Issue - meetings

report seeks approval to purchase Lifelong Learning and Culture programmes through Service Level Agreements. 

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised to approve the proposed Service Level Agreement awards of more than £5,000 to Cube Media and Friends of St Nicholas Fields as set out in paragraph 12 of the report.

Decision of the Executive Member

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

REASON:                  To provide a programme that contributes to meeting the Council’s objectives.           

Members considered a report that sought approval to purchase Lifelong Learning and Culture programmes through Service Level Agreements (SLA). The following applications had been received in for SLA funding of over £5,000:

·        Cube Media: An SLA is proposed for programmes providing affordable access and creative opportunities in sound, media and video that target groups with special needs. These are important programmes for target groups that the Council does not have the skills to provide itself.

·        Friends of St Nicholas Fields: An SLA is proposed to operate, conserve and develop St Nicholas Fields on behalf of the Council. Without this SLA the land would have to be managed by the Council. Such an arrangement would be more expensive and fail to reap the benefits of voluntary action that the Friends provide.

·        York Early Music Foundation: During the year there is a proposed merger with the National Centre for Early Music. Officers will use delegated powers to enter into an SLA for £5,000 in respect of the July and December early music festivals.

·        Pilot theatre: Officers will use delegated powers to provide a grant for £1,820 to support local delivery of Pilot’s nationally acclaimed theatre work with young people including the development of European exchange projects and four new theatre productions targeted at ages 5 to 25.

Members discussed the focus of Pilot Theatre, the amount of funding available for sports and parks SLAs. Officers agreed to attach an annex to the next report regarding Purchasing from the Not for Profit Sector outlining details of the smaller SLAs.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised to approve the proposed Service Level Agreement awards of more than £5,000 to Cube Media and Friends of St Nicholas Fields as set out in paragraph 12 of the report.*¹

*The Executive Member for Leisure and Culture accepted and endorsed the advice of the Advisory Panel at 9.30am on Wednesday 26^th March 2008. The decisions are detailed on the Decision Sheet attached as an annex to these minutes.