Issue - meetings

Main Grants Programme 2019-22

Additional documents:

Decision:

Having considered an officer report, and presentations by an Evelyn Ward

Councillor and by the Cabinet Member for the Community Sector, Councillor

Jonathan Slater, the Mayor and Cabinet agreed that:

(1) the proposals to fund voluntary and community sector groups, as set out in

Appendix 1, for the period 1 August 2019 – 31 March 2022 be approved;

(2) organisations recommended for funding in excess of £100,000 be subject

to more rigorous monitoring and scrutiny requirements, with note of critical

indicators, including a review of their current governance arrangements.

Minutes:

The report was presented by Councillor Jonathan Slater who stated the final

proposals came after a long and exhaustive process and he paid tribute to the

staff involved for their commitment and hard work.

Evelyn Ward Councillor Silvana Kelleher next addressed the Cabinet on

behalf of Evelyn 190. She pleaded for a reconsideration of the decision not to

fund the organisation. She acknowledged that there had been some

temporary miscommunication but that staff could be able to work out the

difficulties which had occurred.

In response, Councillor Slater said the door was not closed on Evelyn 190

and that consortium working involving the organisation was a possibility.

Councillor Best underlined the very difficult decisions faced by members in

carrying out an appeals process. The Mayor added that while substantial

overall funding of £2.4M was available, a total of £5.5M in bids had been

received, so some disappointments were inevitable.