COUNCILLOR A. ULLAH IN THE CHAIR

To receive any apologies for absence.

None reported.

None received.

To note any declarations of interest made by Members, including those restricting Members from voting on the questions detailed in Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992. See attached note from the Chief Executive.

Councillor A. Ullah (Chair) declared a personal interest in Agenda item 5.2 “Update on the Youth Capital Fund in Tower Hamlets”. The declaration of interest was made on the basis that Councillor Ullah was a beneficiary of the Wapping Youth Centre. 

Noted.

Action by:

ASSISTANT CHIEF EXECUTIVE (L. Ali)

Committee Officer, Democratic Services (Z.Folley)

Councillor A. Ullah (Chair) declared a personal interest in Agenda item 5.2 “Update on the Youth Capital Fund in Tower Hamlets”. The declaration of interest was made on the basis that Councillor Ullah was a beneficiary of the Wapping Youth Club, Tench Street, London;

Noted

To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the ordinary meeting of the Grants Panel held on 12^th June 2008.

Resolved

That the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Grants Panel held on Thursday 12^th June 2008 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record of the proceedings.

Action by:

ASSISTANT CHIEF EXECUTIVE (L. Ali)

Committee Officer, Democratic Services (Z. Folley)

The Chair MOVED and it was: -

Resolved

That the unrestricted minutes of the Grants Panel meeting held on 12^th June 2008 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record of the proceedings.

Matters Arising

In relation to agenda item 8 .1 (Youth Services Summer Projects 2008), Mr E Haughton (Funding and Development Manager, External Funding & Accountability) reported that his service were now sending out ‘e-funding’ newsletters on external and internal funding opportunities.  He also drew attention to the website for Grant aid applications to the Authority which included all of the necessary guidance and forms. The pages could be found on the LBTH website under the heading: Grants Community resources.

To receive any deputations or petitions.

None received.

None received.

Attached is the YCF Grants Panel’s Recommendations for funding.

Supplemental information Appendix A circulated separated prior to the meeting.

Resolved:

1.         That the report (GP/03/089) on the implementation and use of the Youth Capital Fund in 2008/09 be noted;

2.                  That subject to (a) and (b) set outbelow the recommendations for projects to be funded in 2008/09 as set out in Appendix A of the report [GP/03/089 – (Supplemental Information)] be agreed - 

That –

(a)In relation to the Rapid Response Team (page 7 of Appendix A)

(i)  the recommended award of £100,000 be reduced to £50,000 and be allocated towards the refurbishment of two of the vehicles in the fleet;

(ii) the remaining £50,000 be put towards the delivery of suitable capital projects with the first priority being those based in those LAP areas where there has been no suitable Youth Capital Fund applications (LAPs 2,3,5 and 7). That the Corporate Director Children’s Services be authorised to allocate this funding after consultation with the Chair and Vice – Chair of the Grants Panel, officers of the Youth and Community Services and the Youth Capital Fund Grants Panel;

(b)the Wapping Youth Centre, (page 3 of Appendix A) be allocated the full award requested - £100,000 and that £20,000 of this be put towards the refurbishment of the upper floors (first and second floors) of the building subject to the requirement they submit a detailed plan of cost of works and carry out consultation with the customers and occupants of the first and second floors.

Action by:

CORPORATE DIRECTOR, CHILDREN’S SERVICES (K. COLLINS)

Service Head, Youth and Community Learning,Children’s Services (M. Durkin).

Interim Head of Youth and Community Services, Youth and Community Learning, Children’s Services (D. Hossain)

Children & Young People's Involvement Manager, Youth & Community Services,Children’s Services (B. Young)

Mr D Hossain, Head of Youth and Community Services, presented the report which detailed progress with the implementation of the Youth Capital Fund in Tower Hamlets. It also presented the recommendations for funding from the Youth Capital Fund Panel as formulated at their meeting on 12^th October 2008 and detailed in Appendix A of the supplemental information which was circulated to the Grants Panel separately earlier this week. 

