Issue - meetings

The Principal Democratic Services Officer presented a report relating to the appointment of Members to serve on the Voluntary and Community Sector Grants Panel for the remainder of the 2025/26 municipal year.

At the previous meeting of the Committee, Members had agreed arrangements for funding Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations from 2026/27 to 2028/29, including to establish a Voluntary Sector Grants Panel.  At a Council meeting, held on 15^th September 2025, Members had subsequently approved the proposed funding provision for the VCS funding programme.  There remained a need to appoint Members to serve on the Grants Panel.

Political Group leaders had been consulted regarding nominations to serve on the Grants Panel.  The nominations had been made in accordance with the terms of reference for the Grants Panel which had been approved at the Executive Committee meeting held on 2^nd September 2025.  The Executive Committee was invited to consider and approve these nominations to the Grants Panel.

Members discussed the report and in doing so welcomed the role of the Grants Panel.  The suggestion was made that this would enhance the transparency of the process for consideration of applications for grant funding from VCS organisations and would also ensure that there was effective scrutiny of applications.

The resolutions were proposed by Councillor Juma Begum and seconded by Councillor Jane Spilsbury.

RESOLVED that

1)          Councillor Craig Warhurst be appointed Chair of the Voluntary and Community Sector Grants Panel for the remainder of the 2025/26 municipal year; and

2)          Councillors Matthew Dormer, David Munro, Rita Rogers, Craig Warhurst and Paul Wren be appointed to serve on the Voluntary and Community Sector Grants Panel for the remainder of the 2025/26 municipal year.