Community Investment Fund 2024-25
Perth and Kinross Council · 27 November 2024
Back to Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee — 27 November 2024 and its agenda
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Perth And Kinross Council Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee 27 November 2024 COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND 2024/25 Report by Strategic Lead – Housing & Communities (Report No. 24/339) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This report informs Committee of the funding commitments made for the 2024/25 Community Investment Fund (CIF) across the 12 Council wards. Ward Panels allocated just over £326,000 to support 114 projects which contribute to the delivery of the priorities outlined in the Council’s Corporate Plan. The report also provides an update on progress with the Locality PB Fund for 24/25. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: (i) notes the funding decisions taken by Ward Panels for 2024/25 CIF (ii) approves the carry forward of £47,520.20 for disbursal to community grassroots projects in 2024/25 and 2025/26, for use in the wards where the underspends have arisen. (iii) notes the progress made with the Locality PB Fund 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background • Section 5: Applications • Section 6: Funding Decisions • Section 7: Conclusion 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 In 2018/19, the Council established a Community Investment Fund (CIF) as part of its commitment to devolve more decisions to local communities. Since then, a total of £2.4m has been distributed to approximately 500 community- led projects. 4.2 In June 2024, the Council approved £300,000 in addition to £65,799 CIF underspend from 2023/2024 for a further round of Community Investment Fund in 2024/25. This provided a total budget of £365,799.24 for CIF 2024/25. The Council also approved a further £100,000 for a Participatory Budgeting (PB) programme for 2024/25, now titled the Locality PB Fund.
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4.3 Report 24/193 set out the process for running CIF and PB in 2024/25. For CIF the application process opened on 22 July and closed on 6 September. Ward Panels met between mid-September and mid-October to consider the applications and agree any funding to be awarded. In Ward 8 the Kinross- shire Committee has delegated authority over CIF funding and approved the Ward Panel’s recommendations on 21 November 2024. 4.4 CIF 2024/25 continued the use of the one-system approach through MyPKC, following positive feedback on its introductions last year. 5. CIF APPLICATIONS 5.1 The number of applications received for CIF 2024/25 and the funding requested is set out below. Ward Number of Applications Funding Requested Funding Available 1 – Carse of Gowrie 10 £46,167.21 £22,353.27 2 – Strathmore 14 £61,971.41 £35,970.05 3 – Blairgowrie & The Glens 11 £40,006.35 £23,676.84 4 – Highland 13 £77,770.41 £21,370.52 5 – Strathtay 14 £81,544.36 £24,724.17 6 – Strathearn 23 £121,378.46 £26,904.20* 7 – Strathallan 17 £64,149.80 £24,948.87 8 – Kinross-shire 19 £66,214.38 £26,529.68 9 – Almond & Earn 5 £24,006.80 £30,139.71 10 – Perth City South 8 £30,046.23 £41,158.10 11 – Perth City North 10 £48,977.80 £57,907.13 12 – Perth City Centre 17 £97,953.11 £30,116.70 TOTALS 161 £760,265.32 £365,799.24 *Strathearn had previously awarded £8,100, but this was not paid out as the project had not met the conditions of funding. The Ward Panel agreed to reallocate this funding for 2024/25 and therefore there was a budget of £35,004.
