Agenda item

To receive and consider report 190/06 of the Strategic Director and Monitoring Officer. 

Introduction and Report Summary

The purpose of this report is to set out the budget position for the Executive Committee 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. Executive considered applications in October 2006 and the next meeting, at which the consideration of grants is planned, will be in October 2007.

The contact officer for this report is Lorna Edwards, Community Strategy Officer (Tel: 01235 547626).

Recommendations

(a)               Members are asked to note that the Executive’s budget for 2007/08 for Vale-wide grants is £23,814;

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

(i)         My Life My Choice, £2,686.36, towards running 4 self-advocacy  groups, Social Agenda, Access priority

(ii)        OCVA, £5,000, towards running a volunteer brokerage service, Social  Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority

(iii)       Neighbourhood Watch, £2,033, towards an expanded service, Social Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority

(iv)       Root and Branch, £1,073.47, towards equipment, Social Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority

 (v)       Oxfordshire Play Association, £4,535, towards core services, Social Agenda, Access priority

(vi)       Oxfordshire Artweeks, £1,000, production of the Artweeks Guide, Social Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority

(vii)      Oxford Film & Video Makers, £2,400, towards a film and digital media festival, Social Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority

(viii)     Oxfordshire Chinese Community and Advice Centre, £3,276, towards increased running costs, Social Agenda, Access priority

(ix)       Wantage Diving Club, £1,500, towards equipment, Social Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority

(x)        Abingdon & District CAB, £7,477, towards increased running costs, Social Agenda, Access priority

(xi)       Oxfordshire Children’s Information Services, £5,000, towards enhanced services, Social Agenda, Access priority

(xii)      Sunningwell School of Art, £3,000, towards a more efficient heating system, Environmental Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority

(xiii)     Accessible Sailing, £5,000, towards construction of pontoon, Social Agenda, Access priority

(c)        Members are asked to agree to the request from Area Committees to carry forward unspent grant budget from 2006/07; and

(d)        Members are asked to note the range of projects, services and events supported by the Executive in 2006/07. 

(Time: 3.13pm to 4.11pm)

(CouncillorBob Johnston declared a personal interest in this item but in accordance with Standing Order 34, he remained in the meeting during its consideration.) 

The Executive received and considered report 190/06 of the Strategic Director and Monitoring Officer, which set out the budget position for community grants and set out details of thirteen grant applications.  The Executive gave careful consideration to each application but had less budgetary provision than the total amount applied for by the applicants combined. 

Some applications were received seeking grants to meet increased operating costs.  The Executive did not have the budget to fund all applications for these costs but urged applicants to instead consider applying for funds towards specific projects. 

RESOLVED

(a)               that it be noted that the community grants budget for 2007/08 for Vale-wide grants is £23,814;

(b)        that the following applications be approved:

(c)        that the issue of continued funding for the Oxfordshire Chinese Community and Advice Centre be raised with other local authorities in Oxfordshire to seek a firmer funding arrangement for the future;

(d)        that the following applications be deferred pending the receipt of an amended application relating to a specific project (by 7 votes to nil):

(e)        that the application from the Wantage Diving Club be referred to the South East Area Committee for determination unless its is considered that the majority of club members are from outside the South East Area of the Vale, then the application be referred back to the Executive for further consideration in October 2007 (by 7 votes to nil);

(f)         that a report be submitted to the October meeting of the Executive to re-examine the large Service Level Agreements between the Council and other bodies;

(g)        that the application from Accessible Sailing, operating as the Farmoor Reservoir Pontoon Project, be referred to the Abingdon Area Committee, the South East Area Committee and the West Area Committee for further consideration;

(h)        that for future applications, the officers be requested to obtain information on the breakdown of local authority funding for schemes in the previous year;

(i)         that the unspent Area Committee community grants budgets be carried forward from 2006/07 to 2007/08;

(j)         that that the range of projects, services and events supported by the Executive in 2006/07 be noted.