Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from the Community Funding & Voluntary Sector Manager regarding Community Grants.

Councillors were reminded that the Committee could not make decisions whilst the Area Committees were taking place virtually, but any discussion / debate would be taken into consideration by Officers when the delegated decisions were made.

In response to Members’ questions officers said the following:

      i.         Acknowledged that Christ Pieces Resident Association had been successful in the past but had not met the funding criteria on this occasion. The application had not demonstrated how they would evidence an impact around social and or economic deprivation or provided any evidence that the beneficiaries couldn’t fund the activities themselves.  Would be happy to support the Resident Association to seek alternative funding.

    ii.         Friends of Midsummer Common would receive an increased award from the previous year although not the full amount Requested as they also receive support from another Council service

   iii.         There had been unprecedented demand for funding, but bids had been given rigorous scrutiny from officers.  Funding was allocated where the criteria were met.

  iv.         Reasons why applications were not proposed to be awarded area committee grant funding included:

a.    Significant funding had already been provided by the council through the main community grants fund.

b.    Poor or insufficient detail regarding benefit to residents in the west area of Cambridge; where appropriate officers would liaise with applicants where their application would be better made to the main community grants fund.

c.    Inclusion of inappropriate costs (e.g. equipment only requests).

d.    Financial need of applicant group not demonstrated or over reliance on Community Grants funding.

    v.         Recommended that organisations read through the guidance and talked with Grant Officers before applying.

  vi.         Money that had been underspent within West Central Area would be placed into a central ‘pot’ for funding.

 vii.         Would like to carry out a review of how effective area committee grants were with only one funding window. A member briefing had been arranged in September to discuss this matter with all Councillors.

viii.         Officers would review the amount of detail included within the reports and would be happy to discuss any further detailed queries outside of the meeting.