Issue - meetings

This report advises Members of the applications received for financial support from City Strategy’s voluntary sector funding budget for 2009/10.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Leader be advised to:

(i)                 Maintain the existing grant funding agreements as set out in paragraph 11 of the report;

(ii)               Approve the approach to managing York Citizen’s Advice Bureau as set out in paragraph 5 of the report.

Decision of the Executive Leader

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:      (i) To provide continuity and eliminate the impact of any reductions in funding. These organisations have been identified as high priority as they meet some or all of the criteria for funding.

(ii)To allow CYC to monitor the recovery of CAB with close   monitoring and regular funding payments.

Consideration was given to a report, which advised Members of the applications received for financial assistance from City Strategy’s voluntary sector funding for 2009/10.

Members were reminded that the Panel had previously agreed four three year funding agreements with York Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB), York Council for Voluntary Service, York Racial Equality Network and the Welfare Benefits Unit which would all end in March 2010.

It was reported that nine one year applications had been received for 2009/10 of which 7 were renewal applications from existing grant holders. Ten applications had been received for Discretionary Rate Relief and all the applications had been assessed against the criteria and all met one or more of the City Strategy criteria for funding.

Officers referred to the difficulties that had been experienced by CAB during the course of 2008/09 culminating in the resignation of the Bureau Director and Board of Trustees.

Certain Members referred to Older Citizen’s Advocacy York and York Older People’s Assembly who both struggled to obtain funding. She questioned the rationale of why these organisations did not appear to be able to get on the list of successful applicants for assistance from this budget, particularly as the Council made use of these bodies during consultation on various polices.  Officers referred to the limited funds available and the Leader confirmed that if these bodies wished to contact him he would be happy to discuss how they could take their applications for funding forward in the future.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Leader be advised to:

(i)                 Maintain the existing grant funding agreements as set out in paragraph 11 and the 1 Year funding outlined in Table 2 of the report; ^1.

(ii)               Approve the approach to managing York Citizen’s Advice Bureau as set out in paragraph 5 of the report. ^2.

Decision of the Executive Leader

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:      (i) To provide continuity and eliminate the impact of any reductions in funding. These organisations have been identified as high priority as they meet some or all of the criteria for funding.

(ii)To allow CYC to monitor the recovery of CAB with close monitoring and regular funding payments.