Supporting Communities Fund 2024/25
Argyll and Bute Council · 4 June 2024
Back to Bute and Cowal Area Committee — 4 June 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 BUTE & COWAL AREA COMMITTEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S UNIT 4th June 2024 SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES FUND 2024/25 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 The purpose of this report is to decide on the allocation of the Council’s Supporting Communities Fund (SCF) for Bute & Cowal. 1.2 The total Supporting Communities Fund available by the Council for allocation in Bute & Cowal is £30,176.69 1.3 It is recommended that 17 applicants are awarded funding. 1.4 Applicants awarded funds from the Council’s Supporting Communities Fund have 18 months in which to spend the funds.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL BUTE & COWAL AREA COMMITTEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S UNIT 4th June 2024 SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES FUND 2024/25 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 The report details recommendations for the award of the Council’s Supporting Communities Fund (SCF). The Supporting Communities Fund available by Council in Bute & Cowal for 2024/25 is £29,500. 2.2 The total available for allocation is £30,176.69 due to the return of unspent funds from previous applicants. 2.3 Organisations applying to the fund were able to request up to £2,500. The SCF is popular and this year has attracted 35 applications from the Bute & Cowal area, requesting a total of over £60,000. 2.4 Applications have been scored by the Council’s Community Development Team against criteria set out in the guidance (https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/my- community/communities-and-partnerships/supporting-communities-fund) Also the SCF Scoring Matrix can be found here Supporting Communities Fund - Scoring Matrix (argyll-bute.gov.uk). A summary of all applications is appended to this report. 17 are recommended to be funded from the available funds. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 Members are asked to agree that the 17 applications, marked as ‘Award’ and ‘Partial Award’ within Appendix 1 are awarded funding from the Supporting Communities Fund totalling £30,176.69 Detailed information about these projects is contained within Appendix 2.
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4.0 DETAIL 4.1 The SCF is assessed through a robust process which involves financial checks and Community Development Team contact with the applicant to verify any information where required. All applicants need to provide satisfactory essential information on governance and finance to be eligible. Scoring is based on a set of criteria outlined in the guidance and made available on the council’s website. Applications to the fund must be for projects that come under one or more of these categories: • Fairer Communities – tackling poverty by sharing opportunities. • Resilient Communities – community capacity building/rebuilding and repairing from a pandemic • Greener, Cleaner Communities – environmental action to support addressing climate change • Creative Communities – creativity for health and wellbeing 4.2 Of the 35 applications received (requesting a total of £65,977.94), all were eligible, 3 were withdrawn and of the 35 eligible applications, 24 are either new applicants to the fund or have not applied within the last two years. 4.3 Of the eligible applications to the SCF, 17 are recommended to be awarded funding. Three of these are for island based projects. The applications recommended for funding are labelled as ‘Award’ and ‘Partial Award’ in the recommendation column in Appendix 1. The detail of the projects is in Appendix 2. 4.4 The projects recommended will deliver a range of activities from: helping widen CPR and defibrillator training, a programme of holiday activities for Young Carers, and the completion of a community garden. 4.5 Unsuccessful applications, due to the funds available, are marked as ‘No award’ in Appendix 1. These applicants will be offered support from the Community Development Team and provided with information on alternative sources of funding. 4.6 This year the total of £30,176.69 available for allocation is comprised of: • £29,500 from the Council’s Supporting Communities Fund. • £676.69 unspent funds from 2 projects spanning financial periods 2020-2021 and 2022/23. This was after an extension period granted following Covid disruption. 4.7 Successful projects funded have to complete a report at the end to evidence the impact of the spending of the money. The results of this are brought to Area Committee in March 2026, if not before, depending on project duration.
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5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 The Supporting Communities Fund application and assessment process has been completed as set out within its guidance. 5.2 The recommendations made fully allocate the funding available for financial year 2024/25. 5.3 The 17 projects being put forward for an award will help communities to deliver priority activities in their area in 2024/25. 5.4 All applicants to the fund are supported throughout the process and beyond by the Community Development Team. 5.5 Given that fund is oversubscribed, the team is considering potential changes to the fund for the future and recommendations will come to members to decide. 6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy: n/a 6.2 Financial: Recommendations in the report are limited to the budget allocation available in 2024/25 for the Supporting Communities Fund in Bute & Cowal. 6.3 Legal: Applications are initially assessed to ensure that groups are constituted with managed accounts. 6.4 HR: n/a 6.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: The Supporting Communities Fund supports community groups in tackling poverty, reducing inequality and building a fairer and more inclusive Scotland. 6.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics: Applicants are given the options of receiving the application in large print and other languages. 6.5.2 Socio-economic Duty: None known 6.5.3 Islands: 6 of the applicant projects are island based. 3 of these are being recommended funding. 6.6 Climate Change: One of the four criteria within the process is specific to mitigating climate change. 6.7 Risk: risk to the public pound is managed through the assessment and scoring, and through end of project monitoring process. 6.8 Customer Service: None 6.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC): None
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Pippa Milne Chief Executive Cllr Mark Irvine Policy Lead 4th June 2024 For further information contact: David Hagerty Community Development Officer Tel. 01700 801088 Email: david.hagerty@argyll-bute.gov.uk Suzanne Mason – Engagement and Communities Lead Tel. 01436 658933 Email. suzanne.mason@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1- Assessment Score and Recommendations Appendix 2 – Project Summary Shee
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Appendix 1 – Assessment Score and Recommendations Bute & Cowal 2024/25
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Ref Applicant Recommendation Assessment Score Value of Project Amount Requested Recommended Award 2024/25 Cumulative Total 1 Isle of Bute Resilience Award 7.9 3,650.00£ 2,500.00£ 2,500.00£ 2,500.00£ 2 Crossroads Caring for Carers B&C SCIO Award 7.8 3,750.00£ 2,500.00£ 2,500.00£ 5,000.00£ 3 Heartstart Argyll Award 7.8 2,450.00£ 2,450.00£ 2,450.00£ 7,450.00£ 4 Castle House Museum Award 7.7 2,500.00£ 2,500.00£ 2,500.00£ 9,950.00£ 5 Waterbaby Arts Award 7.7 2,448.00£ 2,448.00£ 2,448.00£ 12,398.00£ 6 Scenic Sandbank Award 7.6 11,549.00£ 2,460.00£ 2,460.00£ 14,858.00£ 7 Cairndow Community Council Award 7.5 350.00£ 350.00£ 350.00£ 15,208.00£ 8 Strachur and District Youth Drama Award 7.5 6,670.00£ 2,500.00£ 2,500.00£ 17,708.00£ 9 Bute Advice Centre Award 7.2 3,000.00£ 2,500.00£ 2,500.00£ 20,208.00£ 10 Dunoon Burgh Hall Trust Award 7.2 9,932.00£ 2,498.00£ 2,498.00£ 22,706.00£ 11 Patchwork Nursery Award 7.2 1,000.00£ 1,000.00£ 1,000.00£ 23,706.00£ 12 Tignabruich District Development Trust (1) Award 7.1 400.00£ 400.00£ 400.00£ 24,106.00£ 13 Bute Community Forest Award 7.1 3,700.00£ 2,500.00£ 2,500.00£ 26,606.00£ 14 Live Music Now Scotland Award 7.0 2,457.60£ 614.25£ 614.25£ 27,220.25£ 15 Cormonachan Community Woodlands Ltd Award 6.9 963.00£ 963.00£ 963.00£ 28,183.25£ 16 Cairndow Village Hall Partial award 6.7 1,450.00£ 1,450.00£ 996.72£ 29,179.97£ 17 Youth Stuff Partial award 6.7 3,082.40£ 2,222.37£ 996.72£ 30,176.69£ 18 Argyll Talking Newspaper No award 6.6 4,000.00£ 666.66£ -£ -£ 19 Argyll & Bute CAB No award 6.5 18,756.00£ 2,500.00£ -£ -£ 20 Lochgoilhead Bowling Club No award 6.5 2,495.00£ 1,975.00£ -£ -£ 21 Wild Goilers No award 6.5 1,436.00£ 1,436.00£ -£ -£ 22 Hunter's Quay Community Council No award 6.4 1,340.00£ 1,340.00£ -£ -£ 23 Lochgoil Comm Council No award 6.4 2,338.00£ 2,088.00£ -£ -£ 24 Rothesay Pipe Band No award 6.3 3,475.00£ 2,500.00£ -£ -£ 25 Kyles of Bute Golf Club No award 6.2 1,950.00£ 1,950.00£ -£ -£ 26 Cowal Choral Club No award 6.2 21,970.00£ 2,500.00£ -£ -£ 27 Bute Shinty Club No award 6.1 1,350.00£ 1,000.00£ -£ -£ 28 Argyll FM No award 6.0 4,500.00£ 833.33£ -£ -£ 29 Tignabruich District Development Trust (2) No award 5.7 4,000.00£ 2,000.00£ -£ -£ 30 Bute Community Bands No award 5.5 2,500.00£ 2,500.00£ -£ -£ 31 Cowal Walking Festival Association No award 5.4 3,500.00£ 2,500.00£ -£ -£ 32 Dunoon Community Shed No award 4.7 10,500.00£ 2,500.00£ -£ -£ TOTAL 143,462.00£ 60,144.61£ 30,176.69£ 30,176.69£
