Agenda item

Report of the Director of Open Spaces.

The group received the report of the Director of Open Spaces regarding the Open Spaces Grants Review. Members noted that Officers had refined the list of groups that currently received a grant from the two grant giving committees. They had also identified which other groups volunteer within the City’s open spaces and under what structure. Members agreed that ‘benefits in kind’ would be considered separately from the grants review.

Members noted that the definition of a “grant? for the purposes of the review was “an award to an external organisation or individual to undertake an activity or produce an outcome which the City Corporation is not required to do under statutory obligation – or which furthers the charitable objects of the charity from which the payment is made - and which has been (or should be) awarded as a result of an openly publicised and transparent process of prioritisation against clearly pre-defined objectives.” This definition excludes internal transfers between different parts of the City Corporation, commissioned services, discretionary donations, subscriptions, sponsorship, ongoing legal commitments and unallocated Community Infrastructure Levy.

Discussions ensued regarding the information on “Support Received from Volunteer Organisations.” It was agreed that these did not constitute grants; however, the definition regarding what this support was classes as must be revised. Officers agreed to action the following:

·       To provide Members with a clarification regarding the insurance options available for volunteer groups;

·       To produce a briefing detailing how volunteer groups are recognised and what support the City can offer the groups in terms of facilitation costs; and

·       To address the relevant areas where the Superintendents recognise there is a discrepancy between providing funding for a grant or a service to the City. The next step would be to determine the most effective and efficient way or dealing with these areas.

Officers would email Members with the above information and with an outline of the next steps in due course. If Members were content with this, the reports would then be considered by the relevant service Committee. If not, another meeting of this working party would be convened.

The Chairman thanked Members for their time and commended the suggestions received from the group thus far.