Agenda item

            The Committee considered also the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1                            The purpose of this report is to provide further detail on the request for funding to support the implementation of the Belfast Boxing Strategy through the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA). The report is being presented in the context of the rate setting process for 2018/19.

                                 The report also requests permission to produce of a Belfast City Council Sports Development Strategy which would, among other things, steer future decisions on directly supporting National Governing Bodies of Sport.

2.0                            Recommendations

2.1                            The Committee is asked to:

·        Consider the funding request in the amount of £200,000 per annum for the next three years.

·        Approve the development of a Belfast City Council Sports Development Strategy and an associated funding strategy.

·        Consider any future funding requests from sporting bodies including IABA in the context of this strategy.

3.0                            Main report

3.1                            Background

                                 Belfast’s Amateur Boxing Strategy has been funded by Belfast City Council for four years with an actual spend of approximately £140k per annum from a total fund of £600k. The original allocation was £200k per annum for 3 years.

                                 Representatives from Antrim Boxing and IABA attended the People and Communities committee in November 2017 seeking support for funding of £200k per annum to sustain the Belfast Amateur Boxing Strategy to 2020.  The Committee recommended to SP&R that the request for £200k be supported and considered through the rating process.

3.2                            £200,000 Council Support for Boxing Strategy

                                 The Antrim Boxing/IABA proposal recommends the Belfast Boxing Strategy Steering Group (representative of BCC, Sport NI and Antrim Boxing) will continue to have oversight of delivery of the strategy outcomes and action plans, ensuring that all resources are used in Belfast for the benefit of Belfast clubs and boxers. Specific performance indicators and targets are in place. The action plan submitted by Antrim Boxing/IABA for the next phase of the Strategy has been developed using the existing themes and budget headings, namely;

                                 Detailed action plans and performance indicators are provided in Appendix One.

3.3                            Sport NI Support for Belfast Boxing Strategy

                                 Sport NI provide direct financial support to IABA for delivery of programmes across Northern Ireland through their Sporting Clubs and Sporting Winners programmes – in total £311k to support Ulster Boxing. The Sporting Clubs indicative awards is £548,676 for the term 17/18 to 20/21, with a confirmed amount of £118,750 for year 1 awarded to IABA to support Ulster Boxing. The Sporting Winners indicative award is £861,882 for the term 17/18 to 20/21, with a confirmed amount of £192,863 for year 1 allocated to IABA to support Ulster Boxing. 

                                 Sport NI view their investment through their Sporting Clubs programme as complementary to the Belfast Boxing strategy through increased capacity within the IABA. Sport NI is confident that the sport of boxing has the capacity to deliver on multiple targets in community, club and performance contexts. It is also Sport NI’s approach that it believes that sports governing bodies should be diversifying income streams and reducing reliance on Sport NI investment. This includes but is not limited to expecting organisations to source other income through membership, sponsorship and other public funding opportunities. To that end, it is positive that IABA have a strategic proposal with Belfast City Council.

3.4                            Other Governing Body Funding by Belfast City Council

                                 Generally, Belfast City Council sports programmes provide funding only to Belfast based sports organisations. Along with support to IABA for the Belfast Boxing Strategy, the other exception to this is support to the Irish Football Association (IFA) for the Stadium Community Benefits Initiative which was a requirement of the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure (DCAL) funding for development Olympia Leisure Centre and the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park. Council support for this Initiative is £1 million matched by £0.5 million from the IFA over ten years. This funding is held by Belfast City Council and delivery is co-ordinated through a Sports Development Officer.

3.5                            Production of Belfast City Council Sports Development Strategy

                                 A sports development strategy will provide a framework for future decision making on providing funding to National Governing Bodies of Sport delivering programmes in Belfast in support of existing funding streams and work programmes which enhance sporting opportunities Belfast’s sporting organisations and individuals.”

            The Committee noted that the funding request had been considered and agreed during discussion on the revenue estimates earlier in the meeting and agreed the following:

·        That a full Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) be undertaken before consideration of funding for the 2019/20 financial year;

·        That officers undertake work with the IABA to identify ways in which the Boxing Strategy could become self-sustaining;

·        To note the proposals for the development of the Belfast City Council Sports Development Strategy and associated funding strategy and that this would be progressed through the People and Communities Committee; and

·        That officers work with the NI Boxing Association to identify how that organisation could be incorporated in the Boxing Strategy and/or the Sports Development Strategy.