Agenda item

To formally agree the schemes to be funded through the Ward Committee for 2012/13 (to view the schemes for the ward go to www.york.gov.uk/wards/)

Ward Members were asked to agree the schemes to be funded through the Ward Committee for 2012/13. Details of how funding was now allocated, and a list of eligible schemes for the year, had been circulated at the meeting. It explained that the funding was now split into 3 pots as follows:

·        Ward Budgets: Each ward had an allocation to use as grant funding to commission local voluntary and community organisations to meet identified needs

·        Other Voluntary Sector Support:  Funding to support those voluntary sector organisations that provide services to more than one ward and that are currently forced to apply for a plethora of individual ward committee grants.  It was not intended that this fund would be open to Council services such as Street Sport; however, it was proposed that in the first year only, whilst the Ward Credits pot was being established, Council services were allowed to bid.

Your Consortium had won the tender to administer the schemes according to the Council’s criteria and priorities and would provide support to the recipient organisations including accessing additional funding / revenue sources, helping them to become more sustainable.

·        Ward Credits:  A “credits pot” to be allocated to identified wards to be used to commission new services, either from within the Council or from other partners / sectors, to deliver on the Ward priorities. 

Ward Members acknowledged that the majority of schemes were no longer eligible for ward funding and noted that the eligible schemes which had been put forward, and amounts applied for, were as follows:

·        A grant for maintenance of the scout and guide hall in Dunnington - £1,000 (Derwent Ward)

·        A grant to Heworth Cricket Club towards increased wicket space for juniors - £1,300 (Heworth Without Ward)

·        A grant to Osbaldwick Sport Club for the provision of cricket coaching 0 £1,000 (Osbaldwick Ward)

·        A grant to Dunnington Cricket Club towards fencing the practice area - £2,500 (Derwent Ward)

·        A community chest for Derwent schemes that come up during the year (Derwent Ward)

·        A community chest for Osbaldwick schemes that come up during the year (Osbaldwick Ward)

Some residents stated that that they had not been asked to vote on the schemes. Ward Members advised that the voting forms for each ward had been included within the Your Voice/Your Ward publications but acknowledged that voting was lower than previous years. Residents raised concerns that many of them were not receiving the Your Voice/Your Ward publications through their door and this would be a factor in why voting was down. Ward Members advised that in future, they would be talking to residents to determine the priorities for the ward and then deciding on which schemes to fund based on this information.

Following discussion it was agreed that the £4,340 for Derwent, Heworth Without and Osbaldwick Ward Committee for 2012-13 be allocated as follows:

Derwent Ward (£1,426)

To be allocated as follows:

·        A contribution towards the maintenance of the scout and guide hall in Dunnington - £750

·        A contribution towards fencing the practice area of Dunnington Cricket Club - £500

·        Community Chest - £176 (to be used to support local voluntary groups deliver projects which focus on the Ward priorities)

Heworth Without Ward (£1,488)

To be allocated to a community chest to be used to support local voluntary groups deliver projects which focus on the ward priorities.

Osbaldwick Ward (£1,425)

To be allocated to Osbaldwick Sports Club for the provision of cricket coaching.

RESOLVED:                That Ward Members agree the allocation of ward funding as detailed above.

REASON:                     To enable ward grant funding to be allocated to local ward schemes for 2012-13.

Note:          Councillor Brooks declared an personal and prejudicial interest in this item as she is a trustee of the Dunnington Scouts and Guides Management Committee. She left the room while discussion took place on the schemes and did not participate in the vote.