Supporting Communities Fund 2024/25
Argyll and Bute Council · 11 June 2024
Back to Helensburgh & Lomond Area Committee — 11 June 2024 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL HELENSBURGH AND LOMOND AREA COMMITTEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S UNIT 11 JUNE 2024 SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES FUND 2024/25 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 The purpose of this report is to decide the allocation of the Council’s Supporting Communities Fund (SCF) for Helensburgh & Lomond. 1.2 The total Supporting Communities Fund budget available by the Council for allocation in Helensburgh & Lomond in 2024/25 is £31,175.50. 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 AREA COMMITTEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S UNIT 11 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 the Council in Helensburgh & Lomond for 2024/25 is £29,500. 2.2 The total available for allocation is £31,175.50 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 26 applications from the Helensburgh & Lomond area, requesting a total of £51,925.40. 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, with 17 recommended to be funded with the budget available. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 Members are asked to agree that the 17 applications, marked as ‘Award’ or ‘Partial award’ within Appendix 1 are awarded funding from the Supporting Communities Fund, totalling £31,175.50. 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 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 26 applications received (requesting a total of £51,925.40), 3 were withdrawn or ineligible and of the 23 remaining applications, 15 are new applicants or have not applied within the last two years. 4.3 17 are recommended to be awarded funding with the budget available. The applications recommended for funding are labelled as ‘Award’ or ‘Partial award’ in the recommendation column of Appendix 1. The detail of the projects is in Appendix 2. 4.4 The projects recommended will deliver a range of activities from horse riding for people with disabilities, community woodland activities and community engagement projects. 4.5 Unsuccessful applications, due to 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 £31,175.50 available for allocation is comprised of: • £29,500 from the Council’s Supporting Communities Fund. • Return of unspent funds of £1,675.50 from projects in the financial period 2020/2021 and 2022/23. 4.7 Successful funded projects must 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 (Supporting Communities Fund | Argyll and Bute Council (argyll-bute.gov.uk)). 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 Helensburgh & Lomond. 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. 6.6 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)
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Pippa Milne Chief Executive Mark Irvine Policy Lead Councillor 11th June 2024 For further information contact: Kirsty McLuckie - Community Development Officer Tel. 01631 572192 Email. kirsty.mcluckie@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 Sheet
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Appendix 1 – Assessment Score and Recommendations Ref Applicant Recommendation Assessment Score Value of Project Amount Requested Recommended Award 2024/25 Cumulative Total 1 Cove Park Award 7.9 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 2 Fun First Award 7.2 £4,100.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £5,000.00 3 Route 81 Youth Project Award 7.2 £10,949.11 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £7,500.00 4 Helensburgh Community Woodlands Group Award 7.1 £2,563.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £10,000.00 5 Argyll & Bute Citizens Advice Bureau - HL Award 7.0 £16,456.00 £2,300.00 £2,300.00 £12,300.00 6 Garelochhead Senior Citizens Award 6.5 £1,000.00 £800.00 £800.00 £13,100.00 7 Gibson Hall Award 6.5 £5,850.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £15,600.00 8 Arrochar & Tarbet Community Development Trust Award 6.4 £3,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £18,100.00 9 Gareloch Riding for the Disabled Association Award 6.4 £6,277.00 £2,092.00 £2,092.00 £20,192.00 10 Garelochhead Station Trust Award 6.4 £1,990.00 £1,200.00 £1,200.00 £21,392.00 11 The Edible Garden at Rhu Hall – Rhu and Shandon Community Education Centre Award 6.3 £13,627.42 £950.00 £950.00 £22,342.00 12 Live Music Now Scotland Award 6.3 £614.40 £614.40 £614.40 £22,956.40 13 Peninsula Choir Award 6.0 £4,042.00 £2,021.00 £2,021.00 £24,977.40 14 Rosneath Community Garden Award 6.0 £5,418.00 £1,018.00 £1,018.00 £25,995.40 15 Cove and Kilcreggan Community Council Award 5.8 £3,300.00 £2,200.00 £2,200.00 £28,195.40 16 Plastic Free Helensburgh Award 5.3 £980.00 £980.00 £980.00 £29,175.40 17 Friends of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Partial award 5.1 £32,500.00 £2,500.00 £2,000.10 £31,175.50 18 Peaton Pealers No award 5.0 £2,500.00 £2,500.00 £0.00 £31,175.50 19 Grey Matters No award 4.9 £2,250.00 £2,250.00 £0.00 £31,175.50 20 Helensburgh Heritage Trust No award 4.6 £3,000.00 £1,500.00 £0.00 £31,175.50 21 Helensburgh Amateur Athletics Club No award 4.2 £37,860.00 £2,000.00 £0.00 £31,175.50 22 Woodlandwise Forest School CIC No award 3.8 £2,590.00 £2,500.00 £0.00 £31,175.50 23 Helensburgh Gaelic Group No award 2.1 £3,125.00 £2,500.00 £0.00 £31,175.50 TOTAL £166,991.93 £44,925.40 £31,175.50
