Agenda item

The Area Board will consider one youth grant as follows:

·       Aldbourne Youth Council requesting £5,000 for Youth Adventure Programme - 2016/17.

The Board considered an application from Aldbourne Youth Council for £5,000 towards a youth adventure programme for 2016.17. It was proposed that the youth programme would comprise of various activities including: ‘Splash down’, Alternative Sports Day, horse riding, a trip to Thorpe Park and a graffiti workshop. The Chairman reminded members that the application had been deferred from the previous meeting, with the agreement of the applicant, since members felt further detail on the application was required and were not able to determine the application due to being inquorate.

The Area Board understood that, due to the funding being required urgently, the Cabinet Member for Area Boards had considered the application since the last meeting of the Area Board and granted the amount applied for.

On considering the Cabinet Member’s decision, the Area Board agreed that involving young people in positive activities could be an effective way of engaging them with the Locality Youth Facilitator and other networks, however considered that, positive activities should have long-term impacts for young people, such as introducing them to sport or a new skill. On these grounds, the Board did not endorse the element of the application for a theme park trip.

The Area Board expressed support in principle for other aspects of the proposal however recommended that further details of how many young people would be involved in the events, how they would be selected, and the involvement of SEND children in the programme submitted. Councillors were generally supportive of the alternative sports day, with the exception of the £500 asked for inflatables, and suggested the funding could be better used to provide workshops for young people that would help them to become involved in positive activities for the long term. Members supported funding for the graffiti workshop, however asked it be discussed at a future Area Board meeting when more detail about the event was available. It was noted that the dates for the ‘Splash down’ activity had already passed.

The Area Board advised that it would expect future applications from the youth council to be submitted in advance to ensure sufficient time for further discussions about applications to take place if necessary; the late submission of this application had resulted in implications for the LYN process. It was suggested that the Youth Council present its future work plan to the Area Board at the next meeting so that members would be aware of projects to expect over the next 12 months.

It was noted that Area Board members were to organise a meeting to discuss the youth council programme with Cabinet Member and/or officers and representatives from Aldbourne.

Resolved:

That  Area Board endorses:

·       £1,700 for an alternative sports day including £1,200 for a skate ramp and up to £500 for workshops;

·       £700 for horse riding, subject to further details on the young people involved being submitted to, and agreed with, the Area Board.

That the Area Board supports in principle the £250 for a Graffiti workshop, however recommends further discussion on the details at  a future meeting nearer to the event.

To note that the‘Splash Down’ event for mid-August is out of time.

That the Area Board does not endorse £1,670 for a trip to Thorpe Park due to there being limited long-term benefits for young people.

That the Area Board reminds youth grant applicants to submit funding requests with as much notice as possible and requests that the Aldbourne Youth Council present their plans for the next 12 months at a future Area Board meeting.