Supporting Communities Fund - 2022-23 Project Monitoring Report
Argyll and Bute Council · 6 March 2024
Back to Oban Lorn & The Isles Area Committee — 6 March 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL OBAN, LORN AND THE ISLES COMMITTEE COMMUNITY PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 6th March 2024 SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES FUND - Monitoring of Projects Funded 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide monitoring information on the funding given to community projects from the council’s Supporting Communities Fund. 1.2 11 constituted, not-for-profit, community organisations were awarded funding by the Area Committee in 2022/23. Organisations are required to spend their funding within 18 months and submit an End of Project Monitoring Report outlining the project’s projected costs, actual costs and beneficiaries. 1.3 Members are asked to consider the contents of the report showing a summary of the information supplied by organisations in their End of Project Monitoring Reports. 1.4 Members are asked to note the return of unspent funds and that these and that these are made available in future allocations of the Supporting Communities Fund in OLI.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL OBAN, LORN AND THE ISLES AREA COMMITTEE COMMUNITY PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 6th March 2024 SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES FUND - Monitoring of Projects Funded 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 This report highlights the positive outcomes for communities in Oban, Lorn and the Isles through the allocation of the Council’s Supporting Communities Fund in 2022/23. 2.2 A total of £24,030.29 was awarded to 11 organisations in 2022/23. Organisations have 18 months to spend the funds, and up to two months from the end of the project, to complete and return a project monitoring report. 2.3 A total of £2,617.50 total has been identified as unspent funds and returned. This can be included in the distribution of the SCF in OLI for 2024/25. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that the Area Committee: 3.1 Note and consider the positive contribution of the Supporting Communities Fund detailed in section 4 and the attached table. 3.2 Note that a total of £2,617.50 in total has been returned, and agree that this be included in the distribution of the SCF for 2024/25. . 4.0 DETAIL 4.1 The funded projects supported approximately 20,311 people to participate in a variety of activities including outdoors, sports, music and projects positively impacting mental health. Highlights include: • Argyll Wellbeing Hub – delivering a series of peer support sessions,
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walking trips and events to support and develop LGBTQ+ awareness and celebration for mental health and well-being for marginalised communities following the pandemic. • The Ardchattan Centre – delivered 2 intergenerational projects for a series of history & heritage, and arts & culture workshops which were delivered to a wide range of participants with the aim of countering the isolation and fragmentation brought about by the pandemic. • Mull & Iona Community Trust – ran a series of guided walks, outdoor events, drop in events and beach cleans, developing a volunteer after school programme and a holiday club. 4.2 The attached table summarises information received from individual projects. 4.3 10 grant recipients have submitted an End of Project Monitoring Report. 4.4 Note that a total of £2,617.50 in total has been returned; £2,617.50 to be included in the distribution of the SCF for 2024/25. The return of funds is a combination of projects under budget or funds unable to be spent.
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2022/23 SCF Round of Funding No Organisation Project Funded Award End of Project Achievements No. of people in communities benefitting 1 Argyll & Bute Befrienders 57 sessions of therapeutic and personal development activities for young people, covering fees for the activity and workshop providers and entry fees for sporting and cultural activities £604.00 We met the aims of the project in that we provided opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people to experience a range of recreational and therapeutic activities with the support of their befriender. The main activities undertaken were various sports including climbing, swimming, cycling and minigolf, arts and crafts activities such as pottery painting and felting and several of our young people benefited from horse-riding in small groups to build their confidence and help them learn to regulate their emotions. 19 (A&B wide ) 2 Argyll Wellbeing Hub 24 sessions for Oban Pride peer support meetings, inclusion in scheduled mental health training sessions with refreshments, inclusion in scheduled weekly walking trips and two community events at the Hub, including the Oban Pride event in September 2022, followed by LGBT history month in Feburary 2023 £2,500.00 We are delighted that with the support of this grant and the partnership working and additional support we were able to provide to Oban Pride their capacity has grown. Oban Pride 2023 was their biggest event yet and spanned over 3 days. The Supporting Communities Fund and Argyll Wellbeing Hub have played a small part in this, and we are delighted to have played that part to help the local LGBTQ+ community develop and grow following the negative impact on it from covid. Argyll Wellbeing Hub works to fight stigma and discrimination every day for our marginalised mental health community, and we are delighted to have been able to support another community facing similar disadvantages to ours to develop and flourish. 16,320 3 Aros Park Historic Walled Garden purchase of tools for volunteers to contribute to the repair of the stone wall surrounding the garden, supporting rural skills training which will provide dry stone wall instruction for 50 volunteers. £2,500.00 Project not delivered – funds to be returned
