Agenda item

            (Mr. J. Nelson, Community Services Co-ordinator, attended in connection with this item.)

 

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“Relevant Background Information

 

      The Grant Aid Policy ‘A Guide to Grant Aid for Community Organisations’ was agreed by Council in January 2004. Two of the six grant types contained within the Policy are Revenue Grant and Community Development Project Grant.

 

      1. Revenue Grants

 

      Awards are allocated under three categories or grades towards the running costs of community facilities. Precedence is given to neighbourhood groups demonstrating a broad based programme of activity. The grade of award is determined by the size of the building, programme content, throughput, and current running costs. When applications are received from organisations operating in the same geographical area, assessment is made in relation to potential duplication of programme and target groups including use of a digital mapping process.

 

      The Community & Leisure Services Sub-Committee of 11 May 2004 awarded 77 Revenue Grants for the period 2004-7. Due to the timescale for the Department's Grant Aid Review these awards were subsequently extended for the period 2007-8 and 2008-9 by the Community & Leisure Services Sub-Committees of 5 September 2006 and 8 May 2007 respectively.  In extending the contract period the Committee was aware of the potential risk of limiting equality of treatment and opportunity of those organisations which had not had the chance to apply for this grant previously. Subsequently, the Development Committee 12 December 2007 agreed a one off additional allocation to the Revenue Grant budget of £50,000 to allow new applications from groups who had established, or had acquired premises, since the 2003-4 open call.

 

      2. Community Development Project Grants

 

      Project grant awards of up to £500 are available for small scale community projects that contribute to the overarching aim of building the capacity of local people. Specifically projects which:

 

-     Develop the programme of a community building

-     Enable new community groups to become established

-     Contribute to the organisational costs of community projects

-     Support training courses for Committees/Volunteers

 

      An open call for applications is advertised each year in March and October.

 

Key Issues

 

      1. Revenue Grants

 

      A total of 10 Revenue Grants were received by the submission date of 1 March 2008.

 

      Applications have been assessed under the same due processes as applied to those received at the previous application date of October 2003. In addition to the general eligibility criteria for this grant, Groups have had to demonstrate that they meet the specific additional criteria as agreed by the Development Committee December 2007.  Four applications have been recommended for funding to the cumulative amount of £20,031.63. These are listed at Appendix 1.  Six applications have been recommended for rejection and these are listed and the reasons for rejection given at Appendix 1.

 

      Where an application for Revenue funding is rejected by Committee, the applicant Group is notified of its right of appeal in relation to this decision. Any appeals submitted will be considered by Committee at a subsequent meeting.

 

      2.  Project Grants

 

A total of 64 Project Grant applications were received by the submission date 1 March 2008.  Fifty six applications have been recommended for funding to the cumulative amount of £31,936.  These are listed at Appendix 2. Eight applications are recommended for rejection for the reasons listed at Appendix 2.

 

Both grant types have been assessed within current agreed eligibility criteria, and there is no equality or environmental implications. Where possible, it is intended that Development Staff will offer support to those groups not recommended for funding in order to assist them to improve practice and reapply for grant aid support at a later stage.

 

Resource Implications

 

      Financial

 

      The budget for Revenue awards is agreed as £50,000 so recommendations are within the maximum additional allocation agreed by Committee.

 

      The available current Community Development Project Grant budget category is £55,166 so recommendations are within budget limits.

 

      Human Resources

 

      There is no additional staff resource required other than those normally deployed in the administration and assessment of this grant category.

 

      Asset and Other Implications

 

      There is no impact on any physical BCC asset.

 

Recommendations

 

      Members are requested to approve the recommendations in respect of Revenue Grants at Appendix 1 and Community Development Project Grants as attached at Appendix 2. Members should note that the recommendation in regard to Community Development Project Grant application number 995 (Ligoniel Improvement Association) is subject to specific additional assurances being supplied by the Organisation. These assurances are in relation to the possible consequences to the Organisation of alleged irregular financial activities. Payment of this award will progress only upon receipt of these assurances.

 

Documents Attached

 

Appendix 1 – Revenue Grant Applications

Appendix 2 – Project Grant Applications”

 

APPENDIX 1

 

REVENUE GRANTS MARCH 08

 

Table 1: Recommendations for Grant Approval

 

NAME OF GROUP	REQUEST	GRADE	RECOMMENDED	COMMENT
North
North Belfast Women’s Initiative & Support Project	£4,140	1	£3,601.63	Maximum award amount for Grade 1 (08/09 figure)
East
Lower Castlereagh Community Group	£2,206	1	£2,206
Willowfield Parish	£10,894	3	£10,894
West
Glencolin Residents	£3,330	1	£3,330
TOTAL	£20,570		£20,031.63

 

Table 2:  Recommendations for Rejection

 

	REQUEST	REASON FOR REJECTION
North
Ligoniel Improvement Association	£30,200	Premises acquired prior to the eligible period of 2003-4
Sailortown Cultural & Historical Society	£3,631	Not a broad based programme

