Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Lead Member for Communities.

The Committee considered a report by the Lead Member for Communities on a review of the grants to the voluntary and community sector to provide some certainty as to their future funding in advance of the budget setting process for Dorset Council.  As part of the introduction of the report, the Lead Member asked for Recommendation 2 in the report be removed as there had not been an opportunity to gather enough information and assess the impact of a change in funding for Local Town Partnerships and that the funding for these bodies would roll forward in the same way as other funding.  A robust review would then be undertaken of all grants early in the new financial year.  Steve Mackenzie, Chief Executive of Purbeck District Council and lead officer for the report, summarised the remit of the exercise undertaken so far and also clarified that most of the funding arrangements were managed through Service Level Agreements which were due to end on 31 March 2019 except for East Dorset arrangements which were due to end on 31 March 2020.  Further clarification was provided regarding the requested budget level which took account of an additional £52,698 in relation to the funding for the Citizen’s Advice Bureau in North Dorset and Weymouth & Portland which had not been included in the figures.  This increased the gross budget to £2,006,722 and the requested budget to £1,545,113.

On discussing the report, it was suggested that a caveat be added to the remit of the review of grants to ensure that there was a clear outcomes focus and evidence base for the continuation of funding.  Reference also had to be made to the community benefits created as a result of the funding, together with an impact assessment of the additional income generated as a result of the use of the funding.  All groups would be notified of the roll forward of funding and it would be made very clear that there would be a robust and fair review of all funding in the 2019/20 financial year.

Decisions

1. That grants which are given to organisations on a continuing basis are rolled forward for 2019/20, subject to the grants to pan-Dorset organisations being reduced to take account of the loss of Christchurch.

2. That comprehensive reviews of the grants be undertaken, to inform the budget setting process for 2020/21 and provide certainty to the sector.

Reason for Decisions

That there was a clear approach to grants to voluntary and community organisations in 2019/20, so that recipient organisations and Finance Officers could plan accordingly.