Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0  Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1    To seek permission to accept an offer of funding from Sport NI’s investment programme called Everybody Active 2020.  An indicative amount of approximately £125,000 has been suggested for Strand 4.  This will allow Council to offer small grants in Belfast to support the existing Everybody Active participation programme currently being delivered by our range of preferred partners.

2.0    Recommendations

2.1    The Committee is asked to:

·        Agree to accept the financial offer and permit officers to develop and run a programme of small grants in support of the Everybody Active 2020 Strand 4 programme to 31 March 2020, subject to funding being approved for release from Sport NI.

3.0    Main report

3.1    Sport NI programme

Sport NI has commissioned Belfast City Council, along with the other Council areas, to deliver the participation strand of Every Body Active 2020.  The aim of the programme is to increase quality opportunities for targeted groups to develop and sustain participation in sport across key life-course transitions.  Specific targets for each of the Strands of the Programme will be confirmed by Sport NI.

3.2    Sport NI have recently indicated that they will offer Belfast City Council around £125,000 under Everybody Active 2020 Strand 4 – small grants programme.  This programme will allow Council to enhance the sustainability of participation alongside the existing Everybody Active Opportunities Programme which has been developed to support the objectives of the Belfast Agenda.  Our existing Everybody Active programme has specific targets which identify women and girls, people with a disability and people living in areas of high social need as priority. Participation evidence highlights disparities and inequalities within those sectors.  We have commissioned a blend of providers through a public process who are successfully developing and delivering programmes which prioritise participation for our target groups.

3.3    Design of Belfast’s Strand 4 programme will ensure complementary benefits linked to other investments including Belfast City Council’s existing Support for Sport small grants, EBA 2020 Strand 2 Workforce Development and Peace IV to improve the outcomes from EBA 2020. It is envisaged that the scheme will prioritise support to groups which can deliver programmes in support of our prioritised Everybody Active 2020 programmes as listed below.

3.4    Financial and Resource Implications

Sport NI has indicated that it will make a confirmed offer in the near future and that an approximate budget of £125,000 per financial year will be available for delivery of EBA 2020 strand 4 in Belfast. Sport NI have indicated that an amount totalling 10% of the total costs will be available to support delivering the programme.  It is proposed that a temporary part-time Sports Development assistant role would be created in support of existing Sports Development resources to ensure the successful delivery.

3.5    Equality or Good Relations Implications

The programme is an opportunity for the Council to deliver against its equality and good relations objectives.  These would be integrated into the performance frameworks for provider.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.