Agenda item

a.     Community Area Grants

The Wiltshire Councillors will consider four applications to the Community Area Grants Scheme 2010/11, as follows:

               i.        BJ Big Band request £975 for music and music stands

              ii.        Kington Langley Playing Fields Association request £4,511 to replace the surface and play equipment in the Toddlers Play Area

            iii.        Splash request £2,433 towards positive activities during the school holidays to divert young people away from ant-social behaviour

            iv.        Sukosta request £4,750 towards ‘Our Time’ theatre residencies with the older (65+) community of Chippenham.

Grant application packs for the Community Area Grants Scheme areavailable from the Community Area Manager or electronically at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/areaboardscommunitygrantsscheme.htm

b.     Community Area Partnership

Jane Clark, Chippenham Area Partnership, will present the partnership’s work plan for the year and ask the Area Board councillors to consider a funding request.  These documents are attached for your information.

Performance Related Grant Scheme

Wiltshire Councillors were asked to consider two expressions of interest to the Performance Reward Grant Scheme 2010/11.  These items were taken as urgent business in order to meet the grant panel’s deadline.

Decision

The Pubwatch Door Radio project was supported by the councillors and the bid was put forward for consideration by the Performance Reward Grant panel.

Decision

The Free of Charge Energy Monitors in all Libraries project was supported by the councillors and the bid was put forward for consideration by the Performance Reward Grant panel.

Councillor-led Initiatives

The Chairman outlined the recent delegated decision to area boards and explained that some of the area board budget could be ring-fenced for such projects.  She announced a proposal to ring-fence 20% of the area board funding for councillor-led initiatives until November 2010.  The ring-fencing would be lifted for remaining monies to be available for the January and March community area grant funding rounds.

Councillor Scott stated that she would not vote in support of the proposal as she believed that all applications for funding should come through local community groups.

Councillors Caswill and Douglas spoke in support of the proposal explaining that there was a need for help in communities where there were no local organisations to take projects forward.

The Chairman asked for a show of hands from the floor.  There was a majority opposition to the scheme.  This item was to be deferred to the next meeting pending further details.

Community Area Grants Scheme

Wiltshire Council members were asked to consider four applications seeking 2010/11 community area grant funding.

Decision

BJ Big Band was awarded £975 for music and music stands.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant criteria and the project demonstrated a link to Wiltshire Council’s priorities in the Local Agreement for Wiltshire to create stronger and more inclusive communities: ‘Improve community relations’ and ‘Encourage communities to take part in sporting and cultural activities and events that bring different age groups together’.

The Kington Langley Playing Fields Association application for funding was withdrawn when Brian Boyce announced that funding had been secured from an alternative source.

Decision

Splash was awarded £2,433 towards positive activities during the school holidays to divert young people away from ant-social behaviour.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant criteria and the project demonstrated a link to Wiltshire Council’s priorities in the Local Agreement for Wiltshire: ‘encouraging positive lifestyle changes, young people‘s participation in positive activities and the promotion of ideas about safe, cohesive and resilient communities and a reduction in the perception of anti-social behaviour’.

Decision

Sukosta was awarded a reduced grant of £2750 towards ‘Our Time’ theatre residencies with the older (65+) community of Chippenham.

Reason

While the application met the Community Area Grant criteria and the project demonstrated a link to Wiltshire Council’s priorities in the Local Agreement for Wiltshire to enable people to improve their long term health and well being, it was considered that the estimates for evaluation costs were too high.

Community Area Partnership

Jane Clark, Chairman, presented the partnership’s work plan and funding claim.

Decision

Chippenham and Villages Area Partnership was awarded £6893: the first tranche of funding available for running costs during 2010/11.