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6. CIF FUNDING DECISIONS 6.1 The following CIF funding decisions were made in each ward area, with funding paid out to successful applicants in October and November: Ward 1 – Carse of Gowrie Group Project Funding Inchture Bowling Club Inchture BC Storage £1,900.00 Inchture Parent Council Inchture Community Light Switch On £900.00 St Madoes and Kinfauns Parish Safe inclusive play space £5,509.06 Ward 1 – Carse of Gowrie Group Project Funding Perth Autism Support Support for Parents/Carers of Autistic Children / Young People £1,920.00 Tayside Upcycling & Craft Centre Basic to Advanced Upcycling and Upholstery £3,406.69 St Madoes Community Association St Madoes Community Food Growing Project £1,949.00 Social Flock Winter Warmer Packs £782.52 The Duke of Edinburgh's Award – P&K Association SCIO Starfish Way - Employability Skills and Support & Independent Living £5,986.00 TOTAL £22,353.27 Ward 2 – Strathmore Group Project Funding Guildtown Hall & Playing Fields Association Guildtown Larder Freezer £897.99 Kettins Community Hub Schools Out at The Hub £4,000.00 Coupar Angus Youth Action Group Y Music Makers £3,710.86 Strathmore Community Hub Hub Lounge & Larder £3,000.00 Strathmore Cycle Hub Coupar Angus Pathway to Cycling £8,000.00 Burrelton and Woodside Village Hall Committee Disabled Access and renovation of lesser hall £10,000.00 Happy to Chat, Happy to Listen Blether & a Brew Coupar Angus £1,760.00 Social Flock Winter Warmer Packs £2,601.20 Alyth Youth Partnership School Holiday Sessions £2,000.00 TOTAL £35,970.05
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Ward 3 – Blairgowrie & The Glens Group Project Funding Elder Voice Sanding Rattray Hall Community Floor £2,000.00 Our Heritage Blairgowrie & Rattray Blairgowrie, Rattray And District Heritage Trail £2,000.00 Kirkmichael Session House Community Engagement £725.14 Blairgowrie & Rattray CFT BRCFT Wider Reach Project £4,490.00 Ward 3 – Blairgowrie & The Glens Group Project Funding Perth Autism Support Support for Parents/Carers of Autistic Children & Young People £1,804.09 Blairgowrie Tennis Club tbc Pickleball Pioneers: Bridging Play and Leadership £1,800.00 Happy to Chat, Happy to Listen Mini Medics Blairgowrie and The Glens £5,000.00 Mantalk Mantalk Winter Support £2,000.00 Social Flock Winter Warmer Packs £2,557.61 Blairgowrie International Cafe International Cafe & Ukrainian Kids Club £1,300.00 TOTAL £23,676.84 Ward 4 – Highland Group Project Funding Breadalbane Community Larder £2,000.00 Dementia Friendly Aberfeldy Dementia Friendly Aberfeldy Meeting Centre - the Friday Club £2,500.00 Draft & Flow, CIC Draft & Flow Youth Programme £1,500.00 Friends Of Dysart and Fonab Cemeteries £1,450.00 Healthiest Town Aberfeldy Food for People and Planet £2,000.00 Pitlochry Garden Share Garden Improvements £1,200.00 Social Flock Winter Warmer Packs £782.52 The Birks Cinema Trust Young Film Programmers Group £1,500.00 The Breathe Project, Aberfeldy Parish Church Youth Committees £1,000.00 TOTAL £13,932.52
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Ward 5 – Strathtay Group Project Funding St Columba’s Episcopal Church Stanley Disabled access and environmental improvements 2 £3,000.00 Luncarty Youth Soccer Academy Luncarty Soccer Academy Development £5,834.00 Taybank Growers Cooperative Growing the skills for life £2,350.00 Ward 5 – Strathtay Group Project Funding Social Flock Winter Warmer Packs £2,131.31 Dunkeld and Birnam Men's Shed Mens Shed Installation £4,000.00 Pitcairngreen Village Association Pitcairngreen Park Improvements £5,000.00 Dunkeld, Birnam & District Community Development Trust Therapeutic Gardening £2,408.86 TOTAL £24,724.17