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Appendix 2 – Project Summary Sheet Applications received (in order of scoring by Community Development Officer) For submission to Helensburgh & Lomond Area Committee for final decision (maximum value £2,500). Ref: 1 Applicant: Cove Park Recommended Award: £2,500 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.9 Project Summary: 4 free Family Learning Workshops, for children and their parents, approximately 35 people per workshop. Workshops are designed to improve behaviour, concentration, wellbeing, and social integration. Children and their families will experience new creative processes, and techniques that could include digital projects, filmmaking, photography and animation. Funding would cover the costs of materials, equipment, a fee for the lead artists and free transport to and from Cove Park. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 2 Applicant: Fun First Recommended Award: £2,500 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.2 Project Summary: 38 outdoor family learning sessions, for children aged 0 - 5 and their parents. Sessions would take place in Hermitage Park and would include sensory games, tree trails, the brilliance of birds, minibeast mayhem and more. Funding would be used to pay staffing costs and hire of Hermitage Park community hall. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 3 Applicant: Route 81 Youth Project Recommended Award: £2,500 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.2 Project Summary: 33 term-time weeks of youth club evenings and various workshops. These will be free to young people, to ensure no financial barriers to participation. Sessions are planned by young people and provide opportunities to increase confidence, self-esteem, learn new skills and volunteering. Funding would be used to employ a sessional Youth Worker, for 7 hours a week. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 4 Applicant: Helensburgh Community Woodlands Group Recommended Award: £2,500 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.1 Project Summary: Organising community planting days to plant a large number of saplings from the Woodland Trust and to plant 12 native “standards” trees including fruit trees within an open glade area. This urban woodland is a community asset owned by and open to the local community. Funding would be used to buy 12 trees; tree supports, circular metal fencing sheaths, tree ties and compost. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions
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Ref: 5 Applicant: Argyll & Bute Citizens Advice Bureau - HL Recommended Award: £2,300 Assessment Score (out of 10): 7.0 Project Summary: A project to recruit and train volunteer advisers to tackle poverty and increase financial capacity in rural communities affected by the cost-of-living crisis. Training opportunities would enable volunteers to provide advice and support in their own community. Funding would be used to pay for office equipment, office costs and room hire. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 6 Applicant: Garelochhead Senior Citizens Recommended Award: £800 Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.5 Project Summary: A fortnightly group for senior citizens from October 2024 to March 2025, with activities, musicians, guest speakers, a Christmas lunch for all members and an outing with 2 wheelchair accessible minibuses. Funding would pay for hall hire, insurance, Christmas lunch and minibus hire. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 7 Applicant: Gibson Hall Recommended Award: £2,500 Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.5 Project Summary: Developing a community-led action plan for the Gibson Hall and carrying out some essential repairs. The action plan would involve 3 community open days in 2024/2025, for locals to visit the hall to express their views and also conducting an online and a house-to- house survey. Funding would be used to pay for displays, refreshments and printing for the open days and surveys, money would also be used to pay for updating the fire alarm and PAT testing. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 8 Applicant: Arrochar & Tarbet Community Development Trust Recommended Award: £2,500 Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.4 Project Summary: A community engagement exercise to identify local views about the hall and how it’s used and potentially identify new volunteer leaders for groups and activities. This would include 3-month trial periods, to cover hall costs for new hall user groups and to encourage professional “service providers” such as a podiatrist to visit a relatively remote location. Funding would be used towards staffing costs; hall hire waivers and services costs e.g. electricity. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions
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Ref: 9 Applicant: Gareloch Riding for the Disabled Association Recommended Award: £2,092 Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.4 Project Summary: Tailored 1-hour sessions for people to ride and interact with horses. Over a year these sessions will benefit approx. 55 children and adults affected by disability. Whilst over 100 volunteers manage and care for five horses, bought specifically to cater for each group of users. Funding would go towards the livery and care of the ponies and horses at the Colgrain Equestrian Centre. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 10 Applicant: Garelochhead Station Trust Recommended Award: £1,200 Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.4 Project Summary: 3 special brunches throughout 2024/2025 on dates significant to veterans, including Remembrance Day and the D-Day Anniversary. Brunches provide a safe environment for approx. 70 members to take part in a sociable activity, where they can remember, share stories, and support each other’s mental health. Funding would pay for food, hall decoration, accessible transport, and hall rental. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 11 Applicant: The Edible Garden at Rhu Hall – Rhu and Shandon Community Education Centre Recommended Award: £950 Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.3 Project Summary: A twice weekly volunteer ‘construction’ group for garden projects. The group want to continue building items for the Rhu and Shandon Community Garden and teach other members of the community how to use tools and construct items. So far, they have constructed paved paths, a poly-tunnel, birdfeeders and raised beds for people with disabilities. The group is well attended by a group of older men and is growing in numbers of attendees. Funding would be use for wood, screws, concrete, paving, garden tools, safety equipment and a small staffing cost. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 12 Applicant: Live Music Now Scotland Recommended Award: £614.40 Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.3 Project Summary: Participatory music performances in two care homes in Helensburgh, Argyll Care Home, and Northwood Nursing Home. Musicians have been trained and supported to work in community settings, including for those with dementia, and are emerging specialists in using music to engage people who may be cut off from the pleasures of participating and sharing with others. The funding would be used for musician’s fees, travel and subsistence, plus a coordination fee. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions