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Appendix 2 – Project Summary Sheet Applications Received (in order of scoring by Community Development Officer) For submission to Bute & Cowal Committee for final decision (maximum value £2,500). Ref: 1 Applicant: Isle of Bute Resilience Recommended Award: £2500 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.9 Project Summary: The grant recipient will use funding towards: The Port Bannatyne Gala Day in July 2024, a large community event for the people of Bute and visitors to the island. Funding, will cover stage, PA, marquee and event / safety equipment hire. The event is organised by volunteers, who will receive training and develop a range skills. The IoB Resilience Team, have offered to deliver the event which was at risk of cancellation. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 2 Applicant: Crossroad Caring for Carers Cowal & Bute SCIO Recommended Award: £2,500 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.8 Project Summary: The grant recipient will use funding to support young carers between 12 and 17 years old in Cowal and Bute to participate in the Young Carers festival in June and participate in a programme of events over the summer of 2024. Further activities will include outdoor learning at Benmore Outdoor Education centre, trampolining, Heads of Ayr Farm park, swimming, and ice skating. This will allow young carers to create positive and meaningful memories of summer. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 3 Applicant: Heartsart Cowal Recommended Award: £2,450 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.8 Project Summary: The grant recipient will use funding towards updating a training projector, volunteer training sessions, and running costs. This to assist in the provision of CPR and Defib training across the Cowal peninsula. Sessions are currently attended by a breadth of community organisations. The funding shall have secondary benefits in building resilience in these groups. Recommendation: Award Conditions:
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Ref: 4 Applicant: Castle House Museum Recommended Award: £2,500 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.7 Project Summary: The grant recipient will use funding to deliver a series of community outreach sessions, titled ‘Hands On Heritage’. Sessions are aimed at adult participants at risk of social isolation. Participants will be encouraged to connect with the rich history of Dunoon and make new social connections. Funding will cover the materials and printing, remove cost barriers for attendees, and promotion and marketing for the sessions. A young graduate trainee shall be employed to engage in the historical research and delivery of these workshops. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 5 Applicant: Waterbaby Arts SCIO Recommended Award: £2,448 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.7 Project Summary: Waterbaby Arts will be working with 12 families to provide accessible arts and dance sessions to children and young people with Additional Support Needs (ASN) Sessions are open to children 3-18 years old, and delivered by older peers, supported by dance specialists. Apprentices will be supported with additional support and training meetings, with the ultimate aim of preparation for the future workplace. Funds will support session costs and the support of young volunteers. Waterbaby are working alongside a recently formed family led group, CLASP Parents as well as Dunoon Grammar and Key Housing on the project. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 6 Applicant: Scenic Sandbank Recommended Award: £2,460 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.6 Project Summary: Following the acquisition of land through Community Asset Transfer in February 2024, Scenic Sandbank are working to create a community garden for residents and the wider community – with a focus on targeting local community groups and hard to reach residents. Funding will be used to create accessible raised beds in the garden design at different heights to suit all – covering costs of top soil. The garden is an immediate
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focus of wider regeneration and community ownership; led by a Community Development worker the group have recently employed. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 7 Applicant: Cairndow Community Council Recommended Award: £350 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.5 Project Summary: Cairndown Community Council are applying for beach cleaning equipment to re- instate a regular community beach clean in Cairndow. Previous events have attracted 20+ participants. This will be done in conjunction with the Marine Conservation Trust, who provide insurance for the activity, and look to monitor the plastic waste at the head of Loch Fyne. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 8 Applicant: Strachur & District Youth Drama Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.5 Project Summary: Strachur and District Youth Drama are seeking funding assistance for the hire of sound and lighting, equipment, staging, and rights for a community performance of a musical as the focus of their weekly, volunteer-ran, youth sessions attracting up to 40 members. They offer affordable drama sessions, and aim to provide creative and focussed activity for young people living in a rurally isolated village. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 9 Applicant: Bute Advice Centre Recommended Award: £2,323.33 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.2 Project Summary: BAC will deliver community group cooking sessions for 6 weeks blocks, to improve knowledge around foodstuffs and basic cooking techniques to partially address food poverty. This will be delivered in a community setting. Another stream of the project will engage on a 1:1 basis with 50 local residents to encourage food growing activity and signposting to existing food projects / or