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Ward 6 – Strathearn Group Project Funding Crieff AED Defibrillator for Dollerie, Hollybush and South Crieff £5,082.00 Friends of Legion Park Comrie Shelter in the Legion Park Comrie £2,000.00 Richmond Community Richmond Community Friendship Group - Community Choir £1,000.00 Nature Connects CIC Community Wellbeing Sessions £1,125.00 St Fillans in Bloom Reinstating “Still” in Loch Earn £1,000.00 Strathearn Building Bridges Tuesday Club on Tour £2,820.00 Remake Scotland Remake Food for Good £2,500.00 Perth Autism Support Support for Parents/Carers of Autistic Children / Young People £3,697.00 Bertie Bus Cinema Group Bertie Bus Cinema Group £1,488.00 Crieff Community Council Crieff Community Events £2,000.00 Social Flock Winter Warmer Packs £1,348.79 Comrie Kidds Strings Comrie Kidds Strings inclusion project £2,000.00 CPS Parents in Partnership PiP £3,000.00 Strathearn Building Bridges Growing Tuesday Club £3,880.00 Strathearn Artspace SCIO Building for the Future £1,800.00 TOTAL £34,740.79
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Ward 7 – Strathallan Group Project Funding Muthill Community Transport Group MIDAS Training for Volunteer Drivers £900.00 Muthill Village Trust Muthill to Crieff Cycle Path Maintenance £4,500.00 The Auchterarder Horticultural Society Auchterarder Horticultural Show £405.00 42nd Perth Scouts Outdoor Activities £500.00 Aberuthven Village Hall Trust Grow Community Youth £2,880.00 Dunning Town Hall Group Dunning Hall Tea Dances £1,500.00 Social Flock Winter Warmer Packs £1,348.79 Auchterarder Community Sports & Recreation (ACSR) Promoting Participation in Pickleball £1,058.00 Dunning Town Hall Dunning Hall Accessibility £4,946.00 Muthill Golf Club Tractor Replacement £2,500.00 Auchterarder Community Sports & Recreation (ACSR) ACSR Cycle Hub £2,500.00 Muthill Baby & Toddler Group Support Muthill Baby & Toddler Group £1,900.00 TOTAL £24,937.79
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Ward 8 – Kinross-shire Group Project Funding Milnathort in Bloom Polytunnel floor replacement £1,000.00 Scotlandwell in Bloom The Well Restoration £1,000.00 Kythe The Youth Scotland Awards Project £1,000.00 Kinross Centre Green Fingers £588.00 Orwell 70 Orwell 70 plus Christmas Tea 2024 £1,000.00 Kinnesswood in Bloom Kinnesswood in Bloom £1,929.67 Glenfarg Community Transport Group Additional bus support £4,000.00 KLEO Upgrade electricity points at Market Park for community events £1,000.00 Milnathort Core Paths Group Trimmers and Secure Storage £3,235.60 Ward 8 – Kinross-shire Group Project Funding Broke not Broken School Uniform Bank £1,969.41 Kinross District Men’s Shed KDMS Workshop Extension £3,500.00 Kinross-shire Trishaws and Community Cycling SCIO Developing Bike Buses and Inclusive Learn to Cycle Program £3,000.00 Kinross-shire Partnership Survival of www.kinross.cc £1,098.00 Kinross-shire Volunteer Group and Rural Outreach Scheme Rebrand of the Charity £459.00 Crook of Devon Village Hall Replacement of Radiators £1,000.00 Kinross Curling Trust Curling for All £750.00 TOTAL £26,529.68
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Ward 9 – Almond & Earn Group Project Funding Social Flock Winter Warmer Packs £1,000.00 Bridge of Earn Tennis Club Bridge of Earn Tennis Club £5,000.00 Earn Community Council Prepare a Local Place Plan £5,700.00 TOTAL £11,700.00 Ward 10 – Perth City South Group Project Funding Craigie and Moncrieffe Church Families and Youth Project £4,735.00 Moncreiffe Community Cafe Moncreiffe Community Cafe £2,635.98 Perthshire Welfare Society Digital Inclusion for ethnic minority communities £4,000.00 Men and Children Matter Men and Children Matter Weekly £2,453.25 Perth Community Flood Aid (PCFA) Flood Resilience Group £5,123.00 Social Flock Winter Warmer Packs £4,906.50 Creative Catalyst Digital Art Club £1,275.00 ESOLPerth Language Bridge £4,080.00 TOTAL £29,208.73