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2022/23 SCF Round of Funding 4 Comunn Gàidhealach an Òbain (Oban Mod Academy) tutors for Gaelic conversation and Gaelic singing, professional tuition and towards official MOD music and song downloads. £1,764.20 The Mod Academy children competed in several provincial mods and the royal national Mod in Paisley winning several 1st , 2nd and 3rd prizes. A primary child who won a 1st prize in a big competition, when being televised said to the reporter, “I just can’t wait until I get to the high school so that I can take Gaelic as a subject”. They were all very encouraged to receive excellent adjudications 40 5 Down’s Syndrome Scotland ( Oban and Area Positive Futures) venue hire for 20 meetings for 11 families. Makaton Training, Sensory and educational play equipment and outings £2,500.00 Offered Makaton training to all parents - huge uptake and ongoing further training by the parents and children. ( and now pressure on local schools to start using and learning it- much better inclusion. Also valuable for their peers in school to have some Makaton abilities. We now have a good support network between the families, and are continuing to strive to support each other. also offering support to new families with a child with Down Syndrome, and hopefully to some of the older adults living in the area. 45 6 Mull and Iona Community Trust Community ranger to work with volunteers on path repairs, visitor liaison and management, a series of community events, develop a volunteer programme and after school/holiday club £2,500.00 We have run a series of guided walks and outdoor events for specialist groups and general member of the community.(22 events). We also held drop in sessions at both out wildlife hides on the island being there for about 2 hours at a time sharing what them what was to be seen from the hide and general chatter about Mull particularly wildlife and walking opportunities. (5 events) We have run conservation work parties for volunteers at various sites around the island including Calgary Bay, Tiroran Community Forest, Bunessan Community Garden and Ardura Community Forest, and beach cleans at several popular beach locations and also beaches that seem to be a magnet for rubbish. 1706 7 Oban Communities Trust - The Rockfield Centre - Dye Garden 54 artist sessions and the development of a space by volunteers for a dye garden of plants harvested and used in artworks. Purchase of seeds, compost, pots and £2,493.90 The workshops included a 2 day natural dyeing course, for local participants to learn the process of how to use the continue to benefit from it and pass on their new found knowledge. As part of this we offered funded places to SAMS design students. We also held a botanical printing workshop and Tatakizome workshop (Japanese hammering method textiles). As part of 'Earth Month' at The Rockfield Centre: a themed programme of activity around April 22nd (Earth Day) every day, with examples of the colours produced from our garden on display. Our lead practitioner and current volunteers techniques, while attracting new volunteers, including those under 30. We also have a permanent display in the centre for people to view. 264
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2022/23 SCF Round of Funding path surface for horticultural activities 8 Oban Communities Trust - The Rockfield Centre - LEGO & Construction Club Oban hall hire for 18 months, purchase of Lego kits and other toy kits and storage bags £2,412.00 The Lego Club was able to start back up after Covid and to grow it’s numbers back up to those that it had before. The funding meant that equipment that was getting worn down was replaced so that both new attendees and regulars came back time again. I have had parents tell me that the Lego Club is the only out of school activity that their child wants to attend, that it is the activity they always look forward to coming along to and that they feel the environment is comfortable and welcoming. 600 9 Oban FM Community Radio Ltd broadcasting equipment and specialist software, tutor fees to train volunteers on the equipment, volunteer expenses and a project worker to develop and conduct a community survey report £1,764.19 Yes our project was completed and we did manage to complete our move and construct our new studio. 10 Oban Youth Café group activities for 5 groups of 8 young people to have 10 free of charge creative or outdoor sessions, planned and coordinated by youth workers £2,500.00 Because all our sessions are free, it means no one is left because of cost. That impact is massive, especially as some of our young people are coming from low-income families. Our projects also give our young people a chance to make new friends, some of our young people live very remotely and don’t get to see friends out of school. Positive social contact helps with good mental health. Most sessions, our young people are learning new skills and in doing so, it boosts their self-esteem. With our Soundsystem project, some of our young people were very shy about performing but with encouragement from the others, managed to perform in front of parents at a show they put on. With the Oban Pride sessions, having the space to talk through LGBTQ+ issues helped with their confidence. 47
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2022/23 SCF Round of Funding 11 The Ardchattan Centre costs of two intergenerational family projects: transport and venue hire for 16 History & Heritage workshops and 16 Arts & Culture 16 workshops £2,492.00 We believe so, our aim was to counter the isolation and community-fragmentation brought by Covid (and the closure of our school a few years previously), by engaging all age in a wide range of activities that encouraged intergenerational and family participation around two strands: the rich History & Heritage of the area and a creative and focus on Arts & Culture. Running from June 2022 to September 2023 (16 months) we delivered a schedule of 69 events/activities which brought a wide range pf people into contact with each other, and to make good use of our facilities. 1,270
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5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 The project monitoring form has a section asking for comments on the grant process. Not all applicants have completed this section but of those received, the comments have largely been very positive. 6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy: None 6.2 Financial: The report sets out the expenditure of Oban, Lorn and the Isles 2022/23 allocation of Supporting Communities Fund 6.3 Legal: None 6.4 HR: None 6.5 Fairer Scotland Duty/Equalities/Islands: Compliant with policy and noting that 2 of the funded projects were on islands 6.6 Climate Change: None 6.7 Risk: None 6.8 Customer Service: None 6.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC): None Chief Executive – Pippa Milne Policy Lead - Cllr Alistair Redman Communities and Partnership Manager – Rona Gold 31/01/2024 For further information contact: Engagement and Communities Lead Suzanne Mason on 01436 658933 / suzanne.mason@argyll-bute.gov.uk.