 

Introduction and Report Summary

The purpose of this report is to set out the budget position for the Executive in respect of Community Grants and to invite Members to consider and determine the grant applications received. The Executive currently considers grant applications bi-annually, in April and October.

The contact officer for this report is Lorna Edwards, Community Stragegy Officer, telephone (01235 547626).  E-mail: lorna.edwards@whitehorsedc.co.uk

Recommendations

(a)              that Members note that the Executive’s remaining budget for 2008/09 for Vale-wide grants is £8,214;

(b)              that Members consider and determine the following grant applications and agree the Council agenda and priority:

(i)        Oxfordshire Play Association,£5,673.00, towards core costs of providing support services to play settings in the Vale, Social Agenda, Access priority

(ii)       South & Vale Carers Centre, £7,938.00, towards core costs or providing a support service to carers, Social Agenda, Access priority

(iii)      Oxford Inspires, £1,500, to stage a series of arts events in the Vale, Social Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority

(iv)      Assisted Reading for Children in Oxfordshire, £3,000, to impart a love of reading to children in the Vale, Social Agenda, Access priority

(v)       Oxfordshire Playbus, £6,000, towards a replacement sensory vehicle for children with special needs, Social Agenda, Access priority

(vi)      Vale of White Horse Schools Football Association, £500, towards additional pitch fees, Social Agenda, Access priority

(c)       that Members consider and determine the following application for third party funding to be awarded from the Lottery and Other Grants Support Fund:

(vii)     Upton Village Hall Amenities Trust, £9,020, as third party funding towards an extension to the village hall. 

(Time: 3.00pm to 3.21pm)

The Executive received and considered report 93/08 of the Strategic Director which set out the Executive’s Community Grants budget position and detailed seven grant applications received.  One of the applications was for third party funding from the Council’s Lottery and Other Grants’ Support Fund. 

Members noted that with only £8,214 remaining in its community grants budget for Vale-wide projects, they would not be able to fund each application to its full request.  Members therefore had a difficult choice of which applications to support and how much grant to award.  The choice of Members was guided by the Council’s vision, aims and corporate priorities.  One application, from Oxford Inspires to stage a series of arts events in the Vale, was noted as a good project but the Executive declined to award a grant as it only had limited funds and needed to target the most worthy applications. 

The Chair requested that all the applications should be referred to the Council’s Area Committees as these committees might be minded to consider the applications and make grant awards. 

RESOLVED

(a)               that the Executive’s remaining Vale-wide Community Grants budget for 2008/09 of £8,214 be noted;

(b)               that the following applications for community grants be approved (all by five votes to nil):

(c)        that the application for a community grant by Oxford Inspires to stage a series of arts events in the Vale be declined at this time; and

(d)       that the following application for third party funding be awarded from the Lottery and Other Grants Support Fund: