Agenda item

Councillors are reminded that they will need to declare any interest they may have in budget applications, and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.

 

The following budget applications will be considered:-

 

Application 1

 

Applicant:       Love Hoops Foundation

 

Proposal:       Active Women

 

Amount:          £250

 

The total project cost is £2,000 but applications for funding are being made to 8 Community Meetings, (namely Aylestone, Beaumont Leys, Braunstone and Rowley Fields, Eyres Monsell, Freemen, New Parks, Western Park and Westcotes)

 

This can be broken down as follows:-

 

Item	Cost (£)	Actual or Estimate?	Request to Ward Meeting (£)
Court Hire	6156	A	500
Coach Fees	3600	A	500
Training Costs	2500	A	500
Equipment	1200	A	500
Travel Expenses	2000	E
TOTAL	15,456		2,000

 

 

Summary:       Love Hoops Foundation is part of the street games consortium that successfully bid to Sport England for funding from their Active Women programme, which targets disadvantaged women.

 

Under this project, over 360 young women in Leicester will be offered coaching and playing opportunities.  They then will have the opportunity to take coaching and refereeing qualifications, aiming to establish 6 new basketball clubs in the City.  Mentoring will be provided by the Love Hoops Foundation.

 

The project hopes to overcome the following barriers:-

·            Access to sports facilities.  Sessions will beheld in young people’s own communities

·            Finance.  The funding will help those in communities where low income families often have very little money to pay for sporting activities

·            Cultural / Religious.  The project aims to address young women’s perceptions of sport, including letting them know that sport is an option for them.  There will be female coaches from the area, who will act as positive role models

 

The project’s targets are to:-

·            Put 12 Level 1 coaches and 6 Level 2 coaches through the programme

·            Have a minimum of 2 volunteers from each centre, but hopefully more

·            32 champions, 2 from each city, to be the project’s “eyes and ears”

·            Train 12 NATO qualified table officials and 12 referees, as well as the coaches mentioned above

·            Establish 6 new clubs.  These initially will have central administration, but will become self sufficient at the start of Year 3, looking for at least 12 players to register for each team

·            Have 10 sessions of coaching for each group as part of the programme.  It is likely that further funding will be requested, once established, to carry on the programme, leading to club establishment

·            Take part in monthly tournaments over the two years, once the teams are established

·            Retain 100 new players over 2 years, measured as NGB registrations.

 

The following funding has already been promised to this project:-

Sport England Active Women Grant           £5,156

Love Hoops Foundation                               £2,920

City of Leicester Lady Hoops                      £5,380

                                                TOTAL:           £13,456

 

Application 2

 

Applicant:       Val Kindred (Leicestershire County Netball)

 

Amount:          £745

 

Proposal:      10 week course (pilot) for women (16+) to get back into Netball.

 

Summary:       It is planned that mums at the local Surestart Group and the wider community be targeted to attend this 10-week programme.

 

It is planned to link this project in with Leicester City Council’s 3x30 Pledge Campaign – a commitment to do three 30 minutes workouts per week.

 

The funding would go towards holding a session in Beaumont Leys which would cover the cost of the venue, and a netball coach to deliver the session. The Children’s Centre would offer free childcare during the session.

 

There would be an introductory offer for the first lesson of £1 per person, but it would cost £2 per person thereafter.

 

The funding would also help towards promotional material for the sessions in Beaumont Leys.

 

Application 3

 

Applicant:       Friends of Astill Lodge Park

 

Amount:          £461

 

Proposal:       Would like to erect a notice board on the park to display notices, and obtain materials for path improvements.

 

Summary:       Leicester City Council Parks section is in support of this proposal and will be able to supply labour to erect the sign on site.

 

The Friends of Astill Lodge Park are also seeking to obtain materials for a path which is in poor condition, and gets waterlogged in wet weather, which reduces the use of the park for the public. Again, labour would supplied by Leicester City Council Parks section.

 

Application 4

 

Applicant:       Heathley Park Residents Association

 

Amount:          £380

 

Proposal:       Funding towards Heathley Park 7^th Annual Gathering.

 

Summary:       The Heathley Park Residents Association has held an annual gathering for the last six consecutive years.

 

The annual gathering achieves the meeting of residents, including children and most of the parents. 115 residents attended the 2010 gathering.

 

To help with the annual gathering residents provide their time and do the main organising of the event. Funding if granted would go towards entertainment, such as, a music band; food, soft drinks and disposables, in addition to the food that residents donate; publicity to provide for 300 A4 posters, and funding towards tombola prizes.

Councillors were requested to consider the following budget applications.

 

It was noted that there was approximately £700 left in the budget. This would not cover all the available applications. It was proposed to cover those applications which were affordable and to take an ‘in-principle’ decision to fund those which weren’t affordable. It was also noted that some applications could wait to be approved without affecting them. It was felt that all the applications were good ones, and some of them tackled ward priorities relating to health.

 

Application 1 – Love Hoops Foundation

 

This was an application for £250 to support the setting up of a new basketball club which would be based in the ward. Targeting specifically, disadvantaged women.

 

RESOLVED:

that the application be supported and £250 be allocated from the Ward Community Fund, subject to final approval from the Cabinet Lead for Front Line Service Improvement and Neighbourhoods and the Leader of the Council.

 

Application 2 – Val Kindred (Leicestershire County Netball)

 

This was an application for £745 to support a 10 week course to encourage women to get back into netball.

 

Val Kindred was in attendance at the meeting. She commented on the application, noting that it was a scheme designed to attract females back to netball. The scheme would be run in connection with the Council, in particular the 3x30 exercise pledge scheme. This scheme would be run in a number of wards across the city and a tournament would be held when it finished.

 

RESOLVED:

that the application be supported in principle, subject to final confirmation when further funding becomes available in the new financial year.

 

Application 3 – Friends of Astill Lodge Park

 

This was an application for £461 to erect a notice board and to obtain materials for path improvements.

 

A representative from the friends of Astill Lodge Park was in attendance at the meeting. He commented that these proposals had been put together by the friends group, but the work would be undertaken by Parks Officers. The aim of the proposals was to tidy up the Park and to make it more welcoming for the community.

 

RESOLVED:

that the application be supported and £461 be allocated from the Ward Community Fund, subject to final approval from the Cabinet Lead for Front Line Service Improvement and Neighbourhoods and the Leader of the Council.

 

Application 4 – Heathley Park Residents Association

 

This was an application for £380 for funding towards the Heathley Park 7^th Annual Gathering.

 

RESOLVED:

that the application be supported in principle, subject to final confirmation when further funding becomes available in the new financial year.