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:

Applications for consideration and received since the last meeting

i)          Eric Hudson – Leicester Jamaica Community Service Group                                                                                                                               £950.00

(Joint application with Coleman Ward – total £1,900)

Application for support for a Christmas dinner for elderly African Caribbean users who attend the West Indian Senior Citizens daycare centre.

ii)         Rita Patel – Camping Trip – Opportunities for Children      £499.00

Application received to take children from Sparkenhoe and Medway schools on a residential camping trip.

Applications not supported

Leicester Cathedral – Richard III Family Fun Day                                 £490.00

Withdrawn applications

Leicester Jamaica Community Service Group – Sun Fest                   £500.00

The Chair presented the community meeting budget and explained that the following funding applications had been received:

Leicester Jamaica Community Service Group:

Submitted by Mr Eric Hudson

Funding was requested from the Castle and Coleman Wards for support for a Christmas dinner for elderly African Caribbean users who attend the West Indian Senior Citizens’ day care centre.

Amount requested: £1900 in total; £950 from the Castle Ward.

RESOLVED:

                        that the funding application be supported to the value of £950

Opportunities for Young People

Submitted by: Rita Patel  - Extended School Co-ordinator

Funding was requested to take children from Sparkenhoe and Medway Schools on a one night camp in September 2013.

Amount requested: £499

RESOLVED:

                        that the funding application be supported to the value of £499

The following funding application was received after the agenda had been finalised.

Reflections; A Community Film Project

Submitted by Quality of Life (QoL),Leicester; a centre for recovering addicts and alcoholics.  QoL is administered by Phoenix Futures, a national recovery agency and charity as part of the Leicester Recovery Partnership.

Funding was requested for a community film making project that would largely involve the participation of ‘hard to reach’ people in Leicester (i.e those with addiction and mental health difficulties). The film would be made by the participants under the supervision of professionals.

Amount requested: £1000. (£500 had already been agreed from the Abbey Ward Community Meeting).

RESOLVED:

                        that the funding application be supported to the value of £500

The following funding applications were not supported:

·         Leicester Cathedral – Richard 111 Family Fun Day : £490 requested

·         Halloween Ghost Walk

The Chair explained that both projects were considered to be worthwhile, however it was likely that they would attract people from outside the city and there did not appear to be a focus for people who lived within the Castle Ward.

The Chair stated that the next meeting would be on 5 November. It was anticipated that funding applications might be received for the Christmas Fair on Queens’ Road and for Christmas lights in the Cultural Quarter and if so, any such funding applications would need to be agreed prior to 5 November 2013 in order that the projects would be able to proceed on time. Councillor Senior stated that if an application for Christmas lights in the Cultural Quarter came to the meeting, she would need to declare an interest and withdraw as it might include Charles Street where she had a property.
The Chair added that it had been agreed in principle to support the funding applications for the Christmas lights in the Cultural Quarter and for the Christmas Fair on Queens’ Road (Councillor Senior was not party to this agreement because of her potential interest as stated).

Members of the community were asked for further suggestions as to how the ward budget could be spent to benefit residents of Castle Ward. A suggestion was made that some of the money should be spent on projects to benefit people who lived around the Hazel Street area and also that that there was money available in the Community First Fund which should be utilised.  The Chair responded that money from the budget had been given in the past to St Andrew’s Play Association and the Tenants’ Association but further suggestions for projects in that area were welcome.  Officer support would be made available to anyone who needed help in submitting a funding bid.  It was acknowledged that there was money in the Community First Fund, but there process in accessing that money was more complicated, whereas after the above funding bids had been committed, there would be approximately £10,000 remaining in the Castle ward budget and this was easier to access.

It was suggested and agreed that information should be included on publicity leaflets to explain that people and community groups could bid for money, from the Castle Ward community meeting budget, for projects to benefit local residents.