Issue - meetings

It is recommended that Cabinet:

a)     notes the delivery of the Community Grant Scheme in 2025-26 to date;

b)     approves an increase to the current budget of £43,610 up to £150,000 for the 2026-2027 Community Grant Scheme; and

c)     approves the changes to the Community Grant Scheme eligibility criteria as detailed in section 3.3 of the report.

The Business Manager- Healthy Places was in attendance to present the annual report on the Community Grant scheme delivery for 2025-26 and budget setting proposals for 2026-27. The first round of the community grant scheme for 2025-26 received 44 applications of which 20 were successfully allocated a grant. The grant scheme was heavily oversubscribed with request for support totalling over £370k, over three times the amount available for allocation. Due to the demand on the scheme, it was proposed that Cabinet increase the budget for 2026-27 to £150,000 to continue the community grant scheme (inclusive of the £6086.71 underspend for 2025-26).

Members considered the eligibility criteria for grants and agreed to amend 3.3 in the report to the following :-

·         Applicants can only secure grant once in a three-year period

·         Where there are applications from multiple branches of an umbrella organisation, that are not separately constituted, only one allocation will be made in any three-year period.

·         That where elected councillors are members of/ affiliated with groups receiving grant, all grants will be conditioned to ensure that there is no political gain through grant or associated publicity.

AGREED (unanimously) that Cabinet:

a)      notes the delivery of the Community Grant Scheme in 2025-26 to date;

b)      approves an increase to the current budget of £43,610 up to £150,000 for the 2026-2027 Community Grant Scheme; and

c)     approves the changes to the Community Grant Scheme eligibility criteria as detailed in section 3.3 of the report, subject to the second bullet point reading as follows:

Where there are applications from multiple branches of an umbrella organisation, that are not separately constituted, only one allocation will be made in any three-year period.

Reasons for Decision:

To ensure that funding can be allocated to community groups – supporting communities to be sustainable and thrive.

Options Considered:

To withdraw the community grant scheme. This alternative has been discounted due to the demonstrable positive impact the scheme has on the local community – empowering local groups and developing community capacity and resilience.