The Council’s Community Grants Scheme (CGS) made provision for up to £130,000 per annum to be made available to community groups or organisations that met the grant criteria of the CGS.  The CGS Panel had delegated authority to grant awards up to £1,000 and it was noted that one application had been received in Round 1; The Archive Resource Centre for £1,000.

Round 1 for 2022/23 closed on 30 June 2022.  A total of five applications were received.  The Panel met on 28 July 2022 and recommended awards for five applications from Brede Parish Council, Fairlight Parish Council, Northiam Village Hall, Rye Harbour Sailability and Winchelsea Beach Community Association, as set out in the report; (each application was summarised in Appendix A to the report.)  If agreed, this would result in a maximum of £65,435 being awarded in Round 1, leaving £59,565 for Round 2 and other small grants for the remainder of the financial year 2022/23.  It was noted that small grant applications were accepted all year round through the on-line application process.  Support and guidance could be obtained via Rother Voluntary Action (RVA) and applicants were recommended to contact RVA before submission of an application; £4,000 was available for 2022/23.

Cabinet was reminded that conditions were applied when awarding grants; specifically, that full funding was required to be obtained in advance of any Rother payments being made and that Rother District Council was acknowledged in any publicity and promotional material associated with any project.  After discussion, Cabinet approved all five grants.

Members were supportive of £15,000 2023/24 CGS funding being allocated to support the Council’s Rother Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Scheme (RRRRS).  The RRRRS provided funding to parish and town councils, community groups and charities to support environmental projects across the district.  The Council would match-fund pound for pound to a maximum of £1,000 per grant.  A scheme guide, on-line application process and questions were attached at Appendix B to the report.

Since the Rother Community Lottery’s (RCL) launch in April 2022, approximately £12,000 had been facilitated by RCL, with £7,000 distributed to various good causes (68 causes were signed up).  To date £2,175 had been awarded in prizes.  Should sales remain at the current rate, potential annual income could be £23,500, with a further £17,000 of income to the Council.  This funding would be allocated to the CGS.  Cabinet thanked all those who had been and were involved in the RCL from its inception.

Members were encouraged to promote RRRRS and Round 2 of CGS within their Wards.  A Members’ Tour of some of the CGS projects would be arranged in the autumn.

RESOLVED: That:

1)    the community grants listed below, asrecommended by the Grants Panel, be approved subject to specific conditions relating to each application, as follows:

Brede Parish Council – £11,000

Fairlight Parish Council – £5,060

Northiam Village Hall – £10,500

Rye Harbour Sailability – £8,875

Winchelsea Beach Community Association – £30,000

2)    a fund of £15,000 from the 2023/24 Community Grant Scheme be approved for the Rother Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Scheme for 2023/24;

3)    all Members to promote Round 2 of the Community Grants Scheme within their wards.

(Councillor Dixon declared a Personal and Prejudicial Interest in this matter as his wife was the Clerk at Brede Parish Council and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct left the meeting during the consideration thereof).