Agenda item

Area Board Funding

To consider any applications for funding as detailed in the attached reports.

 

Note: Due to a transition of our online funding application system, there are multiple separate reports attached to the agenda on this occasion.

 

Applicant – Community Area Grants

Amount requested

Applicant: Naturally Social
Project Title: Wiltshire Digital Drive

View full application
 

£5000

Applicant: My Salisbury
Project Title: Community Journalism and Media Training Project

View full application
 

£4479.97

Applicant: Laverstock & Ford Parish Council
Project Title: Partridge Way Play Area

View full application
 

£5000

Applicant: Swaything Housing Society trading as Abri
Project Title: The Good Grub Club Longhedge

 

View full application

 

£2310

Applicant: 1st Laverstock Scouts

Project Title: Nature Discovery Area

 

Report & Application details to follow

 

£1708.44

 

Application – Youth

Grant Amount

Applicant: Coombe Bissett and Homington Cricket Club (u19s)
Project Title: CBHCC Cricket Club Balls

 

View full application

 

£158

 

 

Note: Applications for funding must be submitted 4 weeks prior to the next Area Board meeting date. Details of all future funding application deadlines is included at the end of this agenda.

 

For further information on the Area Board Funding process, contact karen.linaker@wiltshire.gov.uk

Minutes:

The Board considered the funding applications as detailed in the reports attached to the agenda. Applicants in attendance were invited to speak in support of their projects and answer any questions that arose.

 

Community Area Grant funding:

 

Naturally Social, Wiltshire Digital Drive – requested £5,000

The Applicant, Kieran spoke in support of the project, to refurbish 150 laptops to donate to identified individuals and groups in need, in southern Wiltshire community area.

 

Questions:

 

·       How do you identify who needs it?

Answer: We are in contact with local organisations who decide where they go.

 

·       Are the laptops gifted or loaned?

Answer: It is a long-term indefinite loan including the virus software, we can then detect when the laptop is not being used so we can re-locate it.

 

·       If we look at areas of deprivation, Southern Wiltshire does not come to mind before other areas such as, Westbury, Trowbridge and Salisbury. Did you see there being much demand after we come out of lockdown?

Answer: We have already provided those areas with laptops. I agree that the home working and schooling is fading out but we have also seen that providing technology to charities that work with dementia is very beneficial.

 

·       How was the ongoing support handled?

Answer: The laptops are wiped and upgraded before they go out. They have been donated from corporate organisations, so higher end kit and the support is offered by means of a simple swap of kit.

 

·       What is your total funding need?

Answer: We have a stock of 400 ready to go out, based on funding for parts.

 

·       How will people be equipped with the training they need?

Answer: We work with the charities which provide that and we provide the kit.

 

·       I like the idea of connecting older people, but there are the routers and the wifi that is also needed in addition to just providing a laptop.

Answer: We are speaking with Vodafone who help people in isolation.

 

·       What is your target?

Answer: The target over 3 years is 10,000 devices delivered (approx. 3k a year), with 300-400 in this area.

 

·       Is the work done at cost or are you funding the labour?

Answer: My guys are doing it in their spare time so we are now looking at volunteers and some kick starters to help. Those things would really upscale what we are doing now. No one is profiteering. We are only asking for funding for the parts. The National lottery are helping us with storage.

 

·       This seems quite a green thing to do, recycling old kit rather than recycle it.

Answer: That was always a key thing.

 

Cllr Richard Britton moved the motion to award in full. This was seconded by Cllr R Clewer.

 

Decision

The Area Board awarded £5,000 to Naturally Social, towards the digital drive project to refurbish laptops for distribution in Southern Wiltshire.

Reason

The application met the funding criteria for 2021/22.

 

My Salisbury, Community Journalism and Media Training Project – requested £4479.97

Applicant, Andy Munns spoke in support of the project to provide workshops and training for community journalists.

 

Questions:

 

·       What media outlets do you use

Answer: We run MySalisbury.co.uk, it has had over 90k visits since August last year. I also have a good relationship with the people setting up Salisbury Radio, and have a meeting with them next week.

·       Could you clarify the £3k listed as staff costs on the application?

Answer: That is what it would cost if I paid for the trainers. I have volunteers experienced in the area of journalism who come to run specialised workshops. (Karen Linaker confirmed that including staffing costs in this way was permitted).

·       What would happen with the purchased equipment if this organisation was no longer in existence?

