Report to Portfolio Holder Partnerships
Subject:
Leisure Initiative Grant Scheme
Status:
Routine Matter for Decision
28 January 2014
Report Ref:
Ward(s):
All
Key Decision:
No
Key Decision Ref:
Report of:
Head of Community Services
Contact:
June Balcombe
Community Development Team Leader
Appendices:
Papers relied on to
produce this report
SUMMARY
1
This Report
1.1
The purpose of this report is to consider the integration of the Leisure
Initiative grant scheme funding with the Have Your Say grant scheme and
approve the decision making process.
2
Recommendation
2.1
It is recommended that:
a) The Leisure Initiatives Grant budget is integrated with the Have Your Say
Grant budget from 2014/15.
b) The decision on allocation of funding from the integrated scheme will be
made via a public vote, held on a specified ‘Decision Day’.
c) A record of funding decisions and allocations will be published on the
council’s web-site.
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PRIORITIES, IMPACTS AND RISKS
Contribution to Council Priorities
This report accords with the council’s Budget and Policy Framework and directly
supports the Council Plan priority/priorities of maintaining a reputation for quality arts
and leisure and supporting active healthy and involved communities.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Term
Definition
MAIN CONSIDERATIONS
3
The Proposal
Background
3.1
The Leisure Initiatives fund was designed to enable agencies and voluntary
organisations of any kind to contribute to the overall vision of leisure in
Basingstoke.
3.1.1
The main focus for the funding was to develop new areas of work that directly
benefited residents of the borough. The criteria are attached in Appendix 1.
3.1.2
The decision to allocate funding is made by the Portfolio Holder for
Partnerships.
3.2
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Basingstoke Voluntary Services
working in partnership delivered the Basingstoke and Deane small scale
community participatory budget initiative on behalf of Hampshire County
Council known as ‘Have your Say’ in 2013.
3.2.1
The purpose of the Have Your Say grant scheme is designed to enable
voluntary and community organisations of any kind to help improve their local
environment, to support local groups or strengthen their community. Local
people then have the opportunity to determine which local projects should
receive funding through an open day (decision day), where local residents can
vote for the projects they feel would most benefit their community.
3.2.2
The main focus of the funding is to support sustainable projects that will bring
the community together to:




enhance the local environment
provide an identified service/activity for local residents
strengthen community activity in areas of greatest need
improve the health and wellbeing of the community.
The criteria are attached in Appendix 2
3.2.3
The scheme was successful; Voting was planned in 3 areas:
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


3.2.4
Tadley Community Centre (Due to applications for funding being
withdrawn a ballot was not needed in Tadley so this event was
cancelled).
The Civic Offices,
The Gill Nethercott Centre, Whitchurch
Residents had the chance to see information on the initiatives put forward and
vote for the ones they thought should get funding.
338 people voted at the Civic Offices and 158 people voted at Gill Nethercott
Centre, Whitchurch.
3.2.5
A total of 32 applications were received from voluntary and community groups
within the borough of which, 27 organisations received funding, these included
a variety of projects:

a community café and local one stop shop, which will enable residents to
meet their neighbours, get advice from local service providers and
access computers;

applications from different youth projects wanting to broaden the
experiences for young people through new equipment, new activities
and to encourage youth leadership;

community associations wishing to extend the activities at their centre’s
for their local communities;

sports groups wishing to extend involvement of women, and wider age
ranges in sport;

groups looking at different ways to get information out to support
disabled groups, including specialist equipment, and mobile services;
and

a project which aimed to provide a free service for fitting, styling and
cutting wigs for breast cancer patients.
3.2.6
It is proposed that the scheme be expanded to include the Leisure initiative
Fund budget, as there was more than 50% increase in applications, and by
encouraging community involvement almost 500 residents were involved in
the decision, thereby increasing local participation in decision making.
3.3
The pros and cons of continuing to administer the two schemes separately
and the integration of the schemes are shown in section 4 of this report.
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4
Options Analysis
Option 1
4.1
Continue to administer the two grant schemes separately.
Pros
Cons
Organisations familiar with the
process
Leisure Initiative budget decreasing
Individuals can apply for funding
Resources required to administer the
schemes
Leisure Initiative fund has 4
application rounds per year
Recommendations not always based
on community need/support
Potential for double funding
Option 2
4.2
Integrate the Leisure Initiative Scheme with the Have Your Say Scheme
Pros
Cons
Reduction in resources for
administration
Individuals can’t apply for funding
Greater community involvement in
which projects get funded
Have Your Say budget subject to
Hampshire County Council funding
The model of community participatory
budgeting can continue regardless of
County funding
Only one round of applications per
year
Eliminates potential for double
funding
Simplified process, and outcomes of
funding applications announced
quicker
The criteria for both schemes are similar with similar outcomes for the
community; therefore it is proposed that the two schemes are integrated, with
the decision making by the community rather than the Portfolio Holder from
2014/15.
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5
Corporate Implications
5.1
Financial Implications
5.1.1
The budget for leisure initiative grants is £15,600 and funding of £25,000
‘Have Your Say’ grant has been secured from HCC. Combining these will
create a total ‘Have Your Say’ grant budget of £40,600 for 2014/15 within the
Community Support and Development service.
5.2
Risk Issues
5.2.1
There is no guarantee that funding from Hampshire County Council will
continue, as this is applied for on an annual basis. However, by integrating the
two budgets the model for community participatory budgeting can be
continued regardless of the amount of funding available.
5.3
HR Issues
None
5.4
Equalities
5.4.1
No specific impact on equalities groups has been identified due to the fact the
integrated scheme is aimed at and will benefit the same audience.
Legal Implications
5.4.2
All successful applicants will be required to sign a funding agreement prior to
receiving the funding.
Any Other Implications
5.4.3
None
6
Communication and Consultation
6.1
If the proposal is supported, then by adopting this approach the community
will be actively involved in the decisions.
7
Conclusion
7.1
The integration of the Leisure Initiatives fund with the have Your Say Grant
Scheme will reduce the resources required to administer the grant and
streamline the process to make it clearer for applicants.
7.2
It will also increase community engagement and involvement of residents in
deciding which projects are most beneficial and meet community needs.
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