Decision details

Approve awards to voluntary and community groups 2015-16 for each area committee.

The Committee received a report from the Community Funding and Development Manager.

Members considered applications for grants as set out in the Officer’s report, and table below. The Community Funding and Development Manager responded to Member’s questions about individual projects and what funding aimed to achieve.

Members of the public made a number of statements, as set out below.

1        Mr Lawson spoke in favour of funding for projects S2, S3 and S4 Accordia Community & Residents Assoc. He expressed disappointment at the grants offered and said this could impact on the feasibility of undertaking projects ie not all may go ahead if the requested funding was not received.

The Community Funding and Development Manager said the amount of funding allocated to projects depended on a number of factors, including the information included in bids. Projects could apply for funding from more than one source. The City Council allocated funding to projects that met its criteria, and would signpost other sources if these were appropriate.

2.       Mr Bower spoke in favour of funding for the Queen Edith’s Community Forum newsletter.

Councillors Pippas and Sanders responded by speaking in favour of funding for the Queen Edith’s Community Forum newsletter and Christmas lights. Councillor Dryden said the Cherry Hinton Christmas lights were self funding by getting contributions one year to pay for the next year.

In response to Members’ questions the Community Funding and Development Manager said the following:

       i.          £5,000 of Area Committee Grant funding had been allocated to Cherry Hinton, just under £9,000 to Trumpington and £1,750 to Queen Edith’s.

     ii.          Projects were allocated funding on an individual basis, not by ward. Reiterated that projects had to meet criteria in order to be funded, other sources could be applied for too so total project costs were met.

   iii.          The grant budget was fixed. If Councillors wished more funding to be added to projects in Queen Edith’s ward etc, funding available for other projects would decrease.

   iv.          Officers tried to make the grant application as simple as possible for people making applications. Workshops were proposed in future to educate people on how to make effective bids.

Following discussion, Members resolved (by 8 votes to 0 with 1 abstention) to agree the proposed awards detailed in Appendix 1 of the Officer’s report and summarised in the table above.