Also present was Ms B Young (Children & Young People's Involvement Manager) and Mr J Tafadar (Member of the Youth Capital Fund Panel for Tower Hamlets) who was in attendance to advise of the work of his Panel in formulating the recommendations, how they went about this and the reasoning behind their recommendations.  

During the discussion that followed, Ms Young and Mr Tafadar reported the following points:

• The aim of the Youth Capital Fund was to provide a discrete Capital Budget to be spent on what young people want and need;
• In 2007/08, Tower Hamlets had been allocated  £183,000 for the Youth Capital  Fund; and in addition had been allocated £452,000 new funding from the Youth Capital Fund Plus project. The latter was a one off addition in 2008/09 and was only to fund youth facilities in neighbourhoods with high levels of crime, deprivation and anti social behaviour;
• There was a public call for expressions of interest  from organisations and Young people. An opportunity was offered for all voluntary and community organisations to submit proposals for funding; 

• The Youth Capital Fund Panel comprised 11 members each of whom had received accredited training and  had served on the local Opportunity Fund panels;
• The funds were promoted during the Borough’s consultation on myplace.
• A full list of the Youth Capital Fund Panel’s proposals for funding were listed in Appendix A.
• The Panel had also proposed that the remaining budget of £159, 788 be spent on the delivery of projects in those LAP areas where no projects have proven sustainable.

Councillor A Ullah (Chair) thanked Mr Tafadar for giving up his valuable time and also extended his thanks, on behalf of the Panel, to the many young people who had contributed to the assessment process and hoped that they would stay involved and more young people would continue to get involved in the Youth Opportunity Fund initiative.

A detailed discussion then followed, during which the Grants Panel raised a number of comments/questions which focused on the following points:

·                    In terms of the issue of match funding, reference was made to the potential sources of such funding, whether it would be sought and, if so, who would benefit?

·                    the scoring criteria -  whether all of the applicants were made aware of it;

·                    the unsuccessfulness of the bids from the LAP 5/7 areas. The reasons for this and whether any further bids would be sought from projects from these areas?

·                    The scope of the remaining budget, (which totalled £159,788) the reasons for it and proposed usages;

·                    In relation to the accredited training in grants making (bullet  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.2

Resolved

1.         That the current position of the Mainstream Grants Budget for 2008/09 as set out in Table 1, paragraph 4.1 of the report (GP 04/089) be noted;

2.         That the details of the Emergency Funding request, and the Officer assessment, outlined in paragraphs 4.3 to 4.11 and detailed in Appendix 2 of the report (GP 04/089) be noted;

3.         That emergency funding of 14,343 from the Mainstream Grants Budget for 2008/09 be awarded to the Women’s Health and Family Services as set out in paragraph 4.12 of the report (GP 04/089).

Action by:

INTERIM CORPORATE DIRECTOR DEVELOPMENT & RENEWAL

(P. EVANS)

Service Head Resources, Development and Renewal (C. Holme)

Head of Accountability and External Funding, Development and Renewal (D. Clark)

Funding and Development Manager, Development and Renewal (E. Haughton)

Community Development Officer, Development and Renewal (H. Hughes)

The Grants Panel received a report which presented requests from the Women’s Health and Family Services for emergency funding from the Mainstream Grants budgets for the 2008/09 financial year.

The Chair MOVED and it was: -

Resolved

1.         That the current position of the Mainstream Grants Budget for 2008/09 as set out in Table 1, paragraph 4.1 of the report (GP 04/089) be noted;

2.         That the details of the Emergency Funding request, and the Officer assessment, outlined in paragraphs 4.3 to 4.11 and detailed in Appendix 2 of the report (GP 04/089) be noted;

3.         That emergency funding of 14,343 from the Mainstream Grants Budget for 2008/09 be awarded to the Women’s Health and Family Services as set out in paragraph 4.12 of the report (GP 04/089)

There was no other urgent unrestricted business.

There was no other urgent unrestricted business.