8. CIF - Cabinet - 24.01.2023 -
North Ayrshire Council · 24 January 2023
Back to Cabinet — 24 January 2023 and its agenda
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 24 January 2023 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 applications from the Three Towns Locality Partnership in line with CIF criteria; b) Approves the CIF application in relation to CHAP; and c) Approves the CIF application in relation to the Ardrossan Community Sports Hub. 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 though Locality 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 plans and are refining proposals for expenditure in line with their locally identified needs. This is a difficult process, and 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 need of the local community, and which have been developed based on local circumstances and opportunities. 1.4 These proposals have been approved to be submitted to Cabinet through a process of collaboration and consensus by the Three Towns Locality Partnership. 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 though Locality Planning Partnerships and within the context of North Ayrshire
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Community Planning Partnership’s Fair for All Strategy and the Council’s 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 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; • 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 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. 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 £562 184 £290 000 £580 000 £1 061 816 Kilwinning £286 000 £286 190 £120 000 £240 000 £359 810 Three Towns £598 000 £616 206 £240 000 £480 000 £701 794 Garnock Valley £390 000 £341 805 £150 000 £300 000 £498 195 North Coast £468 000 £422 316 £170 000 £340 000 £555 684 Arran £104 000 £45 226 £30 000 £60 000 £148 774 TOTAL £2 600 000 £2 273 927 £1 000 000 £2 000 000 £3 326 073
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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 assess 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 applications have been developed by community partners and North Ayrshire Council officers and are now recommended for approval by Cabinet. The proposals are as follows: 2.5 The Three Towns Locality Partnership The Three Towns Locality Partnership CIF allocation to date £1 318 000 Ardrossan Community Development Trust £ 25 000 Three Towns Growers £ 100 000 The Training Station £ 50 000 Ardrossan Castle Heritage Hub £ 17 912 Raise Your Voice With Ardeer £ 100 000 Ardrossan Community Sports Hub £ 43 320 Winton Circus Play Park £ 48 288 Ardrossan Community Development Trust Community Development Officer £ 53 100 Raise Your Voice With Ardeer (increased costs for multi-purpose hub) £ 130 000 Ardrossan Community Centre (Whitlees) £ 48 586 Balance £ 701 794 Proposal: CHAP –Advice Outreach Services: £45 767 (Appendix 1) 2.6 CHAP is an OSCR registered charity and is a private limited company by guarantee, which has been operating in North Ayrshire for over 20 years, providing free, independent advice and advocacy services relating to housing, welfare rights, and debt issues. Following community engagement about the cost-of-living crisis, communities strongly expressed their need for support and a preference for outreach in community settings. This CIF funding is to provide a fully trained advice worker to be based within 3 different community-based locations within the Three Towns area one day a week (with the other 2 days each week being office based for case work, training, etc.). This will allow individuals in the Three Towns area to access services in various established and trusted environments throughout their local area. CHAP advice services will complement all the community work that is already taking place within the Three Towns area, including food provision services, the ‘warm hub’ at
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the Church of Nazarene in Ardrossan, West Coast Furniture and Ardrossan Community Sports Hub. CHAP will work with NA Foodbank, Better Off North Ayrshire (which is funded until June 2023), Locality Teams and Ardrossan Community Development Trust (which is a referring partner of ‘Children In Need), to reduce the levels of child poverty in the area. 2.7 Working with the Three Towns locality team, CHAP has undertaken a consultation with members of the community within the Three Towns to ensure that the proposed project is meeting the needs of individuals within the area, and as a result: • 97% indicated that they would prefer to access advice services in a community-based setting, rather than in traditional, formal office type buildings. • 97% of respondents also indicated that they are worried about the current cost of living crisis. 2.8 The staff induction and training process is aligned with the Scottish National Standards and Financial Conduct Authority requirements. The total cost of a CHAP advice worker’s annual salary is £45,767, including national insurance and pension costs and all associated overhead costs. 2.9 The Council’s Employability Services Senior Manager and Financial Inclusion Review lead have advised that this CIF request is well aligned with the proposed outcomes of that review and will be a welcome element of the ongoing work to ensure a holistic and effective approach to financial inclusion in North Ayrshire communities. The Three Towns Locality Partnership Proposal: Ardrossan Community Sports Winton Park 3G: £100 000 (Appendix 2) 2.10 Ardrossan Winton Rovers Junior Football Club (AWR) is a well-loved institution within the town of Ardrossan and is committed to developing further as a community club. Community use of the facilities at Winton Park, however, is constrained as the grass pitch is unable to take more intensive use. As a result of difficulties hiring facilities and the cost of travel and pitch hire, a project partnership was established to develop the business case and assemble funding to install a 3G synthetic surface at Winton Park. Ardrossan Community Sports Hub (ACSH) has taken the lead for the 15 teams which currently operate under the umbrella of Ardrossan Winton Rovers Youth Academy (AWRYA has more than 325 members). None of these 15 teams are actually able to play in Ardrossan itself. 2.11 The development of a new community asset would help give the AWRYA teams an identity and an affinity to the club and town – with a local survey establishing likely positive impacts on participation on sports and physical activity. 2.13 The strategic partnership plan includes the leasing of Winton Park to Ardrossan Community Sports Hub for 25 years by Ardrossan Winton Rovers Ltd. ACSH will be the lead partner in this project seeking capital funding to install the new 3G surface and procure and manage the works contract. Post installation ACSH will be responsible for overall facility management, financial management and marketing and promotion of the facility including managing pitch bookings via their software system. ACSH intend to enter into an Agreement with Ardrossan Winton Rovers CIC for the maintenance of the facility.
