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:           Community Dance sport & fitness Project

Applicant:      Essensual rejuvenation dance sport & Fitness

Amount requested:     

Summary:

This application has also been considered by the Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields Community Meeting and a grant of £1,352 approved.

The project aims to promote and encourage community cohesion amongst Leicester’s young people and bring Leicester’s young people from diverse communities together to participate in organised Dance & Drama sessions.  There will be open Sessions at various venues across all areas of the City, leading onto a major final event.

There will a Finale held at the end of all the projects, that will bring all the young people from the various areas of each ward together and the final will be a single large scale event that will bring the young acts together to showcase the work they have achieved from all wards across the city.

The showcase will be held at an open event that all ages can attend.

The sessions will take Place on Tuesday evenings for 25 weeks at 2 hours a session at the Manor House Centre with the Support of the Manor House Neighbourhood team. There will be a cost of £2 to the people attending to cover the extra costs needed to fund this project and hopefully to help sustain the project in the future.

All of the work is monitored.  Photographic and video evidence is created and the total number of people who attend is recorded, along with the age, ethnicity, sex and postcode for each participant of an activity.  This enables the success of each event to be monitored.

The main target groups for the sessions are disengaged young people, ethnic minorities and females.

c)    Consideration will be given to any further grant applications received before the meeting

a)    Community Dance Sport and Fitness Project (Essensual Rejuvenation Dance Sport and Fitness) £1,352

AGREED:

that a grant of £1,352 to Essensual Rejuvenation Dance Sport and Fitness towards the Community Dance Sport and Fitness Project be supported, subject to confirmation that the Management Committee at The Manor House Neighbourhood Centre supports this project.

b)   2 New Alley Gates – Wolverton Road and Equity Road (Leicester City Council City Warden Service and Leicestershire Constabulary Westcotes Beat Team) £1,200

This application had been received after the agenda had been published, so was tabled at the meeting. 

The Chair advised that, since this application had been received, it had been found that it was possible that the police could obtain these gates more cheaply than the City Warden service could. 

AGREED:

1)    that a grant of £1,200 to the City Council’s City Warden Service and the Leicestershire Constabulary Westcotes Beat Team for the purchase of as many alley gates as possible be supported;

2)    that the alley gates purchased under resolution 1) above be installed in Wolverton Road and Equity Road and, if it is possible to purchase additional gates with the funding approved, these be installed at locations in the Ward agreed between the Ward Members, the City Warden service and the Leicestershire Constabulary Westcotes Beat Team.

c)    Graffiti Clean Up in Westcotes (Leicester City Council City Warden Service and Leicestershire Constabulary Westcotes Beat Team) £300

This application had been received after the agenda had been published, so was tabled at the meeting.

It was noted that a graffiti mural had been created in Harrow Road a few months ago.  This was in keeping with the business occupying the premises that the mural was on and it was hoped that similar work could be supported in other problem areas.

AGREED:

that a grant of £300 to the City Council’s City Warden Service and Leicestershire Constabulary Westcotes Beat Team towards a graffiti clean-up in the Westcotes Ward be supported.

d)   Stairlift for Church of the Martyrs Community Hall (Church of the Martyrs Hall Management Committee) £4,000

This application had been received after the agenda had been published, so was tabled at the meeting.

In response to a question, it was noted that standard rates for one-off and repeat bookings were charged for use of the church hall.  The hall was run on a non-profit making basis, with income being used to improve hall facilities.

AGREED:

that a grant of £4,000 to the Church of the Martyrs Hall Management Committee towards the provision of a stairlift at the hall be supported, subject to a plaque being put up in the hall recognising this funding.

e)    Clean Up after Riverside Festival (Leicester City Council Festivals and Events service) £3,500

The meeting noted that, as the annual Riverside festival grew larger, waste management costs increased.  A request had been received for a grant of £3,500 towards the clean-up costs for this year’s Festival and improved recycling opportunities.  It was recognised that this was a City-wide Festival, but the clean-up affected people in Westcotes Ward.

Some concern was raised that, in previous years, there had been no opportunity for local people and businesses to become involved in the Festival, (for example, through having a stall).

AGREED:

that a grant of £3,500 to Leicester City Council’s Festivals and Events service towards cleaning up and providing recycling facilities following the 2012 Riverside Festival be supported, subject to local individuals, voluntary groups and businesses being offered the opportunity to have a stall at the Festival, (for example, through the Festival’s Facebook page).

f)     Laminator for Use with Notices for Ward Notice Board

It was noted that the protective covering on the notice board in Bede Park was broken.  This was a common problem with that style of notice board, so it was felt that it was not worth repairing it.  However, this meant that notices on that board were getting wet.

AGREED:

that a grant of up to £200 be supported for the purchase of a laminator to be used to protect notices being put on the Ward notice boards.

g)   Community First Project

The Meeting noted that a request also had been received for funding towards the Community First Project in the Ward.

AGREED:

that use of the funding remaining in the Community Meeting budget for 2011/12 following the above approvals for match funding for the Community First Project be supported.