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partners as appropriate. This is a further means of ensuring income maximisation by targeted engagement. Funding is for project costs. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 10 Applicant: Dunoon Burgh Hall Trust Recommended Award: £2,321.33 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.2 Project Summary: DBHT will use funding to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Dunoon Burgh Hall. A project co-ordinator shall arrange heritage and engagement events throughout the year, at the hall, in the community and local schools. The worker will have a role in engaging local groups, managing new volunteers, and providing training opportunities around the calendar of cultural events. The project will also explore the history of the building and its Victorian roots. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 11 Applicant: Patchwork Nursery Recommended Award: £823.34 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.2 Project Summary: Patchwork Nursery will use funding to organise a fortnightly intergenerational visit from children from Patchwork Nursery to Ashgrove care home. The reciprocal visits to the nursery by care home residents are match funded by Ashgrove. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 12 Applicant: Tignabruich District Development Trust (1) - Seniors Recommended Award: £0 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.1 Project Summary: 10 week activity programme for elderly residents to increase attendance at lunch club; and reverse trend for home delivery of lunch service, addressing isolation. Partnership between TDDT, Kings Court Addiction services and West Kirk Church. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 13 Applicant: Bute Community Forest Recommended Award: £0 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.1 Project Summary:
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Delivery of 8 volunteer events over calendar year to increase engagement and involvement of underrepresented groups in Bute Community Forest – including an extension of activities for those attending the Branching Out programme. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 14 Applicant: Live Music Now Scotland Recommended Award: £0 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.0 Project Summary: The project will deliver 1-hour participatory music performance in seven care homes and two 45-minute performances in one primary school reaching all four areas of Argyll and Bute Council. In the B&C area the project would visit two care homes, Ashgrove Care Home and Struan Lodge in Dunoon for performances. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 15 Applicant: Cormonachan Community Woodlands Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.9 Project Summary: Delivery of family event called “Escape the Forest” – A free family adventure story day planned for September 2024. Costs are to pay for planning and delivery of event by a local storyteller, and materials for participants. Recommendation: Award Conditions: Ref: 16 Applicant: Cairndow Village Hall Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.7 Project Summary: Cairndow village hall wish to purchase replacement defibrillator pads an epi-pen to increase local resilience. Funding would also help deliver 4 community engagement events and to assist in the delivery of a monthly soup hub. Recommendation: Partial Award Conditions: Ref: 17 Applicant: Youth Stuff
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Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.7 Project Summary: Youth Stuff will use funding towards core running costs of an accessible Youth Theatre group in Dunoon and South Cowal. Funding to contribute to hall hire and insurance costs. Recommendation: Partial Award Conditions: Ref: 18 Applicant: Argyll Talking Newspaper Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.6 Project Summary: Argyll Talking newspapers wish to update their delivery model from the use of USB sticks to the Amazon dot / “Alexa” to help deliver local news to the partially sighted and blind. Funding would be for the purchase of Amazon Dots and volunteer costs to assist in their set up. Recommendation: No Award Conditions: Ref: 19 Applicant: Argyll & Bute CAB Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.5 Project Summary: Funding for part costs of the recruitment and training of volunteer CAB advisers from remote and island communities. Funding will cover costs of a laptop, stationary, telephone costs, internet access, and room booking to assist training volunteers. Recommendation: No Award Conditions: Ref: 20 Applicant: Lochgoilhead Bowling Club Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.5 Project Summary: Funding for activities to improve mental health and wellbeing of older residents attending the Tuesday Club which takes place in Lochgoilhead Bowling Club. Costs are to contribute to hall heating, arts and craft activities, jewellery making equipment and refreshments for participants. Goals are to address social isolation and improve mental health and wellbeing of elderly. Recommendation: No Award