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Ward 11 – Perth City North Group Project Funding Perth Parrots Floorball Club £6,000.00 Bob's Brew Mens Health and Wellbeing £2,407.29 TullochNet S1/P7 drop in and Christmas Tree lighting event - Joint application £3,831.50 Men and Children Matter Men and Children Matter weekly £4,108.71 Social Flock Winter Warmer Packs £6,744.00 Letham Community Sports Club Getting in the Game £3,338.00 Perth Businesswomen's Network Empowerment & Resilience Training - Accountability £5,600.00 Creative Catalyst Digital Art Club £1,275.00 Perth Autism Support Support for Autistic Children, Young People and their Families £11,424.00 ESOLPerth Language Bridge £4,080.00 TOTAL £48,808.50 Ward 12 – Perth City Centre Group Project Funding Kinnoull Parish Church Teen Connect Group £4,000.00 Perth Minorities Association Unity Hub - A Space for growth and Support £3,946.70 Trinity Church of Nazarene Perth Perth Care Van Outreach £5,000.00 Creative Catalyst Scotland Digital Art Club £2,550.00 Beyond Incredible Beyond Incredible £3,000.00 North Muirton Community Group North Muirton Shops Defibrillator £2,160.00 Y Centre Ltd. Food for Young People by Young People £3,800.00 Neuro Central Expanding opportunities for people with Neurological Conditions £5,340.00 TOTAL £29,796.70
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6.2 The table below summarises the overall spend and confirms underspend of £47,520.20 spread across seven wards: Ward Funding Available Funding Awarded Underspend 1 – Carse of Gowrie £22,353.27 £22,353.27 - 2 – Strathmore £35,970.05 £35,970.05 - 3 – Blairgowrie & The Glens £23,676.84 £23,676.84 - 4 – Highland £21,370.52 £13,932.52 £7,438.00 5 – Strathtay £24,724.17 £24,724.17 - 6 – Strathearn £35,004.02 £34,740.79 £263.41 7 – Strathallan £24,948.87 £24,937.79 £11.08 8 – Kinross-shire £26,529.68 £26,529.68 - 9 – Almond & Earn £30,139.71 £11,700.00 £18,439.71 10 – Perth City South £41,158.10 £29,208.73 £11,949.37 11 – Perth City North £57,907.13 £48,808.50 £9,098.63 12 – Perth City Centre £30,116.70 £29,796.70 £320.00 TOTALS £365,799.24 £326,383.04 £47,520.20 6.3 It is recommended that Committee agree in principle to the remaining underspends being retained for community use, subject to approval by the Finance and Resource Committee. 7. POINTS FOR IMPROVEMENT 7.1 Experience of the 2024/25 Community Investment Fund and a follow-up survey for Ward Panels and applicants have identified possible improvements if CIF were to be repeated in future years. These include: • Perth City being considered as one pot of funding, to better reflect the location of applicants and beneficiaries; • Further amendments to the portal to improve user experience • Clarity on ward panel recruitment and organisation 7.2 These points will be covered in more detail within a future paper to Committee if CIF returns for a further round in 2025/26. 8. LOCALITY PB FUND 8.1 In March 2024 Councillors approved an allocation of £100,000 towards a Participatory Budgeting (PB) project for 2023/24, following the successful Green Living Fund PB last year. The process for running the Participatory Budgeting project was agreed through Report 24/193, with support to be given to community-led initiatives that focus on tackling poverty and the cost of living, including supporting the upskilling and resourcing of volunteers within these projects.
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8.2 The PB project is being run in conjunction with Local Action Partnerships and has been branded the “Locality PB Fund”. The project will be delivered as set out below: • w/c Monday 2 December 2024 – Fund opens for applications and promotion on social media and partnership networks. • Friday 9 February 2025 – Final proposals submitted and screened with Officers. • w/c Monday 17 February 2025 – voting opens on the webpage with in- person voting available in key locations in each locality. • Friday 7 March 2025 – voting closes. • w/c Monday 17 March 2025 – celebration event held to announce the result on a locality or region-wide basis. 8.3 It was also agreed by Committee in June 2024 that the budget should be split to target specific localities where evidence shows the highest levels of income deprivation. The localities are listed below, alongside their allocated budgets: Locality Initial Fund Population Income deprivation % Population Ratio Proportion of Funding Total Funding Old Scone, Central & North Perth £12,500.00 28,362 14.87% 4217.43 £35,337.22 £47,837.22 Rattray £12,500.00 2,942 17.00% 500.14 £4,190.60 £16,690.60 South Crieff £12,500.00 4,103 12.00% 492.36 £4,125.41 £16,625.41 Coupar Angus, Meigle & Alyth £12,500.00 8,110 9.34% 757.47 £6,346.76 £18,846.76 TOTALS £50,000.00 43,517 53.21% 5967.40 £50,000.00 £100,000.00 8.4 A report will be brought to Housing & Social Wellbeing on XXXX 2025 summarising the delivery of the Locality PB Fund Project. 9. CONCLUSION 9.1 Community Investment Fund supports new and innovative community projects that tackle inequalities and improve quality of life. This round of CIF has seen £326,383.04 committed to support 114 separate projects across Perth and Kinross. 9.2 Work to deliver the Locality PB Fund is progressing and will open for bids next month, with final decisions via public vote in March 2025.
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Authors Name Designation Contact Details Lee Haxton David Stokoe Community Planning Team Leader Service Manager – CLD and Equalities lhaxton@pkc.gov.uk dstokoe@pkc.gov.uk Approved Name Designation Date Elaine Ritchie Strategic Lead – Housing & Communities 18 November 2024 • APPENDICES – NONE
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes / None Community Plan / Local Outcomes Improvement Plan Yes Corporate Plan Yes Resource Implications Financial Yes Workforce None Asset Management (land, property, IST) None Assessments Equality Impact Assessment Yes Strategic Environmental Assessment Yes Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) Yes Legal and Governance None Risk None Consultation Internal Yes External None Communication Communications Plan None 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement 1.1 Supporting and investing in community-led solutions to locally identified issues contributes to the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Community Plan / LOIP in terms of the following priorities: (i) Giving every child the best start in life (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations Corporate Plan 1.2 Supporting and investing in community-led solutions to locally identified issues contributes to the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Council Corporate Plan in terms of the following priorities: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations.
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2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 Community Investment Fund has a budget of £365,800 for 2024/25 and funding decisions of £326,383.04 have been made, leaving an underspend of £47,520.20. 2.2 An additional £100,000 of funding was made available for a Participatory Budgeting exercise to be run in conjunction with Local Action Partnerships. A future report will set out how this funding has been used. 3. Assessments Equality Impact Assessment 3.1 Under the Equality Act 2010, the Council is required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between equality groups. Carrying out Equality Impact Assessments for plans and policies allows the Council to demonstrate that it is meeting these duties. 3.2 The information contained within this report has been considered under the Corporate Equalities Impact Assessment Process (EqIA) and has been assessed as not relevant for the purposes of EqIA. Strategic Environmental Assessment 3.3 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on the Council to identify and assess the environmental consequences of its proposals. 3.4 The information contained within this report has been considered under the Act. However, no action is required as the Act does not apply to the matters presented in this report. Sustainability 3.5 Under the provisions of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 the Council has to discharge its duties in a way which contributes to the achievement of sustainable development. Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 the Council has a general duty to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and the community, environmental and economic impacts of its actions. 3.6 The information contained within this report has been considered under the Act. However, no action is required as the Act does not apply to the matters presented in this report.
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4. Consultation Internal 4.1 There has been consultation with the Finance Department, Communities and the Executive Leadership Team. 2. BACKGROUND PAPERS 2.1 No background papers, as defined by Section 50D of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (other than any containing confidential or exempt information) were relied on to a material extent in preparing the above report.