To approve the launch of a community seed funding grant scheme.

The aim of the grant is to help address local wellbeing challenges by working through community hubs and other means focusing on how people support themselves, and can be supported in their local communities.

The council is working with communities to help them support people at a local level by providing access to information, advice and signposting within their own community settings.  The grants will help people to connect with each other and to engage in activities in their community, through a community group/hub supporting people to help themselves and each other to remain well and independent.

The purpose of the seed funding is to help communities to provide local signposting, information and activities in a local hub or community setting, promoting wellbeing and independence.

That:

(a)        the community seed funding grant scheme as detailed in Appendix A and Appendix B be approved with a non-recurring scheme budget of £125,000; and

(b)        the director of adults and communities be authorised to determine grants in accordance with the scheme criteria and having regard to the recommendations of the established panel.

1.          Not to approve the grant scheme.  This is not recommended as it will put the development of local community signposting and support at risk.  The seed funding is to enable communities to make the necessary investment to enable them to support people locally in their community.

2.          The grant could ask for match funding.  This is not recommended as the groups involved are often emerging and will vary in size and so need the seed funding to help in getting them started.  Therefore it is unlikely that potential community settings will have the necessary resources initially to provide match funding and apply for the necessary grant funding to help them get started.

3.          Target the grant at areas where there are higher levels of need.  This is not recommended as the initiative is focussed on being community led.  Therefore groups and hubs are being identified through engagement with communities and some of this engagement will be based on where there are potentially higher levels of need.  However, the project needs to be community focussed, community driven and community led, not driven by the grant.