Agenda item

Having considered an open officer report, the comments of the Safer,

Stronger Communities Select Committee and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for the Third Sector, Councillor Joan Millbank, Mayor and Cabinet

(Contracts) agreed that

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

Appendix 1, as modified in the Annex report and shown in Annex Appendix

10, be approved for the financial years 2017/18 and 2018/19;

(2) £210,000 be ring-fenced for the development of the new ‘infrastructure’

offer (this represents a 25% reduction on the current funding to Voluntary

Action Lewisham and the Volunteer Centre Lewisham);

(3) officers undertake a review of grants awarded to organisations that provide

similar activities around youth theatre and performing arts to report back to

Mayor and Cabinet in June 2017;

(4) ring-fencing of £15,000 be approved to support boxing in the borough in

light of the recommendation to defund London Amateur Boxing Association;

(5) officers review the allocations to Eco Communities during 2017/18 and

report back to Mayor and Cabinet during 2017 with a recommended allocation

for 2018/19 ;

(6) rent grants cease from 1 April 2017 in order to regularise the support given

to organisations in council buildings and the impact and agreed next steps for

each of the four organisations affected be approved as set out;

(7) officers undertake a review of the grant making process to inform future

allocation rounds; and

(8) the Executive Director for Community Services be asked to prepare a

response to the comments of the Safer Stronger Communities Select

Committee for Mayoral consideration.

The report was presented by Councillor Joan Millbank who confirmed the

results of appeals heard on November 30 which had resulted in a changed

grant recommendation for Mencap. She explained the final grant

recommendations for every organisation were now displayed in Annex

Appendix 10. She pointed out a referral had been received from the Safer

Stronger Communities Select Committee and she asked officers to prepare a

response for members consideration in February 2017.

The Mayor and Councillor Millbank both praised the efforts undertaken by

officers, the Voluntary Sector and individual grantees in preparing the

submissions and acknowledged that while recent focus had been on appellant

organisations, the entire process had been lengthy and involved extensive

efforts by multiple groups.

Having considered an open officer report, the comments of the Safer,

Stronger Communities Select Committee and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for the Third Sector, Councillor Joan Millbank, Mayor and Cabinet

(Contracts) agreed that

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

Appendix 1, as modified in the Annex report and shown in Annex Appendix

10, be approved for the financial years 2017/18 and 2018/19;

(2) £210,000 be ring-fenced for the development of the new ‘infrastructure’

offer (this represents a 25% reduction on the current funding to Voluntary

Action Lewisham and the Volunteer Centre Lewisham);

(3) officers undertake a review of grants awarded to organisations that provide

similar activities around youth theatre and performing arts to report back to

Mayor and Cabinet in June 2017;

(4) ring-fencing of £15,000 be approved to support boxing in the borough in

light of the recommendation to defund London Amateur Boxing Association;

(5) officers review the allocations to Eco Communities during 2017/18 and

report back to Mayor and Cabinet during 2017 with a recommended allocation

for 2018/19 ;

(6) rent grants cease from 1 April 2017 in order to regularise the support given

to organisations in council buildings and the impact and agreed next steps for

each of the four organisations affected be approved as set out;

(7) officers undertake a review of the grant making process to inform future

allocation rounds; and

(8) the Executive Director for Community Services be asked to prepare a

response to the comments of the Safer Stronger Communities Select

Committee for Mayoral consideration.