Agenda item

To consider 4 applications to the Community Area Grants Scheme, as follows:

·         Calne Bowls Club – Calne Bowls Club Benches: £800.00

·         Calne Salad Bowl – Bowl Street Furniture: £3013.00

·         Heddington Parish Council – Pennies for Play: £5000.00

·         Goatacre Village Hall – Goatacre Village Hall Flooring Update: £2000.00

To consider a member-led initiative from Cllr Hill of £10,000.00 for a ‘Virtual Hub’, Calne Community Digital Information project.

To consider an update from Jane Vaughan, Community Engagement Manager, regarding the Town Council War Memorial.

Consideration was given to the 4 applications made to the Community Area Grants Scheme and the member-led initiative by Cllr Hill for £10,000.

Jane Vaughan, Community Engagement Manager, provided background information to each application.  The application from Calne Bowls Club was for £800 for new benches. It was explained that the Bowls Club had raised money with the Town Council to establish their pavilion, however the Club now required support to purchase furniture.

The application from Calne Salad Bowl was for £3013 to purchase furniture. It was explained that a large number of families visited the Bowl and would benefit from picnic tables. It was also proposed that a water fountain be built for young people using the Bowl; this was supported by Wessex Water. Councillors commented that a water fountain would encourage young people to drink water instead of fizzy drinks and agreed this would be a health benefit.

Heddington Parish Council had applied for £5000 to purchase new play equipment for Heddington Recreation Group. The application had been submitted by a group of local families who were working with the Parish Council; the parent group had already organised a significant amount of fundraising. Cllr Hill noted the Parish Council would finance the maintenance of the project and that the Parish Council itself was committing £2000 to the project. It was explained that funding had to be drawn down within 12 months and then to be used within the following 3 months.

An application from Goatacre Village Hall was presented for £2000 to update flooring for the village hall. The Hall had been awarded a grant by the Board in 2013, however it was noted that this application did not relate to the same part of the building. The Village Hall hoped that new flooring would attract new customers to hold events there.

Cllr Hill then introduced a member-led initiative for £10,000 for a ‘Virtual Hub’. The initiative was for digital information screens in various locations around the community that would help to ensure information would be shared in the locality. The Councillor acknowledged that the application was more than the usual £5,000 available for councillor-led projects, however, he explained the application was an exceptional circumstance, because it could promote health and wellbeing in Calne in a variety of ways; for instance, raising awareness of air quality levels in the town. The Board agreed that the screens could also complement the Health and Wellbeing Campus development programme; promoting local events and the Local Youth Network, in turn this could encourage engagement, access to local services and reduce social isolation. The Community Youth Officer also advised that the Area Board had a legal duty to promote children’s services available locally and the screen would be a valuable tool to support this. Cllr Hill explained that the Community Area Partnership were supportive of the initiative and may allocate some funding for the project at a later date.

Jane Vaughan provided an update on the Town Council War Memorial project which received funding from the Area Board in 2014 to renovate the War Memorial. On 8 April 2014 the grant had been ratified; which had given the Town Council 12 months to drawn down the funding and then a further 3 months to spend the money. In October 2014 the funding had been drawn down, however, it had not yet been spent, due to further discussions on how young people were to be involved in the project. It was highlighted that, should the Town Council decide it still wished to spend the money, this would require formal permission from the Area Board.

Councillors considered the applications as detailed above.

Resolved:

i.          To award £800 to Calne Bowls Club to purchase benches

ii.         To award £3013 to Calne Salad Bowl for furniture

iii.        To award £5000 to Heddington Parish Council for Pennies for Play, subject to a £2,000 contribution from the Parish Council

iv.        To award £2000 to Goatacre Village Hall to update the flooring

v.         To award £10,000 for Cllr Hill’s member-led initiative for a ‘Virtual Hub’

To note the update on the status of a grant to the Town Council to fund War Memorial renovations.