Answer: We would need to find another NFP company to take on the kit.

·       I like the idea but worry what output it would generate.

Answer: The numbers on the website have kept on showing an increase, the more we do the more people will come and share the pages. I could also provide statistics to show where the site visitors are from.

 

 

Cllr Ian McLennan moved the motion to award in full. This was seconded by Cllr Britton.

 

Decision

The Area Board awarded £4,479.97 towards the journalism project for those living in Southern Wiltshire.

Reason

The application met the funding criteria for 2021/22.

 

Laverstock & Ford PC, Partridge Way Play Area – requested £5,000

Applicant Trudi Deane spoke in support of the project, to replace and refurbish the play area in Old Sarum.

 

Questions:

 

·       Please clarify what contractor’s welfare was on the application?

Answer: This covered items such as the contractors Portaloo etc

 

·       We have funded play areas in the past, but for for small parishes with no S106 money and no resources. L&F has had lots of development, there must be S106 funding to do this?

Answer: We are taking on 6 play areas from WC, this is one of the first we are looking at refurbishing, there will need to be lots of investment.

 

·       How much S106 money are you sitting on at the moment?

Answer: I don’t know.

 

·       Cllr McLennan noted that it was a lot of money but it was tied up to the new development. The PC was taking on 8 of the worst play areas in Wiltshire, either closed or on the verge of closure, and this was the most deprived area of southern Wiltshire and has been for many years.

 

·       Cllr Oliver supported all that Cllr McLennan had said. The area was disadvantaged, the L&F PC were working with the housing association to try and tidy it up, they had taken on a lot.

 

 

Cllr Oliver moved the motion to award in full. This was seconded by Cllr McLennan.

 

Decision

The Area Board awarded £5,000 to Laverstock & Ford PC, towards the refurbishment of the Old Sarum play area at Partridge Way.

Reason

The application met the funding criteria for 2021/22.

 

 

Swaything Housing Society trading as Abri, The Good Grub Club Longhedge – requested £2310

 

The Applicant, Nicole Abela spoke in support of the application to provide ingredients and training in cooking and nutrition for residents at Longhedge.

 

Questions:

·       The application shows £1600 on account for food, was that a one off? Answer: We aim to run the project through the school holidays and use as much surplus food as possible, we then purchase the rest of the food. The project would run until December as a trial.

·       The Housing Association had large reserves, why does it not pay for this?

Answer: We do have a lot of money but that goes to building properties. We are employed to build up community projects and set up leads to continue with the projects.

·       A chunk of the development is for market sale and the size of the organisation was a concern.

·       I would be more comfortable if we had better feeling about its continuity and it developing into a self-sustaining project.

·       There were so many unknowns to this, I would like to see the summary of results from the other areas where it has taken place already.

Answer: It has run since 2017 in the other areas but was only for those on free school meals, where here we are offering it out to a slightly different demographic.

 

The Board was minded to part fund with the condition that the Housing Association contribute the balance to fund the project in full.

 

Cllr Britton moved the motion to award £1200, with the condition that the balance be paid by the Housing Association. This was seconded by Cllr Oliver.

 

Decision

The Area Board awarded £1,200 to Swaything Housing Society trading as Abri,  towards the Good Grub project at Longhedge, with the condition:

 

·       that the balance of £1110 be funded by the Housing Association.

Reason

The application met the funding criteria for 2021/22.

 

 

1st Laverstock Scouts, Nature Discovery Area – requested £1708.44

Applicant, Kevin Doyle spoke in support of the project.

 

Questions and comments:

 

·       The project was match funded by L&F PC.

 

·       Would a bin be provided at the site?

Answer: This was something that could be considered.

 

Cllr McLennan moved the motion to award in full. This was seconded by Cllr Britton.

 

Decision

The Area Board awarded £1,708.44 to 1st Laverstock Scouts, towards the Nature Discovery Area.

Reason

The application met the funding criteria for 2021/22.

 

 

Youth Funding:

 

 

Coombe Bissett & Homington Cricket Club, Club balls – requested £158

No one was in attendance to speak to the project.

 

Cllr Clewer moved the motion to award in full. This was seconded by Cllr Britton.

 

Decision

The Area Board awarded £158 to Coombe Bissett & Homington Cricket Club, towards new club balls.

Reason

The application met the funding criteria for 2021/22.

Supporting documents: