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.

a)      An update on the 2011/12 Community Meeting budget will be provided.

b)     The following grant application is submitted for consideration:-

Project:           Year 2 Outdoor Pursuits Residential – in the cabins at Beaumanor Hall

Amount requested:     

£500 has been requested from both Westcotes Ward and Fosse Ward.

Total proposed income and expenditure is as follows:-

Applicant:      King Richard III Infant and Nursery School

Summary:

The school aims to provide all of its Year 2 children with the opportunity to go on a residential trip to Beaumanor Hall in Woodhouse, Leicestershire.  The challenge is to make it inclusive and affordable, whilst still offering a variety of adventurous activities not available in school, including a night away from home. 

Activities will include a treasure hunt, canoeing (at Quorn Hall), use of a rock wall (on-site), camp fire activities and outdoor adventures in the grounds and woods.  The objective, in line with Healthy School and Every Child Matters strands, is to develop independence, healthy lifestyles, outdoor learning and fun.

This is a new venture for the school, arising from the great success experienced when 12 of the school’s then Year 2 children attended a 6-week Outdoor Pursuits course during the last school year. 

Staff would like this year’s cohort of 60 children to experience this.  The aim is to make it affordable and productive and to cut down on the time taken going back and forth to the centre by using the residential facilities.  The children will have an evening meal in the Hall, sleep in a cabin in the countryside, have breakfast in the cabin and be provided with two days of packed lunches, as well as participating in a full programme of activities.

Half of the cohort (30 children) and 6 staff will travel by coach to Beaumanor Hall on 2 May 2012, to arrive in time for lunch.  The other half of the cohort and 3 staff will travel by coach to the Hall on 3 May 2012.  The whole cohort will be together for lunch and the early afternoon, with the first half of the cohort then returning to school with 3 staff.  Six staff will remain at the Hall for the whole three day period.

To date, all feedback on the proposal has been favourable.  It is planned to organise a day out at Beaumanor Hall for parents and children in the Spring Term, to further promote the project.

A Parent/Carer Notice Board has been set up at the school, where updates and news of how fundraising is progressing can be displayed and where the school’s commitment to parental and community involvement can be demonstrated.  Information was distributed at parents’ evenings in October and links with the centre will continue to be developed.

The children are fully involved with the project and have been suggesting ways of fundraising.  For example, a monthly cake sale is being held and the children are helping to run the KRIII Bank, where they can bring money to be paid in to their account to help spread the cost over the year.  Fundraising will continue throughout the year, but so far has raised £110 from the Autumn Family Fun Day and £200 from a sponsored Leicester Marathon run by a member of staff.  Future plans include a ticket only Autumn Festivals Party (target - £100), a cake sale (target - £50) and a stall at the Christmas Fair (target £100).  Other stalls and events will be planned for the new year.

To make this a success, the school wants to make sure that all children and able to take up this opportunity and are properly equipped with sleeping bag, pillowcase, waterproofs, torch, towels, toiletries, water bottle, suntan lotion, track suit, trainers, etc.  However, some children may not have suitable clothing and accessories and the school does not want this to be a barrier to taking up the opportunity.

The school wants to be able to provide these items without any stigma attached, so is budgeting for £20 per head with which the school will buy something for all 60 children.  This could be something like a tracksuit and trainers, which is what was provided for the initial Outdoor Pursuits Group.

The school also wants to be able to make up any shortfall in parental contributions, to ensure that lack of money does not prevent children from going on the trip.  The estimated cost of the residential course is £90 per child, but the school wants to offer it at £30 per child.  Some of the shortfall will be met by the children’s fundraising and the school budget, but it is estimated that there will be a minimum shortfall of £1,686.  It is hoped that £1,000 of this can be met from the Ward Community Budgets of Westcotes and Fosse Wards.

This experience will promote learning in different ways in a different environment, provide experiences the children will not forget, and promote things such as co-operation, living together, independence, social skills, healthy lifestyles, active fun and emotional well-being, as well as providing an opportunity to do things the children may not otherwise do, increase self-esteem and self-confidence, and finding success in unlikely places.

Although the school is in Westcotes Ward, many children attending the school live in Fosse Ward.  The school therefore is applying to both Wards for funding.

c)      The following application for a grant has been approved under the Council’s fast track procedure and is included for information:-

Project:           Anti-Social Behaviour in Bede Park – Funding for a robust sign to be used on the slide

Amount approved:       £88.92

Applicant:      PS 1011 Simon Barnes, Neighbourhood Police team

Summary:

Funding for a robust permanent sign to be fixed to the large slide in the centre of Bede Park was requested.  This would serve as a visual deterrent, as well as being a sign post to multi agency working (Council/Police/De Montfort University).

It also was hoped that it would deter adult park users (be they students or local residents) from climbing the slide out of hours, or in hours of darkness, and assist in being a tool for the Police to remove persons from the slide if no offences were committed but their removal was required to reduce noise and anti-social behaviour.  The sign also could be used in any court cases to highlight that notice was given that use of the slide causes problems, which that person had then gone on to commit.

The sign would help reassure local residents that the problem was being taken seriously and anyone reading the sign would see that the Council, Police and De Montfort University had worked on solving the issue.

Funding for the sign was sought from the Council on this occasion.  However, requests have been made of the Hinckley Road Joint Action Group and De Montfort University for other “prevention” resources regarding the issues on Bede Park.

i)       King Richard III Infant and Nursery School

The meeting was reminded that both Ward Councillors had declared interests in this application, (see minute 23 above).

Councillor Russell introduced this item in her capacity as Chair of the Governors of the school, explaining that the school wanted to take all 60 of its Year 2 pupils to Beaumanor Hall for a residential outdoor pursuits visit. 

However, some children would not have suitable clothing and/or accessories and the school did not want this to be a barrier to them taking up the opportunity.  The school therefore proposed to buy something for each child.  It had raised a significant amount of money towards this, as well as finding other sources of funding, but there was a shortfall of approximately £1,200.  Applications therefore had been made to Westcotes Community Meeting and Fosse Community Meeting for grants of £500 from each one.

The Meeting agreed that trips of this sort were always worthwhile and very useful for the children involved.  On taking a vote, in which the Ward Councillors did not participate, it was unanimously supported.

AGREED:

That a grant of £500 to King Richard III Infant and Junior School towards the provision of items for Year 2 pupils attending a residential trip to Beaumanor Hall for an outdoor pursuits break be supported.

ii)     PS1011 Simon Barnes, Neighbourhood Police Team

The meeting noted that a grant of £88.92 had been agreed under the Council’s fast-track procedure for a permanent sign to be fixed to the large slide in the centre of Bede Park.

This would deter adult park users from climbing the slide out of hours, or in hours of darkness, and assist in being a tool for the Police to remove persons from the slide if no offences were committed but their removal was required to reduce noise and anti-social behaviour.

iii)    Manor House Community Association

Since the agenda had been circulated, an application had been received from the Manor House Community Association for a grant towards Christmas decorations.  This was tabled at the meeting.

The Association thanked the Community Meeting for its previous support and explained that this application had been submitted to enable the Manor House to be decorated for Christmas Fairs on 3 and 10 December.  Everyone was welcome to attend these.

Val Smalley offered to arrange for posters for these events to be displayed on the noticeboard in Bede Park.

AGREED:

That a grant of £500 to the Manor House Community Association for the provision of Christmas decorations be supported.

iv)    West End Association

Since the agenda had been circulated, an application had been received from the West End Association for a grant towards the installation of Christmas trees on properties on Braunstone Gate.  This was tabled at the meeting.

The Chair reminded the meeting that a similar application had been approved last year, when it was agreed that these decorations would not be funded by the Community Meeting every year.  It therefore was suggested that funding towards capital costs, such as the new wall brackets and lights, be agreed, but that on-going costs, (such as installation or trees), should be met by the Association.

Owners of other businesses in the area stated that the decorations looked very good last year, but felt that if the Association was to use this name it should associate with businesses outside Braunstone Gate. 

Marnie Ahmed from the West End Association explained that most of the decorations to be used had been bought last year.  Most of the 10 businesses interested in participating had agreed to contribute £50 each towards the decorations.  One new wall bracket would be needed and an electrical business had offered to help with the fitting and electrical work.  She also stated that the Association would be very pleased to work with other businesses and welcomed the chance to start discussions.

AGREED:

1)     That a grant of £110 to the West End Association for the provision of a new wall bracket for holding a Christmas tree be supported on the condition that the opportunity to have similar decorations be extended to businesses on Narborough Road and Hinckley Road;

2)     That any applications for funding towards decorations on Narborough Road or Hinckley Road arising from resolution 1) above be considered under the fast track procedure;

3)     That the possibility of having decorations on lamp posts in Bede Park in future years be investigated;

4)     That, in view of the impact the development of student accommodation will have on the area, Jamie Lewis Residential be asked to provide Christmas decorations on Narborough Road and Braunstone Gate in future years.