Agenda item

To consider recommendations from the Grants Assessment Panel for grants to voluntary and community groups in the Borough.

Members considered the recommendations from the Grants Assessment Panel in awarding grants to voluntary sector organisations for 2015/16.

Officers highlighted the revised paragraph 3.11 to the report, which had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting under Additional Papers Pack 2.  Three applications, namely Two Pennies Serving Redditch, Redditch Play Council and Work and Skills Club, had been omitted from the list of organisations recommended for funding detailed in the main report in error.  However the recommended funding amount of £182,060 quoted in the report remained correct as this included the proposed grants for the additional organisations. 

Whilst some concerns were expressed in relation to the £39,940 grant funding underspend it was noted that the same application process as in previous years had been followed, and the same level of publicity given to this.  In response to a Member query, Officers confirmed that whilst a member of staff who was normally involved in the grants process had been absent from work this had not impacted on the process.  The grants process timetable had been brought forward by a month or so at the voluntary and community sector’s request. Officers had spoken with some organisations who normally applied for grant funding from the Council but from whom applications had not been received on this occasion.  The organisations in question advised that they had opted to seek funding from elsewhere.  

Members welcomed the valuable work of the town’s voluntary sector and were pleased that all of the organisations recommended for funding by the Grants Assessment Panel could be funded in their entirety.  As the full grants process had been followed it was not deemed necessary for the grants programme to be re-run in February 2015 to seek bids for the themes which were currently underspent.  The underspend of £39,940 would therefore be identified as a saving for the current year only and put into balances.

RESOLVED that

1)            the following grants be awarded:

and

2)            the underspend of £39,940 be identified as a saving and be put into balances.