Agenda item

Community Area Grants

The Board members will consider 4 applications for funding from the Community Area Grants Scheme:

Area Board Initiative

To consider a funding request to facilitate an intergenerational Silent Disco project - £600 from the Health & Wellbeing budget

The Board considered four applications for funding from the Community Area Grant Scheme for 2019/20, as detailed in the report attached to the agenda.

Wilton Baptist Church requested £1250 towards the Wilton Town Clock project.

Applicant Simon Cook was in attendance to present his project and answer questions. For the last 40 years the Baptist church had taken on the maintenance to the clock. The clock often required correction by climbing up in to the roof, which has now become impracticable for the man responsible.

A pendulum corrector was now required to solve the need for manual corrections. The town council had agreed to provide £500, with the church also making a contribution to the balance. This was the town clock, used by all the community.

Cllr Church noted that the clock was an important landmark in Wilton. There was a running joke in the town that it was always out of time.

Cllr Dean noted that most people now used their mobile phones to tell the time. The clock was of importance because of its historic value.

It was noted that often a clock on a church or community building had been considered by Boards across Wiltshire, and were considered a community asset.

Decision

Wilton Baptist Church was allocated £1250 towards the town clock project.

Reason

The project met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2019/20

South Newton Parish Council requested £290 towards some Kissing Gates.

Cllr Church noted that just before Salisbury Armed Forces weekend there was a charity run, and this gate was repeatedly left open, resulting in the livestock and horses nearly escaping on to the A36.

Cllr Deane added that the Board supported countryside gates to make our areas more accessible.

Decision

South Newton Parish Council was allocated £290 towards the kissing gate project.

Reason

The project met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2019/20

Chilmark Reading Room requested £781.80 towards new lighting and heating.

Applicant Kirk Murray Jones spoke in support of the project. He noted that this was a place where the entire community came and enjoyed social interaction.

Cllr Wayman noted that the Board had always tried to help communities with their community spaces.

Decision

Chilmark Reading Room was allocated £781.80 towards the lighting and heating project.

Reason

The project met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2019/20

Quidhampton Village Hall Committee requested £3625 towards the village hall kitchen roof replacement.

Applicant John Cater spoke in support of the project. He explained the reason for the application coming in late, as this was due to complications with access due to an adjoining resident.

The required repairs to the roof were needed imminently before the bad weather arrived. Using previous Area Board funding, a patch repair was carried out the previous year after a leak was found.

The total project cost was £8,000. The applicant had applied to three funding streams.

Questions and comments:

·         You have tried to spread the load by applying to more than one funding pots. It would be good to know what the outcome of the Community Foundation bid is.

·         You have explained the problem with the vegetation, how do you guarantee that this will not happen again from the neighbour’s garden. The Board gave a grant last year for patch repairs, was the ivy not reported back to you then? Answer: Yes it was, there are two roofs, one on the main hall and the other on the kitchen. We patched the main roof and cut down the ivy back there. It was only this year that we realised the state of the kitchen roof.

·         The repair is expected to last for a number of years but you only have a 5-year lease. Answer: The building is owned by the church, they let us have it for £1 a year. The diocese we approached for a new lease, the local vicar is in charge of our hall, we didn’t have a decision-making body, so the diocese said we could extend the date of the current lease for 5 years, that now expires in 4.5 years’ time. No funding is available from the diocese.

·         At one time there was funding held by community first, that money now comes to the Board. Community Foundation funding is dependent on having some Board funding. You can include a caveat to say that unless the Community Foundation funding is awarded the Board money is returned.

·         There is a history of late submissions from your parish. What else goes on in the hall? Answer: The hall is used 2 or 3 times a week. A social event on Tuesdays in a coffee shop, in addition there are fitness classes each week. With occasional band practice. It is important that any village has a centre of community and the hall is that for us.

·         Your income is shown as lower than your outgoings. Answer: We have a firework event each year that raises under £2,000, this year the roof would be the appropriate charity.

·         Local fundraising should be considered, as West Knoyle raised £4,000 in one night. Something similar could be looked to, to raise some of the funds needed.

Cllr Church moved motion to support the full amount. Cllr Wayman noted that there was a poor inspection regime in place which would need to be improved, however if that was addressed she seconded the motion.

Decision

Quidhampton Village Hall Committee was allocated £3625 towards the kitchen roof replacement project, with the condition:

·         that if match funding from the Community Foundation was not secured then the Area Board funds would be returned.

Reason

The project met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2019/20

Area Board Initiative - £600

The Board considered the proposal to fund an intergenerational silent disco, from the Health & Wellbeing budget.

This initiative would run in Mere, Tisbury & Wilton in sessions of up to 50 people of mixed ages. To be advertised widely and transport made available to enable people in isolated areas access it.

Decision

The South West Wiltshire Area Board allocated £600 from the Health & Wellbeing budget for 2019/20, towards the Silent Disco initiative.