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Conditions: Ref: 21 Applicant: Wild Goilers Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.5 Project Summary: Funding to install 4 acoustic wildlife monitoring devices to give an indication of bird and bat populations over a 3 month period as baseline data for population health, and that of inter dependant species (e.g wild salmon). Recommendation: No Award Conditions: Ref: 22 Applicant: Hunter's Quay Community Council Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.4 Project Summary: Funding for improving local community space. Funds requested for 10 garden planters, and community engagement day with beach clean and community picnic. Beach clean includes provision of catering from local supplier and hire of Scout hall. Recommendation: No Award Conditions: Ref: 23 Applicant: Lochgoil Community Council Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.4 Project Summary: Funding for environmental enhancement of village, in keeping with the local action plan theme of a “Cared for Place”. Funding requested for seafront vegetation and grass maintenance contract with a local professional gardener and materials for community clean events. Recommendation: No Award Conditions: Ref: 24 Applicant: Rothesay Pipe Band Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.3
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Project Summary: To mark the band’s 50th celebration funding would help in the delivery of two community events including a Juvenile Celebration of Piping and Community concert. Funding would contribute towards practice sessions with professional musicians, sound and lighting and hall hire for events. Recommendation: No Award Conditions: Ref: 25 Applicant: Kyles of Bute Golf Club Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.2 Project Summary: The KoBGC have requesting funding to assist in child protection training and set up costs for a junior golf section. Funding is also requested for the purchase and fitting of a new floor covering for the club house. Recommendation: No Award Conditions: Ref: 26 Applicant: Cowal Choral Club Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.2 Project Summary: Funding as portion of annual project costs Contribution to group annual running costs focussed around weekly practice and community concerts over calendar year. Costs include, insurance, professional music director fees, costumes, set hire, lighting and audio, and marketing. Request for 11% of annual projected costs. Recommendation: No Award Conditions: Ref: 27 Applicant: Bute Shinty Club Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.1 Project Summary: Funding request for Shinty sticks to reduce the financial burden of participation in Shinty on Bute. Club looking for funding to help subsidise player purchase of sticks and other safety equipment. Recommendation: No Award Conditions:
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Ref: 28 Applicant: Argyll FM Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.0 Project Summary: Funding request to improve reception to more geographically remote areas of Argyll and to establish remote broadcasting stations across the region, including islands. Funding would support work to establish and equip broadcast sites in addition to minor upgrades to current infrastructure. Application is across 3 admin. areas. Recommendation: No Award Conditions: Ref: 29 Applicant: Tignabruich District Development Trust (2) Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 5.7 Project Summary: Funding requested for Summer Forest School at Kilfinan Community Forest and Glenan Wood. The forest school will have spaces for 24 children per day and running over two weeks during the summer holidays. Funding requested is for staff costs for 3 sessional workers planning and delivering outdoor art, educational and environmental activities. Recommendation: No Award Conditions: Ref: 30 Applicant: Bute Community Bands Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 5.5 Project Summary: Funding to deliver music workshops across Argyll and Bute to marginalised groups and introduce them to range of brass, wood and string instruments in the band. New venture for group who are in early process of establishing partnerships. Recommendation: No Award Conditions: Ref: 31 Applicant: Cowal Walking Festival Association Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 5.4 Project Summary:
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Funding requested to assist with the promotion, training for and delivery of the Cowal walking festival in September 2024 - costs include: printing, safety equipment, maps, website hosting fees and insurance costs. Recommendation: No Award Conditions: Ref: 32 Applicant: Dunoon Community Shed Recommended Award: Assessment Score (out of 10): 4.7 Project Summary: Funding requested for the purchase of 5 space heaters and general unspecified costs towards a wider schedule of work, including building repairs and improvements with additional aim of improving energy efficiency. Recommendation: No Award Conditions: