Agenda item

The Community Services Manager presented a report on the subject of the Voluntary Sector Grants Scheme 2026/27 to 2029/30.

The Executive Committee was informed that for the previous three-year period, the Council had provided £150,000 in support to the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS).  This included a grant of £50,000 to the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and £100,000 in major as well as small grants to a range of VCS organisations and local groups.  During this time, decisions on funding had been made by Officers.

In the report, Officers were proposing to change the Council’s approach to funding VCS organisations, although it was important to note that funding would remain available.  Under these proposals, it was proposed that the Council should allocate £175,000 per year to support VCS groups.  This would include £75,000 for a financial advice service and distribution of higher and lower value grants to VCS groups.  It was further proposed that a Grants Panel, comprising a membership of elected Members, should be reintroduced to consider applications for higher value grants.  Smaller grants would continue to be determined by Officers.

Members were asked to note that there was funding, derived from scrap metal recovered through the cremation scheme operated by Bereavement Services, which was invested in VCS activities.  This was entirely separate to the rest of the VCS funding programme and the level of funding could not be predicted in advance as it varied year to year.  Officers were proposing that authority should be delegated to the Assistant Director of Community and Housing Services, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Community Spaces and the Voluntary Sector, to distribute this funding.

Following the presentation of the report, Members discussed the arrangements for the proposed Grants Panel and in doing so questioned whether Officers would score applications prior to consideration by the panel.  Clarification was provided that Members would undertake scoring at meetings of the Grants Panel.  The role of the Grants Officer would be to assess all applications prior to consideration by the Grants Panel to ensure that they were compliant with the process.

The purpose of a Grants Panel and the rationale for reintroducing such a panel after a number of years when Officers had had delegated authority to consider applications was also discussed.  Members suggested that a Grants Panel would create greater transparency and democratic accountability for the distribution of public money to VCS organisations.

Consideration was given to the proposed grant for a financial advice service.  Members questioned whether this would be the total grant or whether the funding would be valued at up to £75,000.  Officers confirmed that the value of this grant would be up to £75,000.

Reference was given to the evidence that had been provided in the report regarding the impact of the financial advice service that had been provided by the CAB on behalf of the Council in recent years.  Members commented that it was important to ensure that evidence was also available about the impact of major grants, in particular, to help Members assess the value of this funding moving forward.  Clarification was provided that organisations in receipt of major grants were required to submit evidence relating to how funding was being used halfway through the funding process.  Groups in receipt of small grants were required to provide evidence to the Council by the end of a financial year.

RECOMMENDED that

1)          the funding for the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Grants Scheme be agreed for a further three-year period with a total grant pot of £175,000 per annum.

RESOLVED that

2)          subject to approval of recommendation 1 above, the VCS Grants Scheme be delivered in accordance with Option 2 which would entail:

a)         including up to £75,000 in the total grant funding to be available for a Financial Advice Grant;

b)        a Grants Panel, comprising elected Members, to be established to consider and make recommendations to the Executive Committee in relation to higher grants (valued at £2,000 up to £10,000);

c)         delegated authority being granted to the Assistant Director of Community and Housing Services, following consultation with the Officer Grants panel, to consider and agree decisions on lower grants (valued at £500 up to £2,000);

3)     subject to agreement of proposal 2 above, five Members be appointed to serve on the Grants Panel, with appointments to be made in accordance with nominations received from the political group leaders;

4)     the Voluntary and Community Sector Grants Policy be approved;

5)     subject to approval of proposal 2b above, the proposed terms of reference for the Grants Panel be approved;

6)     distributions to be passported to bereavement charities following an application process and funded by receipts from the Recycling of Metal Recovered from Cremation Scheme; these to be managed separately from the Voluntary and Community Grants Scheme; and

7)     authority be delegated to the Assistant Director of Community and Housing Services, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Community Spaces and the Voluntary Sector, to passport the distribution of receipts from the Recycling of Metal Recovered from Cremation Scheme.