Agenda item

Community Grants 2019 - Round 1

Minutes:

The Council’s Community Grant Scheme (CGS) made provision for up to £130,000 per annum to be made available to community groups or organisations that met the specific grant criteria of the Scheme.  The Panel had delegated authority to grant awards up to £500 and had approved £500 to Peasmarsh Memorial Hall for hot water system improvements.

 

Members gave consideration to the applications listed in Appendix 1 and each grant was considered in turn as follows:

 

1.     Beckley Parish Council: the Panel had recommended an award of £18,500 to transform the old tennis court into a multi-use games area.

2.     Beckley Village Hall: the Panel had recommended an award of £5,000 to upgrade the kitchen in the village hall.

3.     Beulah Baptist Church, Bexhill: the Panel had recommended an award of £20,000 to improve access to the first floor rooms and toilet facilities, install a lift and provide more circulation spaces in the reception area on the ground floor.

4.     Crowhurst Village Hall: the Panel had recommended an award of £3,000 towards redesigning and improving the kitchen facilities.

5.     Flimwell Village Hall: the Panel had recommended an award of £1,400 to provide furnishings and equipment for the new village hall.

6.     Iden Parish Council: the Panel had recommended an award of £14,920 towards modernising and improving play facilities at Iden playing fields.

7.     Rye Cricket Club: the Panel had recommended an award of £3,746 to upgrade disabled access / facilities at the pavilion.

8.     Sedlescombe Village Hall: the Panel had rejected the award of £25,822 requested by Sedlescombe Village Hall (SVH) to improve the acoustics, as insufficient evidence of the benefits of the scheme had been provided.  It was noted that SVH had raised £9,000 instead of £4,000 as indicated in the report towards the project.

9.     Winchelsea New Hall: the Panel had recommended an award of £975 towards resurfacing the entrance to the hall.

 

In 2018/19, Westfield Parish Council (WPC) was awarded a £25,000 grant towards the development of a new pavilion for Westfield Cricket Club.  This was subject to all funding being secured.  Members were advised that, to date, WPC had only secured £5,000 towards the project and that Rother’s CGS could provide match-funding only.  Therefore, in order to progress the project, it had been recommended by the Panel that an early drawdown of the grant to the value of £5,000 be agreed subject to a strategy being submitted outlining how the shortfall would be funded.  WPC had also been advised to consider obtaining a Public Works Board Loan. 

 

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 eight grants as detailed above, as well as the £5,000 drawdown grant to WPC. 

 

Members were supportive of a £10,000 Council fund being allocated for VE Day (8 May 2020) commemorative / celebratory events.  The Council would match-fund pound for pound to a maximum of £500 per grant.  The grant would be available on a first come first served basis for Parish and Town Councils or properly constituted community groups to apply.  Members were encouraged to promote the VE Day scheme within their Wards. 

 

Round 2 of the CGS would open for applications on 1 October 2019 and close on 15 January 2020.  The total remaining was £46,959 having taken account of these grant applications and the Healthy Aging and Innovation in Rural Europe (HAIRE) funding commitment.  Members were asked to encourage groups within their Wards to seek advice from Rother Voluntary Action (RVA) prior to starting the application process.  Members were also reminded that small grant applications (up to £500) were accepted all year round and prospective applicants were encouraged to make applications through the on-line application process, with support and advice through RVA, as required.

 

RESOLVED: That:

 

1)    the Community Grants listed below, as recommended by the Grants Panel be approved, subject to specific conditions relating to each application

 

Beckley Parish Council – £18,500

Beckley Village Hall – £5,000

Beulah Baptist Church, Bexhill – £20,000

Crowhurst Village Hall – £3,000

Flimwell Village Hall – £1,400

Iden Parish Council – £14,920

Rye Cricket Club – £3,746

Sedlescombe Village Hall – £0

Winchelsea New Hall – £975

 

2)     an early drawdown of grant to the value of £5,000 to Westfield Cricket Club awarded in 2018/19 be approved, subject to the submission of a funding strategy detailing how and when the shortfall will be funded;

 

3)     a fund of £10,000 from the Community Grants Scheme be approved for supporting community events to celebrate the forthcoming VE Day (8 May 2020); and delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director in consultation with the Chairman of the Community Grants Panel to award or decline VE Day grants within the criteria set out within Appendix 2 to the report; and

 

4)     all Members be requested to promote the VE Day scheme within their Wards.

 

 

Supporting documents: