Applications for Financial Assistance
Perth and Kinross Council · 5 May 2025
Back to Auchterarder Common Good Fund Committee — 5 May 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL Our vision is a Perth and Kinross where everyone can live life well, free from poverty and inequalities ___________________________________________________________________ Committee or Board: Auchterarder Common Good Fund Committee Date of Meeting: 5 May 2025 Report Title: Application for Financial Assistance Report Number: Report No. 25/102 Report Author: Sarah Kimmet, Community Empowerment Officer communityempowerment@pkc.gov.uk Organisational Lead: Elaine Ritchie, Strategic Lead for Housing and Communities ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Purpose 1.1 The report asks the Auchterarder Common Good Fund Committee to consider two grant applications. 2. Recommendation 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: (i) Consider the grant applications and agree any financial assistance to be awarded. 3. Structure of Report 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background / Main Issues • Section 5: Proposals: Small Grants • Section 8: Conclusion • Appendices 4. Background / Main Issues
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4.1 Perth and Kinross Council owns land and property which forms part of the Common Good of the former burghs in Perth and Kinross and has a statutory duty in terms of section 15 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 to administer this land and property "having regard to the interests of the inhabitants" of those former burghs. This duty also applies to the administration of the associated Common Good Funds. 4.2 The Common Good Funds have traditionally demonstrated their support to local residents and organisations by distributing grants. These grant awards allow individuals and local organisations to carry out a wide range of community-based activities. 4.3 A summary of the provisional 2025/26 Financial Assistance budget is provided below: 2025/26 Provisional Financial Assistance Budget £20,000 Value of grants paid and committed £0 Remaining Provisional Financial Assistance Budget £20,000 Value of funding requested and under consideration £20,470 5. Proposals A&A Connected 5.1 A&A Connected are seeking £14,500 towards staffing costs for their Community Connector, as well as a contribution towards costs of community projects. 5.2 A&A Connected is a volunteer run charity that aims to advance citizenship and community development, focused on but not limited to the activities defined in the Auchterarder and Aberuthven Community Action Plan and sustaining improved community opportunities for residents to have healthy lives and feel connected as a local community. They act as a co-ordinating body to carry out consultation and effectively respond to key issues in the local community, raising awareness of and providing opportunities to engage in local heritage, arts, and culture, raising awareness of volunteering opportunities, and actively providing a voice for the local community and facilitating projects that contribute to a thriving local community. The Community Connector acts as a conduit between community groups or individuals and external partners relating to all themes of the Community
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Action Plan and is also a central point of consistent accessible communication, ensuring ongoing engagement. As well as providing updates via a newsletter and to the Community Council, the Community Connector supports with the following projects: Friends of Auchterarder Library, greenspace and sustainability projects, Warm Spaces, Connected Community event, and progressing conversations around developer obligations for provision of new facilities. Funding is required to continue this role whilst further long-term funding is secured. 5.3 In addition to Community Connector costs, A&A Connected are seeking a contribution towards project costs to support with further consultation around transport strategy, biodiversity projects, printing of resources related to the CAP for residents who do not engage digitally, upgrading the CAP website, and supporting with costs of public liability insurance. 5.4 It is estimated that 6,100 people from the Common Good Area will benefit from the work that a grant will support. 5.5 A breakdown of costs applied for is detailed below. Specific items Basis of Costing Amount Community Connector (freelance) £200/day 62.5 days between May 2025 and 31st January 2026 £12,500 Project Funding Physical assets for promoting CAP, insurance, small CAP projects, Connected Community Event Costs £3,500 Total proposed expenditure £16,000 Friends of St Margarets (remainder of £11,000 provided over 2 years) £1,500 Funding Requested from Auchterarder Common Good Fund £14,500 5.6 A&A Connected have not received funding from the Common Good Fund in the previous 3 financial years. Consideration 5.7 The Committee is asked to consider the request and determine the level of any grant to be awarded. Friends of Aytoun Hall 5.8 Friends of Aytoun Hall are seeking £5,970 towards a replacement projector for the Hall. 5.9 Friends of Aytoun Hall are a charity which aims to represent the community interest in the Aytoun Hall and maintain the community-owned inventory. 5.10 When Aytoun Hall was refurbished 15 years ago, a projector along with sound and light equipment was installed as a supplementary one-off capital
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investment as a community benefit following the hosting of the G8 summit at Gleneagles. Currently, a number of clubs, organisations, and charities use the overhead projector on a regular basis for guest speakers and other purposes, such as the schools’ Philanthropist Competition, background slides and video clips, forming an integral part of many hall bookings. The projector has now reached the end of its life and funding is required to replace this and allow clubs to continue to run their regular activities for the people of Auchterarder. Some of the regular users include the 50+ Club, Vegetable Society, Docherty’s Coaches, and Flower Club. 5.11 A breakdown of costs applied for is detailed below. Specific items Basis of Costing Amount Overhead Projector Quote provided by Adlib Audio Ltd £3,000 Brackets and ancillary cables Quote provided by Adlib Audio Ltd £1,125 Labour and access equipment Quote provided by Adlib Audio Ltd £850 VAT Quote provided by Adlib Audio Ltd £995 Total proposed expenditure £5,970 Funding Requested from Auchterarder Common Good Fund £5,970 5.12 Friends of Aytoun Hall have not received funding from the Common Good Fund in the previous 3 financial years. Consideration 5.13 The Committee is asked to consider the request and determine the level of any grant to be awarded. 6. Impact Value Assessment Auchterarder_Common_Good_Fund_Applications_for_Financial_Assistance.pdf