 

	REQUEST	REASON FOR REJECTION
South
Annadale & Haywood Residents Association	£3,550	Not a broad based programme
Greater Village Regeneration Trust	£12,560	Group already approved for Revenue Grant for current period (08/09)
Village Focus Group	£9,650	Not a broad based programme No evidence of financial systems No annual report
East
Crossroads	£2,995	Not a broad based programme

 

APPENDIX 2
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT GRANTS MARCH 2008   Table 3:  Recommendations for Grant Approval
NAME OF GROUP	REQUEST	REC
North
Basement Youth Club	£500	£500
Brookvale Seniors	£550	£500
Corner House Cross Community	£500	£500
Donegall Park Avenue Community Assoc.	£750	£500
Grapevine Seniors	£500	£500
Indian Community Centre	£700	£500
Ligoniel Improvement Association	£486	£486
Lower Oldpark Community Association	£500	£500
Lower Oldpark Fellowship Club	£500	£500
Midland Art Club	£500	£500
Midland Senior Citizens	£500	£500
Mountainview Pensioners	£500	£500
Shore Crescent Friendship Club	£500	£500
Trinity and New Lodge Senior Citizens	£500	£500
Upper North Belfast C.E.P.	£500	£500
Whitecity CDA	£500	£500

 

NAME OF GROUP	REQUEST	REC
Whitecity CDA Over 50's Club	£568	£500
Whitecity Parent & Toddler	£500	£500
Woodvale Young At Heart	£500	£500
WoodvaleMens Group	£500	£500
Sub Total	£10,554	£9,986
South
Greater Village Regeneration Trust	£500	£500
Lower Ormeau & Botanic Environmental Grp.	£500	£500
Sandy Row Residents Association	£940	£500
St John Viannie Senior Citizens	£500	£500
Sub Total	£2,440	£2,000
City Centre
Belfast Pride	£1,500	£500
Sub Total	£1,500	£500
East
Ardcarn Residents Association	£500	£500
Ballymac Centre	£500	£500
Belles of Belmont	£500	£500
Bridge Roslyn Street Youth Club	£500	£500
Bridge - LaganVillage	£500	£500
Clarawood Community Association	£500	£500
Walkway Community Centre	£500	£500
WandsworthComm Association	£500	£500
Sub Total	£8,000	£8,000
West
Ardmonagh Family & Community Centre	£500	£500
An Munia Tober	£500	£500
Blackie Community Centre	£500	£500
Clonard/Springfield Senior Citizens	£1,500	£500
Conway Youth Centre	£500	£500
Conway Pensioners Group	£500	£500
Falls Resident Association	£3,200	£500
Friends of Fruithill	£500	£500
Glencolin Residents Assoc	£450	£450
Gortna Monagh Historical Society	£600	£500
Holy Trinity Monday Club	£700	£500
Ionaduibh Eachach	£500	£500
Link Womens Group	£500	£500
Link Youth & Young Adults	£500	£500
Middle Andersonstown Festival Ctte.	£500	£500

 

NAME OF GROUP	REQUEST	REC
Newhill Youth & Community	£500	£500
Sliabh Dub Residents Association	£500	£500
Stadium Projects	£500	£500
Southlink Day Centre	£500	£500
Thursday Lunch Club Senior Citizens	£500	£500
Whiterock/Westrock Residents	£500	£500
West Belfast Athletic & Cultural	£500	£500
West Belfast Suicide Awareness	£1,200	£500
Sub Total	£16,150	£11,450
Total	£38,644	£31,936

 

Table 4:  Recommendations for Refusal

 

NAME OF GROUP	REQUEST	REASON FOR REJECTION
North
Manor Street/Cliftonville Community Centre	£500	Late Submission – 4 March 2008
Thornbush Hearing Impaired Pensioners	£500	No Group bank account
South
N.I. Community Addition Service	£500	Organisation outside Belfast boundary Not a Community Development Organisation
South BelfastMalecare	£500	No evidence of financial systems No A.G.M. minutes
East
Belfast Photo Imaging Club	£500	Not a Community Development Organisation
Steadfast Association	£500	Organisation outside Belfast boundary
West
Careers & Kids	£500	Not a Community Development Organisation
Clonard/Springfield Parent/Youth Group	£1,400	Application incomplete”

 

            During discussion in the matter, a Member drew the Committee’s attention to an application from the Steadfast Association for a Community Development Project Grant which was being recommended for refusal because the organisation was located outside the Belfast boundary.  He pointed out that, whilst the Association’s secretary lived outside Belfast, the organisation undertook work within the City.  In response, the Community Services Co-ordinator indicated that the address which had been given on the application form had been outside the Belfast boundary and that the form indicated that much of the work undertaken by the Association was outside Belfast City Council’s area.  Accordingly, it had been recommended that the grant be refused.

 

            After further discussion the Committee agreed to defer consideration of the request from the Steadfast Association to enable further information to be provided and adopted the other recommendations set out above.