Agenda item

Agenda item

Small Grants Fund Annual Report 2017/18

Report of the Head of Community and Environmental Services

 

The report presents the Small Grants Fund annual report for 2017/18.

Minutes:

The scrutiny committee received a report of the Head of Community and Environmental Services, which provided the annual report for the Small Grants Fund 2017/18.

 

The Leisure and Environmental Services Section Head informed the members that officers had taken on board comments from previous meetings including the addition of equalities data.  The Commissioning Officers provided highlights of the report.  Officers ensured that applications met the criteria and that applicants had not applied for the same project in the same or following year.  There had to be a two year break.  This was to ensure that organisations did not become dependent on the council for funding.  The portfolio holder made the final decision on applications, particularly if they felt organisations had received a lot of funding. 

 

It was explained that officers were continually learning from applicants’ comments; for example it had been suggested that an example application form could be provided; this would be considered for next year.  The team worked closely with organisations and visited them if required.  They discussed applications and sought clarification where information was not clear or missing.  The Leisure and Environmental Services Section Head reminded councillors that his team were not bid writers.  Watford and Three Rivers Trust was funded to provide support to organisations looking for additional income streams.

 

In response to questions about the Council for Voluntary Services (CVS), the Commissioning Officers stated that organisations were informed about Watford and Three Rivers Trust and that they could approach that group for support.  The trust included information on its website and publicised the fund to its members.  The council team had a stand at the CVS conference and provided application packs to interested organisations.  Unsuccessful applicants were signposted to other possible funding streams, including the councillors’ neighbourhood locality funds and the Watford and Three Rivers Trust.

 

Following a request for further equalities information, it was agreed that the scrutiny committee would be provided with the number of ethnic minority groups supported by the CVS and the ethnic make-up of the organisation’s workforce.  Members were advised that 2017/18 had been the first year that equalities data had been collected.  It was hoped that more information would be gathered in the future however not everyone completed the information.

 

Following a request it was agreed that councillors would be given information about the small grants fund and an application pack.  This would enable councillors to raise awareness of the fund.  The Commissioning Officers confirmed they worked with the council’s Communications team to promote the fund; posters were located in the Town Hall subway, in community centres and the Watford Community Housing’s hubs.

 

It was noted there had been a large decline in the number of unsuccessful applications when comparing 2016/17 and 2017/18.

 

The officers explained that this may have been due to a large number of applications being submitted at the end of the 2016/17 financial year and there was insufficient funds available.  Organisations were given the opportunity to defer their application to the following year if the application was not time limited.  In addition some applications did not meet the criteria, however as this had not changed for a few years, groups were more likely to understand the requirements.

 

RESOLVED –

 

1.      that the annual report for the Small Grants Fund 2017/18 be noted.

 

2.      that the scrutiny committee be provided with the equalities data requested.

 

3.      that the scrutiny committee be provided with details of the Small Grants Fund and application packs.

Supporting documents:

 

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