13 - Irvine Cricket CIF Report
North Ayrshire Council · 4 June 2024
Back to Cabinet — 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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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 4 June 2024 Cabinet Title: Proposals for Community Investment Fund (CIF) Expenditure Purpose: To determine applications by Locality Partnerships to allocate CIF funding to proposed projects. Recommendation: That Cabinet: a) Reviews the enclosed application from the Irvine Locality Partnership in line with CIF criteria; and b) Approves the CIF application in relation to Irvine Cricket Club 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Within its budget for 2017-18, North Ayrshire Council provided a funding allocation for the creation of an innovative fund to enable communities to address the priorities they have identified through Local Planning Partnerships and within the context of North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership’s Fair for All Strategy and the Council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy. In June 2021, Cabinet approved a further £1m top-up for the funding, with a further £2m added in November 2021. 1.2 Locality Partnerships have subsequently continued to work on their local action pans and are refining proposals for expenditure in line with their locally identified needs. It is a testament to the dedication of the Locality Partnerships and their community partners that proposals are now emerging to provide creative approaches to addressing local challenges. 1.3 This report brings forward proposals which respond to the specific needs of the local community, and which have been developed based on local circumstances and opportunities. 2. Background 2.1 Within its budget for 2017-18, North Ayrshire Council provided an allocation for the creation of an innovative fund to enable communities to address the priorities they have identified through Locality Planning Partnerships and within the context of North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership’s Fair for All Strategy and the Council’s
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Community Wealth Building Strategy. A further £3m was added to the funding in 2021, to be distributed among Localities as follows: 2.2 It was agreed that the CIF awards would range between £5,000 and £100,000 for the community organisations, as defined in the CIF guidance, in order to support proposals and projects that connect with: • The North Ayrshire Fair for All Strategy, with consideration for how applications contribute to community support for the cost-of-living crisis; • The Community Planning Partnership and Locality priorities; • North Ayrshire Council’s values, priorities, and business objectives; and • The Community Wealth Building and Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Strategies; And will also: • Fulfil a compelling need and not duplicate existing services or facilities; • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible; • Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council; • Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon requests) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project; • Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and • Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. Locality Value of CIF from first funding allocation (2017-18) Expenditure to date Value of CIF from second funding allocation (June 2021) Value of CIF from third funding allocation (Nov 2021) Total balance available Irvine £754,000 £908,858 £290,000 £580,000 £715,142 Kilwinning £286,000 £322,190 £120,000 £240,000 £323,810 Three Towns £598,000 £937,561 £240,000 £480,000 £380,439 Garnock Valley £390,000 £415,103.04 £150,000 £300,000 £424,896.96 North Coast £468,000 £444,459 £170,000 £340,000 £533,541 Arran £104,000 £125,079 £30,000 £60,000 £68,921 TOTAL £2,600,000 £3,170,113.04 £1,000,000 £2,000,000 £2,429,886.96
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2.3 The proposal development and application process has been agreed as follows: • Locality Partnerships should continue to engage with their communities and stimulate interest in the CIF. Each Locality Partnership will then strategically access the applications, make links, and look at the funding ‘in the round’. • If the partnership supports a bid then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form, which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. • The proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. 2.4 The enclosed application at Appendix 1 has been developed by community partners and North Ayrshire Council officers and are now recommended for approval by Cabinet. 2.5 The Irvine Locality Partnership The allocation and funds committed to date are outlined in the table below. The Irvine Locality Partnership CIF allocation to date: £1,624,000 Irvine Digital Officer £84,604* Vineburgh & Fullarton Community Enablers £100,000 Irvine New Town Mens Shed £10,000 Irvine Harbourside Mens Shed £10,000 Irvine Youth Hub £100,000 Irvine Tennis Club £100,000 INPUT £60,000 Children's 1st £97,580 CHAP £91,534 BABCA Community Garden £12,777 Fullarton Outdoor Gym £100,000 Turning Point - Pathways to Progress £96,112 Micah Project £50,000 Balance £715,142 2.6 Proposal: Irvine Cricket Club (£49,500) (see Appendix 1) 2.6.1 Irvine Cricket Club is a not-for-profit local community group, run by volunteers, to promote the sport of cricket to everyone within North Ayrshire. Formed almost 200 years ago, the Club has a focus on growing their youth section and works with KA Leisure and North Ayrshire Schools to provide access to the sport for children. They aim to give young people a chance to grow as individuals, become healthier, more confident and form new relationships through sport. 2.6.2 The club are applying for funding to install a permanent two-bay outdoor fully secured artificial cricket facility where children and adults can train and practice seven days a week, all year round. At present, both the weather and the size of the facilities mean they are limited in how many people can train at the venue. The new facility would allow the Club to more than double the number of young people who can train in one session and reduce their dependence on the weather to be able to do so. This will enable them to achieve their aims of providing a pathway to activity and health for children and young people and support their wider families as part of a community.
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2.6.3 Irvine Cricket Club work closely with a range of local partners and aim to ensure they are inclusive as a club for example by offering kit and clothing recycling programmes which help to reduce waste and make sure every child has what they need to participate. The project supports the Irvine Locality Partnership priorities, in particular enhancing mental health and wellbeing and alleviating poverty. 3. Proposals 3.1 That Cabinet: a) Reviews the enclosed application from the Irvine Locality Partnership in line with CIF criteria; and b) Approves the CIF application in relation to Irvine Cricket Club. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 CIF funding is allocated within existing resources. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The purpose of Locality Planning is to reduce inequalities, increase community cohesion and advance community empowerment. Each of the CIF proposals is tested against that purpose before being presented to Cabinet. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 Environmental and sustainability along with climate change and carbon reduction opportunities are considered in relation to each CIF application. This proposal supports recycle and re- use principles. Key Priorities 4.6 The proposals contained within the report support the North Ayrshire Council Plan strategic aims: • To transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people. • We will have active, inclusive, and resilient communities. • A Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising
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investment and focusing resources towards our priorities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 The application supports the following pillars of community wealth building: • Financial Power: Listening to communities and local enterprises to maximise the impact of financial investment and grow local business, enhance innovation and empower communities. • Land and Assets: Maximising the function and ownership of local physical assets for the benefit of communities and enterprises. 5. Consultation 5.1 The proposals contained within this report have been developed by the Locality Partnerships, through consultation with local people, including young people. David W. Hammond Executive Director (Communities and Housing) For further information please contact Rhonda Leith, Head of Service (Connected Communities), on 01294 324415. Background Papers Appendix 1: CIF Application Irvine Cricked Club
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND IRVINE LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP The CIF will support proposals and projects that: • Connect with: o The Community Planning Partnership (CPP) and Locality priorities; and o North Ayrshire Council’s (NAC) values, priorities and business objectives. • Fulfil a compelling need and do not duplicate existing services or facilities; • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible; • Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council; • Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project; • Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and • Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. When to apply and how? • LPs should continue to engage with their communities, and stimulate interest in the CIF. The Locality Partnership will then strategically assess the applications, make links and look at the funding ‘in the round’. • Initial interest in a CIF application should be via an expression of interest form. This will be discussed by the LP or an associated working group. • If the partnership supports a bid then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form (attached), which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. • The proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. • Forms should be returned to your Locality Officer, by email if possible: Elaine Baxter Locality Officer - Irvine North Ayrshire Council Connected Communities Redburn Youth Centre Dickson Drive Irvine KA12 9EW Email: ebaxter@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Tel: 01294 313593 Mob: 07814418453 For more information see the guidance form here: https://northayrshire.community/wp- content/uploads/2018/06/community-investment-fund-guidance-notes-17-12-17.pdf
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND IRVINE LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation Irvine Cricket Club Postal Address for Correspondence Irvine Cricket Club. Name of Contact Person Derek Neil Position in Organisation Junior Convenor/Committee Member Telephone Number Email Address Total amount of funding requested: £49500, Match funding (if any): 2. Brief description of your organisation Please include its legal status, aims and objectives, activities or services provided and how long it has been in existence. Irvine Cricket Club is a non for profits, local community group, run by volunteers to promote the sport of cricket to everyone within North Ayrshire. Our club was formed in 1836 and we are looking forward to celebrating 200 years in not too many years ahead. We have 3 adult teams playing cricket Under Cricket Scotland and playing in the Western Union cricket League and National Cup competitions. 2 Saturday teams and a Sunday team that are used to develop both adults and kids ready for Saturday cricket. Our goal and infrastructure for the past 4 years has been geared to grow our youth section and provide cricket to boys and girls through our workings with KA Leisure and the North Ayrshire schools. Our club attend and run after school classes and take PE classes during school activities and are involved with School Health
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND IRVINE LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP weeks. We run 3 junior teams at Under 12 and Under 16 age groups. The schools also bring the kids to our ground as part of activity days and to take part in school’s competitions. We need these kids to help secure the clubs future. We are the only remaining cricket club in North Ayrshire and have a duty to protect the sport. We bring across overseas players to assist with our youth programme and we already have 6 kids on a pathway to regional and hopefully Scotland representation in years to come. We are here to give the youth a chance to grow as individuals, become healthier and become more confident individuals and form new relationships with kids their own age and form lifelong bonds and friendships. Cricket is a minority sport but has an excellent pathway for kids to be both successful individually and as a team, regionally and hopefully internationally. 4 years ago we started with a handful of kids and now have 50 kids regularly attending weekly training. Our annual Easter and Summer camps have between 40-50 per week attending as a result of our schools’ activity. Bearing in mind many kids that attend our camps also play football, as that is the normal in the west of Scotland, where they train 3 or 4 times a week restricting the numbers we get to attend our training nights. These camps prove that kids do have plenty talent, we just need to create a facility where cricket is more appealing and we retain more of these kids, offering them a greater return than what football offers them come the age of 14/15. Our club is open 7 days a week. Junior matches on a Monday and Friday evenings with festivals twice a month on a Sunday. Kids train on a Wednesday night. Seniors train Tuesday and Thursday evenings with Matches Saturday and Sunday with cup competitions midweek on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Our aim is to have 4 junior youth teams at 4 different ages and to have an independent girls’ team by the end of this summer. Under 13 age group. Our main objective is to provide a ready-made facility for both local North Ayrshire residents and community to use and to allow our facility to be used for Regional and Representative matches in the future and be a show case for our Sport within North Ayrshire and the West of Scotland.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND IRVINE LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 3. Title and summary of proposal Tell us about your idea. Please describe in as much detail as possible, what the funding will be used for. Please include: • where it will be held / delivered • who is your target audience • who will benefit from it and how • any partners that are involved. We are looking to install a permanent 2 bay outdoor fully secured artificial cricket facility where kids and adults can train and practice 7 days a week, all year round at our cricket club, which will be situated next to the current changing room facilities and match pitch. Our target audience for this project will be to the youth and school children of north Ayrshire schools, as we strive to further our sports business plan of firstly delivering on a development officer for schools shared between summer and winter terms, which has been very successful to date, and as the numbers increase our facilities need to keep up with demand. Currently we use the grass and one artificial cricket pitch for training which is very much weather dependant. On many occasions training has had to be cancelled due to afternoon rain. We are also currently limited to training a smaller number of kids at any time, which is not ideal when you want as many kids training when they decide they want to come. This extra double bay facility will allow us to double if not treble the number of kids we currently train, as well as making sure the facility is always available and not weather dependant. With the grass facility we currently use if any adult games are on, the kids practice must be cancelled and rearranged which again is not ideal when you want kids to get into a routine. With it being secured and in a sperate area kids can train on any given day or evening in a safe environment. This facility will be used 9 months of the year and be the most important asset at our club, allowing our continual schoolwork to engage with more kids, get more kids coming along a permanent location for kid’s activities and training. The more practice kids do the better they become in both ability
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND IRVINE LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP and inner confidence. Kids would be at our club 3-4 days a week if we had the correct training facility and that must be a good thing. We would also be looking to target youth organisations, scouts, BB’s, guides etc to come and try days knowing we have resources to increase the attendees. We work very closely with partners WDCU, our league administrators, Cricket Scotland to assist us with youth led training programmes and pathway and they are aware of the strides our club has been making with our MCA- Marress Cricket Academy. We work very closely with Active schools to help co-ordinate our activities in the schools, and we are very fortunate enough to have an excellent team of co-ordinators that share the same goals and visions as ourselves. 4. What difference will this project make within the locality and to local services and programmes? Please include: • The outcomes you aim to achieve • How you will approach reducing inequality • How this proposal fits with the Locality Partnership priorities Irvine Cricket Club is the last remaining cricket club in North Ayrshire. As the current custodians of the club and our sport we need to make sure that the youth of today get the same benefits that old and new members of our club get. One of our main outcomes is to make sure kids are active, playing a sport they love and enjoy, form long lasting friendships, in many cases life long, be they best they can be individually and as part of a team, learning new skills and develop an inner confidence that can be part of their day-to-day life. Our locality needs as many different and varied sports/activities for the youth to engage with and try. Health and wellbeing is a common word, but so true. We have lost the art of using outdoor spaces, playing in the parks, being out in the fresh air and being generally an active society. This project will address these issues. Cricket is a sport for all, no matter your gender, race, social standing, rich or poor, disability or health issues. Any child walking onto our cricket grounds is all equal. Everyone is treated the same way regardless of background and perceived social standings. Mums/dads/grans/grandads don’t need to worry about their son/daughter fitting in, looking different, having to wear different clothes or not being able to afford equipment. We provide it all. We recycle clothes, equipment so everyone has their own. Our club really is for everyone. Our club currently has 8 different nationalities proving our importance to everyone. Kids learn more from these individuals about society, there homelands etc. By working this
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND IRVINE LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP way we address inequality, as it is a word that is not in any of our business plans/models/training guides. We started our MCA- Marress Cricket Academy 2 years ago. We see this as a pivotal part of the local community and we are a “service provider” for parents/grandparents/guardians to make sure your child has a pathway to improved fitness, health, wellbeing, where the child can grow, develop, be confident, form friendships and give them motivation and drive to be better. The social events we run is also key in bringing families together and meeting people and others they would not normally do if their kids were not part of the MCA. By doing all this our individual club goals of having 4 cricket teams at 4 different ages and a standalone girls team will be easily achievable. We were always very good at what we did, just did not do enough of it and our development plans are proving it is working, we are hitting numbers and we are seeing the kids coming through and enjoying our sport, proving we are a key part of the Irvine community with the services and programmes we running. This double bay cricket all weather cricket facility project will allow us to continue the drive forward in delivering for the youth. Irvine locality partnership has many dedicated priorities, and our project runs alongside these in many ways. The key one is enhancing our Mental Health and wellbeing. Sport delivers – cricket delivers. We also do touch on the alleviating poverty as well- from a parental point of view we make our sport achievable financially – work collectively to share costs with others, recycle and reuse as mentioned above. The diagram showing the “strength of the place” is an excellent tool and one we shall use. As it stands just now out of the 14 points to this compass, we are strong in 10 of them, rating us at 5/6 in many cases and this project takes us from a 4 to a 5 and 5 to a 6 in many of these 10 points. 5. What engagement has taken place in relation to the project? Please include the number of people who have been engaged with or consulted as well as the range of people. Our main engagement firstly was with Cricket Scotland and how we can develop as a club, improve our club grading, help improve the kids’ training facilities and get more kids onto the grass. What is needed to improve the kid’s pathway to making cricket a serious sport for them to achieve within. We have attended 3 local meetings with them where 4 representatives were present. We have been working with WDCU our regional body where development officers, safeguarding officers and regional junior representatives have been to our ground and helped assess not just what we
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND IRVINE LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP need but where they should be. This is to improve facilities for kids and parents and allow us to potentially attract regional cricket matches of various ages and degrees to further put Irvine on the cricketing map as a progressive club and youth provider at a very high standard. Locally we have taken advice from schoolteachers, other youth leaders as well as similar sized cricket clubs to obtain relevant information to see just how important this project is to our development. 6. How will the project be managed? Please include: • How the finances will be managed • Does the proposed project contribute to volunteering or employment opportunities in Irvine? Please include the number of volunteering opportunities and employment opportunities • If there are any staff requirements, please outline your HR plans Our club committee will manage and oversee the project. 2 quotes have been obtained by reputable companies that are the leading provider of this facility within the UK and are accredited as such by our governing body. A site visit will take place by supplier to confirm already agreed location and suitability. Contracts will be agreed on this, and timeframes implemented for work to start with due dates. The winning supplier will be paid 30% plus VAT as a deposit and the remaining on a satisfied completion and safety testing and certification. Finances will be looked after by our club treasurer. Our grounds person will be always present to make sure everything is carried out and completed as per the contract specifications. It is expected that the time frame for this project will be almost 3 weeks from start to finish. Our coaches and our working committee will visit the project twice weekly to make sure everything is in order and will be present at sign off when the project is completed, together with the facility being tested by players. Our treasurer will conclude the final payment after our insurers will be notified to visit and make sure they are satisfied before adding it to our club insurances. There will be no staff requirements for this 3-week project.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND IRVINE LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 7. Amount of funding being requested Please supply details of funding being requested and any other funding you have had over the past 5 years, both financially and “in kind”. Amount of funding requested (£) £49500 Please give a breakdown of cost and recent quotations where appropriate. Double bay 2 net outdoor fully enclosed facility - £40000 plus VAT Spoil removal - £1050 plus VAT Vermin skirts due to location - £450 plus VAT 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on the monitoring and evaluation processes planned or in place. This project will be monitored moving forward as follows. We have weekly registers of attendees at our ground for training and games. This shows areas used within our facility. We will continue to monitor in this was as the activity at our ground will increase due to this facility both in new members to the club, people using the facility and other teams using it when weather dictates. We are also looking to provide cricket to new nationalities and hope our increased traffic will allow us more flags on our country board. Hopefully regional games and festivals will increase, and we hope to reach some significant figures within the first 12 months of use. Evaluation will be the significance this project brings to our club. Having individual girls and boys training nights, having Irvine cricket teams at every youth level. Being able to invite schools down to use the facility on “try days” health weeks, school competitions. We know financially where we are as a club with memberships. Improving facilities allows greater membership numbers and increased charges to cover ongoing maintenance and upkeep of this facility. These figures will be part of our evaluation process as it’s a key indicator on our goal to increase both participation in numbers and days used.