Agenda and minutes

To note the appointment of Councillor Mrs R Shah at the Cabinet meeting on 19 May 2005 under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 5.1 as Chair of the Advisory Panel for the Municipal Year 2005/2006 (or now to make a appointment).

RESOLVED:  To note the appointment, at the Cabinet meeting on 19 May 2005, of Councillor Mrs R Shah as Chair of the Panel for the 2005/2006 Municipal Year.

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             after notifying the Chair at the start of the meeting.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance of the following duly appointed Reserve Member:

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from all Members present.

RESOLVED: To note that the following interests were declared:

To consider whether any of the items listed on the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it is thought likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that there would be disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence or of exempt information as defined in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985.

RESOLVED:  That all items be considered with the press and public present.

To consider the appointment of a Vice-Chair to the Panel for the Municipal Year 2005/2006.

(Note:  The Labour Group has nominated Councillor Thammaiah as Vice?Chair).

Nominations were received and seconded for Councillor Thammaiah and Councillor Mrs Joyce Nickolay. Upon being put to the vote, it was

RESOLVED:  To appoint Councillor Thammaiah as Vice-Chair of the Panel for the 2005/2006 Municipal Year.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 28 February 2005, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 28 February 2005 having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 13 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions were received at this meeting under the provisions of the Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 13 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

[Note:  The Panel’s policy (Minute 60:  28.07.03) in principle is not to receive deputations relating to individual grant applications].

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

Report of the Director (Financial & Business Strategy).

The Chair introduced a Grants Officer who presented a report outlining the proposed Grant Aid Process 2006/2007 to the assembled representatives from local voluntary organisations.

The officer explained that in January 2004 the Council had commenced a strategic review of support to the Voluntary Sector, which had been used to develop a new strategy for supporting the Voluntary Sector in Harrow. The strategy had been approved by Cabinet on 14 October 2004, and was to be implemented in full in 2006/2007. Officers identified several new strategic principles for the forthcoming Municipal Year, including:

·         Common Grants Criteria: organisations must meet one or more of the common grants criteria, based on the community strategy priorities, in addition to meeting the grants conditions.

·         Changes to service level agreements (SLA): all organisations which were currently in receipt of SLA funding would be required to submit grant application forms. Organisations applying for funding in excess of £10,000 would be recommended for a service level agreement (SLA), and funding would be based on up to a three-year term with annual reviews. Funding below this threshold value would be offered as a grant.

·         Community Lettings: it was explained that under the new strategy, community lettings would also encompass the education lettings service. Application packs for community lettings grants would be available from the Grants Unit in September 2005.

Officers outlined the timetable for the Grant Aid Process 2006/2007. Attention was drawn to the deadline for receiving applications (5pm on Friday 30 September 2005). The meeting was informed that applicants could appeal the Panel’s decision on the grounds that the information presented to the Grants Advisory Panel was incorrect or incomplete, when this was considered to have had a material effect on the Panel’s decision on that application.

Officers provided information on the Edward Harvist Trust grants. The meeting was informed that applications would be considered at the meeting of the Grants Advisory Panel on 5 September 2005, and then at every subsequent meeting of the Panel in 2005/2006. The meeting was informed of reserve funds of £70,000, which would provide further funding opportunities pending its anticipated release by the Grants Advisory Panel on 28 June 2005.

The Chair welcomed a representative of the North West London Community Foundation, formerly Harrow Community Trust, who advised the meeting of funding opportunities provided by the Foundation within five boroughs in northwest London. The representative identified three funding programmes managed by the Foundation: Small Grants; Sport Relief and the Local Network Fund for Children and Young People. The representative advised that applicants did not need to be registered charities to receive funding, only constituted groups, and added that funding opportunities were available throughout the year although groups could only hold one grant at a time.

The Chair welcomed comments and debate from the representatives of the voluntary sector in attendance. The following issues were discussed:

Common Grants Criteria

·         It was asked whether an application that satisfied more of the common grants criteria was at an advantage. Officers informed the organisations that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 185.