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2.14 CIF funding will act as match-funding, launching a capital funding package. Indicative cost estimates secured earlier in 2022 suggest this could be c £615,000 which includes provision for: • Replacement of the existing grass surface with a new 3g synthetic surface; • Associated drainage and substructure work; • Ball retention fencing and netting; • 3 sets of 7 a side and 1 set of full-size goals; • Allowance for new LED floodlighting system; • Installation of a modular changing facility with multipurpose room on site; • Professional fees and unrecoverable VAT. 2.15 Two focused consultation exercises were undertaken to inform the development of the proposals, including a wider community survey of 189 Ardrossan residents independently conducted by IBP Strategy and Research in April 2022 (for more information see Appendix 2). 2.16 The CIF funding will only be released on condition that the complete funding package is achieved. 3. Proposals 3.1 That Cabinet: a) Reviews the enclosed applications from the Three Towns Locality Partnership in line with CIF criteria; b) Approves the CIF application in relation to CHAP; and c) Approves the CIF application in relation to Ardrossan Community Sports Hub. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 CIF funding is allocated within existing resources. The CHAP proposal for financial inclusion services aims to increase the number of people with improved financial management skills and to increase in household income through income maximisation. The ACSH proposal, potentially, could provide leverage in excess of £500k in external funding to the Three Towns to upgrade local facilities. Human Resources 4.2 The CHAP proposal will provide employment opportunities. The Ardrossan Community Sports Hub offers skills development and volunteering opportunities. Legal 4.3 None.
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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. The CHAP application provides opportunities for increased community support for the cost-of-living crisis through financial inclusion advice and wider assistance. The Ardrossan Community Sports Hub offers opportunities for skills development, increased volunteering, community cohesion and wellbeing. The investment in the facilities at Ardrossan will provide local free access to physical activity and can lead to a far wider range of outcomes. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 Environmental and sustainability issues are considered in relation to each CIF application. The ACSH application will improve local facilities and upgrade the existing football pitch and facilities, encouraging families to become more engaged with outdoor activities. The strategic partnership between ASCH, AWR and AWRYA is aimed at encouraging increased physical activity for improved wellbeing. Key Priorities 4.6 The proposals contained within the report support the North Ayrshire Council Plan priorities: • Active and strong communities; • Inclusive, growing and enterprising local economy; and • People enjoy good life-long health and wellbeing. Community Wealth Building 4.7 The applications support the following pillars of community wealth building: • Creating volunteering and skills development opportunities; and Supporting local third sector businesses. 5. Consultation 5.1 The proposals contained within this report have been developed and approved by the Locality Partnership, through consultation with partners in Employability and Skills and local people, including young people. Audrey Sutton Executive Director (Communities & Education) For further information please contact Rhonda Leith, Head of Service (Connected Communities), on (01294) 324415. Background Papers Appendix 1: CIF Application: CHAP Appendix 2: CIF Application: Ardrossan Community Sports Hub
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP The CIF will support proposals and projects that: • Connect with: o The North Ayrshire Fair for All Inequalities Strategy; 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’. • 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 finalised proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. • Forms should be returned to your Locality Officer, by email if possible: Colin Ferris Locality Officer (Three Towns) North Ayrshire Council St John's Primary School Morrison Avenue Stevenston KA20 4HH Email: colinferris@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Tel: 01294 475290 For more information see the guidance form here: http://www.northayrshire.community/wp- content/uploads/sites/60/2018/06/community-investment-fund-guidance-notes-17-12-17.pdf
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation CHAP Postal Address for Correspondence T Name of Contact Person Debbie Alexander Position in Organisation Chief Executive Telephone Number Click or tap here to enter text. Email Address 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. CHAP is an OSCR registered charity and is a private limited company by guarantee, which has been operating in North Ayrshire for over 20 years, providing independent advice and advocacy services relating to housing, welfare rights, and debt issues. All services provided are free, impartial, and confidential; and are available to adults over the age of 16 who reside in North Ayrshire. All services provided by CHAP have in common the purpose of ensuring that individuals are not disadvantaged through a lack of awareness or information relating to their rights. CHAP’s support aims to assist individuals to deal effectively with their issues and move towards an outcome or resolution which helps to improve their overall quality of life. The ethos of all services provided supports and promotes social inclusion and social justice for all. CHAP supports those individuals most in need to receive much needed information and assistance to address issues that affect their everyday lives. The service we provide empowers individuals to have their views and opinions heard by the decision makers and overcome the barriers of literacy and communication difficulties. We will provide education and advice to individuals with the aim of preventing financial issues in the future. This will cover subjects such as income maximisation, budgeting, responsible borrowing, using credit unions to save, etc. This will instill good practice and give individuals the financial literacy which will empower them to make sound decisions, therefore avoiding problem debt, which has an ongoing negative affect on peoples’ mental health and wellbeing. Where individuals do present with issues