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Ref: 13 Applicant: Peninsula Choir Recommended Award: £2,021 Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.0 Project Summary: Weekly choir practices and staging musical events, e.g. winter and summer solstice events. Choir activities provide social wellbeing and musical benefits to choir members and the wider community who attend performances. Funding would be used to pay towards part of the Musical Director’s fees. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 14 Applicant: Rosneath Community Garden Recommended Award: £1018 Assessment Score (out of 10): 6.0 Project Summary: Increasing productivity of Community Garden. Volunteers work in the garden and local community harvest the produce on a donation basis. Currently, the garden is unable to meet the high demand for produce. Therefore, they plan to erect a 4 x 6m Shetland Polycrub to increase the growing area and season, establish a ready supply of seedlings and provide shelter for gardeners. Funding would be used to pay for insurance, seeds, plants, picnic table, garden tools and a contribution towards Polycrub. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 15 Applicant: Cove and Kilcreggan Community Council Recommended Award: £2200 Assessment Score (out of 10): 5.8 Project Summary: Community activities that aim to build the community’s resilience to challenges such as 72 hr power cuts and/or flooding. This would involve community events, working with local school and businesses, building a volunteer network, mapping flood areas, working closely with Scottish Fire and Rescue Services and linking to wider networks. The funding would be used for room hire, printing, banners, website, craft materials, printing a large- scale PVC map, training sessions. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 16 Applicant: Plastic Free Helensburgh Recommended Award: £980 Assessment Score (out of 10): 5.3 Project Summary: Develop a forum for community groups involved in making their areas cleaner, greener, sustainable and more climate friendly. Building on the success of ‘The Big Conversation’ held in March 2024. Over 18 months, Plastic Free Helensburgh would facilitate a range of in-person and online meetings. These meetings would include workshops, invited speakers and online subgroups for organisations undertaking similar tasks/projects in different areas (e.g. local food production). All with the aims of supporting joint working, sharing learning and potentially developing a Green Space Community Action Plan. Funding would pay for room hire, refreshments, printing, publicity and a zoom account. Recommendation: Award Conditions: No conditions
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Ref: 17 Applicant: Friends of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Recommended Award: £2000.10 Assessment Score (out of 10): 5.1 Project Summary: Contribution towards project co-ordination staffing cost and litter bin emptying by a contractor along the A82 for the ‘Adopt a Bonnie Banks Bin’ scheme weekly/bi-weekly collection and recycling of litter from the 20 bins in place between Arden Roundabout and Tarbet. This is part of a wider West Loch Lomond litter management collaborative initiative with local businesses in the interests of protecting, enhancing and promoting the National Park. Recommendation: Partial award Conditions: No conditions Ref: 18 Applicant: Peaton Pealers Recommended Award: £0 Assessment Score (out of 10): 5.0 Project Summary: A regular handbell ringing group, practising for and performing at fundraising concerts and local events. Funding would be used to pay for insurance, hall rent, bell maintenance and stationery. Recommendation: No award Ref: 19 Applicant: Grey Matters Recommended Award: £0 Assessment Score (out of 10): 4.9 Project Summary: Indoor walking fitness classes; seated Tai Chi activity and a falls prevention/ strength and balance seated exercise group. Funding would pay for instructor facilitation costs. Recommendation: No award Ref: 20 Applicant: Helensburgh Heritage Trust Recommended Award: £0 Assessment Score (out of 10): 4.6 Project Summary: Helensburgh Heritage Trust is looking for a new store for its range of artefacts. Funding would pay towards purchase of container, linking container to services, annual ground rent and removal of artefacts to container. Recommendation: No award Ref: 21 Applicant: Helensburgh Amateur Athletics Club Recommended Award: £0 Assessment Score (out of 10): 4.2 Project Summary: To fund costs of road closure and traffic management to permit over 1,000 runners participating in the 2025 Babcock Helensburgh 10K to race in this popular event, organised by a team of volunteers. Recommendation: No award
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Ref: 22 Applicant: Woodlandwise Forest School CIC Recommended Award: £0 Assessment Score (out of 10): 3.8 Project Summary: 10 Forest School sessions for children, ages 5 -10 and 10 sessions for young people aged 11-16. Funding would be used for staffing cost, suitable outdoor footwear and clothing for children and resources for the activities e.g. paint, clay, kindling wood, string, snack, hot drinks. Recommendation: No award Ref: 23 Applicant: Helensburgh Gaelic Group Recommended Award: £0 Assessment Score (out of 10): 2.1 Project Summary: Weekly Gaelic classes in Helensburgh Parish Church, during term-time. Funding would pay for tutor costs. Recommendation: No award