Applications For Financial Assistance
Perth and Kinross Council · 22 June 2022
Back to Perth Common Good Fund Committee — 22 June 2022 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL Perth Common Good Fund Committee 22 June 2022 APPLICATIONS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Report by Head of Culture & Community Services (Report No 22/143) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 The report asks Perth Common Good Fund Committee to consider applications for financial assistance for 2 small grants. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that Council: • consider the 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 • Section 5: Proposals: Small Grants • Section 6: Conclusion • Appendix 4. BACKGROUND / MAIN ISSUES 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.
Page 2
4.3 Applications to Common Good Funds vary across the different former burghs of Perth and Kinross. The Perth Common Good Fund is larger and receives a much higher number of applications than the other Funds. Therefore, additional criteria are applied to assist with assessing applications (see Appendix 1). 4.4 The 2022/23 Budget for the Perth Common Good Fund was approved at the Committee meeting on 21 February 2022 (Report 22/40 refers). A summary of the approved Financial Assistance budget, committed grant funding, and the budget remaining, is provided below: 2022/23 Financial Assistance Budget Small Grants Capital Grants £60,000 £40,000 Value of grants paid and committed Small Grants Capital Grants £15,489 £37,000 Remaining Financial Assistance Budget Small Grants Capital Grants £44,511 £3,000 Value of funding requested and under consideration Small Grants Capital Grants £1,264.98 NIL 5. PROPOSALS – SMALL GRANTS The Black Watch Castle and Museum 5.1 An application for £684.98 has been received from The Black Watch Castle and Museum for their Platinum Jubilee Celebrations at the Castle project, which aims to develop and implement a series of events to give the community an opportunity to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Attendees will be able to take part in the ceremonial beacon lighting, bugle call, lone piper performance, and choir singing. Fairview Primary School will help design jubilee inspired flags which will be displayed around the Castle throughout the events, and the North Inch Care Home and the local community will paint pebbles for the commemorative platinum jubilee path in the castle grounds. Other partners include: Perth based vocal trio The McAndrews Sisters, Perth Choral Society and a volunteer gardening group. 5.2 140 people of various ages from the Common Good Area are estimated to benefit from the project. The event programme is as follows: • 2nd June - Jubilee Dinner and Ceremonial Beacon Lighting 7pm-10pm (Entry: £30 per person for the dinner, Lighting Ceremony will be open to anyone who wishes to join)
Page 3
• 3rd June - Platinum Jubilee Street Party at the Castle 11am-5pm (Entry: adults £15, children £10) • 4-5th June - Picnic Weekend at the Castle 9:30am-4:30pm (Entry: adults £12.50, children £10) • 13th May-30th September – Exhibition; the 1953 Coronation Medal – Soldier Stories (Entry: included in museum admission, which is £10 for adults; £7.50 for concessions; £4.25 for child aged 5-15 years; £23.50 for a family; Free for child under 5 years) • 2nd-30th June - Jubilee Gallery Trails (Entry: included in museum admission) 5.3 The Jubilee events’ ticket prices mainly cover the provision of food and to ensure that the organisation can break even. Parts of the Jubilee Dinner, the Street Party and the Picnic Weekend events have been included at no extra cost to the attendee, e.g. live music at the Jubilee Street Party and Picnic Weekend. The other events in the programme only charge for admission to the museum in order to involve more members of the community. 5.4 The total cost of the project is £3,424.93. A breakdown of the costs has been provided below. Jubilee Dinner ticket sales have not been included in the admission cost estimate as costs for the dinner do not form part of this application. 5.5 Whilst some purchased items and services have been locally sourced, the applicant has explained that online retailers were used to purchase other products as they offered a more cost-effective option, supplied items the applicant could not source locally and reduced the amount of staff time sourcing products. The applicant has not received grant funding from the Common Good Fund in the last three years. Specific items Basis of Costing Amount Crafts and trail materials Online retailer pricing £112.19 Marketing (flyers, banners, street advertising, posters, tabletop stand, 3 targeted Facebook ads between 1st May- 1st June) Invoices/quotes £1,656.63 Bistro street party materials Invoices/quotes £479.06 Live entertainment (McAndrews Sisters – 2 x 45 minute sets) Invoice £400 Exhibition panels for Museum Coronation Medal Exhibition Quote £210 Green Canopy materials (Yew Trees from Woodland Trust and Queens Green Canopy Plaque) Invoices £152.90 Team 50s style uniform (t-shirts, scarves, dresses) Online retailer pricing £385.75
Page 4
Visitor safety equipment (antibacterial wipes and hand gel) Retailer pricing £28.40 Total proposed expenditure £3,424.93 Projected ticket sales income for Street Party and Picnic Events £1,571 Contribution from group £1,168.95 Funding requested £684.98 Consideration 5.6 It is considered that a grant of £684.98 is consistent with Criteria 9.2(b). Given the context of the cost of living crisis and a desire to widen participation, Committee may wish to consider awarding the grant on the condition that it is used to offset the cost of family tickets to the events. St Johns RC Academy Parent Council 5.7 An application for £580 has been received from St John’s RC Academy Parent Council for their 2022 Award Ceremony. This is an annual prizegiving event held every June for children in St Johns RC Academy to celebrate their success over the academic year. 5.8 500 people aged under 17 years from the Common Good Area are estimated to benefit from the project. The Parent Council usually contribute to the cost of the school’s prizegiving, however over the last two years they have been unable to fundraise and as a result, their funds are running low. If partial or no funding was awarded, the school would have to take the money out of their own budget. 5.9 The total cost of the project is £1,450. A breakdown of the costs has been provided below, all of which are based on previous event prices. The school itself previously received £520 of Common Good Funding for their Award Ceremony 2020. In 18/19, an application from the Parent Council for the 2018 ceremony was awarded £780 and was paid into the school fund. Specific items Amount Catering for award ceremony £100 Flowers for award ceremony £100 Trophies and Certificates £700 Gift Vouchers £550 Total proposed expenditure £1,450 Contribution from School £870 Funding requested £580
Page 5
Consideration 5.10 It is considered that a grant of £580 is consistent with Criteria 9.2 and 9.3. 6. CONCLUSION 6.1 The Committee is asked to consider the applications and agree any financial assistance to be awarded. Authors Name Designation Contact Details Lee Haxton Lisa Davison Community Planning Team Leader Community Planning Officer (01738) 475000 ComCommitteeReports@pkc.gov.uk Approved Name Designation Date Barbara Renton Executive Director (Communities) 6 June 2022 APPENDICES • Appendix 1 - Perth City Common Good Fund Criteria.
Page 6
ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes / None Community Plan Yes Corporate Plan Yes Resource Implications Financial Yes Workforce None Asset Management (land, property, IST) None Assessments Equality Impact Assessment None Strategic Environmental Assessment None Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) None Legal and Governance None Risk None Consultation Internal Yes External None Communication Communications Plan None 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan 1.1 The proposals will contribute to the Community Plan’s aim of safe, healthy and inclusive communities and the outcome of communities will have improved quality of life. The recommendations contained within this report are in accordance with the priorities of Perth Common Good Fund's criteria for financial assistance. Corporate Plan 1.2 The proposals will contribute to the Corporate Plan’s objectives of developing educated, responsible and informed citizens and the outcome of people are ready for life and work. The recommendations contained within this report are in accordance with the priorities of Perth Common Good Fund's criteria. 2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 The Head of Finance has been consulted and has indicated agreement with the proposals. The recommendations contained within this report will be funded from the 2022/23 Financial Assistance budget.
Page 7
Workforce 2.2 N/A. Asset Management (land, property, IT) 2.3 N/A. 3. Assessments 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 This section should reflect that the proposals have been considered under the Corporate Equalities Impact Assessment process (EqIA) with the following outcome: 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 However, no action is required as the Act does not apply to the matters presented in this report. This is because the Committee are requested to note the contents of the report only and the Committee are not being requested to approve, adopt or agree to an action or to set the framework for future decisions. Sustainability 3.5 N/A. Legal and Governance 3.6 The Head of Legal and Governance has been consulted. Risk 3.7 N/A. 4. Consultation Internal 4.1 The Head of Finance and the Head of Legal and Governance have been consulted.
Page 8
External 4.2 N/A. 5. Communication 5.1 N/A. 6. BACKGROUND PAPERS 6.1 Perth Common Good Application papers.