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP which have already reached a stage which is causing them stress, CHAP can assist by providing real, practical steps that can be taken. By helping people to think differently about money and borrowing, this will help them to avoid getting into problem debt in the future, and in turn, avoid these issues having a negative impact on their mental health. Anything can happen to anyone at any time. People can suddenly find themselves in a vulnerable situation and may not know where to turn. By accessing the CIF funding, CHAP wants to make services more readily accessible throughout the Three Towns and in turn help as many people as possible. In our last financial year (ending Nov 21), we assisted 715 clients, and their families with a variety of housing, debt, and welfare rights issues. Our clients reported to us that we have helped to improve their confidence, finances, and quality of life, as well as assisting to reduce their stress levels. In the last year, 75% of individuals conveyed that their stress levels had reduced following assistance from CHAP, with 66% saying that their quality of life has improved and 58% saying that their confidence has increased. 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. ADVICE OUTREACH SERVICES CHAP believes that access to advice services should be readily available to everyone in the community and therefore want to remove any barriers that may prevent individuals from accessing our services. If successful, the funding from CIF will allow for a fully trained advice worker to be based within 3 different community-based locations within the Three Towns area one day a week (with the other 2 days each week being office based for case work, training, etc.). This will allow individuals in the three towns area to access our services in various established and trusted environments throughout their local area. We find that due to the stigma that remains attached to reaching out for assistance, especially in relation to money and debt issues, people are more likely to engage with our services if they are anonymised – by accessing assistance in busy and established community facilities, it is not automatically assumed that someone would be going there for help with money-related issues, as they could be accessing the premises for various reasons.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP The cost-of-living crisis is affecting everyone. There is a huge cohort of people who now require our services, who never would have previously. Individuals who have never faced financial difficulties are now experiencing their finances being stretched to unmanageable levels, mortgage prices are increasing, along with the cost of everything else; utilities, petrol/diesel, food, and household essentials. This culminates in financial crisis where people may feel forced into accessing unaffordable credit, leading to further financial distress. CHAP believes that education, early intervention, and prevention are key; and can offer this as part of a two-tonged approach along with crisis intervention where required. We have often heard people commenting that ‘if only I had known about CHAP’ during a difficult time in their lives, it would have made things a lot easier for them to cope with. At CHAP, we never want people to feel this way, we want everyone in the Three Towns to know that we are here to support them, and that we can do so in their local communities, in an already trusted environment. The evidence from the community engagement we have conducted has shown that 97% of the people who responded are worried about the current cost-of-living crisis. With things forecast to only get worse financially during the foreseeable future, CHAP wants to ensure that nobody is left without access to the services they require. The current crisis is affecting absolutely everyone, and it is concerning that there are people who have never faced financial difficulties previously, who are now struggling or finding themselves in financial distress, who do not know where to turn for support. By providing our services on an outreach basis, this will increase the number of people who hear about CHAP within local communities, which could provide that lifeline that someone is searching for. 97% of respondents also indicated that they would prefer to access advice services within a community-based setting, rather that in a traditional office environment. This demonstrates that people are still worried about the stigma that surrounds accessing advice services, and that individuals would rather be able to chat to someone in a trusted, familiar, and informal setting, which can be achieved through the community outreach delivery model that we are proposing. CHAP advice services will compliment all the community work that is already taking place within the Three Towns area. There are various community groups and organisations who are working to help people through the current crisis, including food provision services, the ‘warm hub’ at the Church of Nazarine in Ardrossan, West Coast Furniture and Ardrossan Community Sports Hub who are offering free gym memberships to individuals who are struggling financially, as well as running promotions where people can get a full membership for a month for £1 to kickstart their wellbeing journey. CHAP works in partnership with these organisations to ensure that all aspects of people’s circumstances are addressed, and support is put in place where possible. We will work with Ardrossan Community Development Trust who are a referring partner of ‘Children In Need’, to ensure that we are driving forward North Ayrshire Council’s priority to reduce the levels of child poverty in the area.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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 of 1. Economy and Tourism 2. Community Regeneration 3. Environment (Including civic pride and community engagement) Outcomes • Increased number of individuals accessing services from the ‘Three Towns’ area • Increased number of people with improved financial management skills • Increased confidence and overall better quality of life reported by individuals • Increase in household income through income maximisation • Reduction in reported stress levels In the Three Towns, there is an average child poverty rate of 22.5% (2020 SIMD), and this ranges from the highest level of 52.17% in Saltcoats Central, to the lowest 4.55% in Saltcoats Northwest. This demonstrates that there is a huge disparity between different areas (data zones), even within the same locality areas. As an example of this, within Saltcoats Central, there is an area which has a child poverty rate of 47.73% (between the Town Centre and Argyle). Comparatively, the adjacent area (along the shore front) has a child poverty level of 7.44%. According to research completed by Turn2Us, there was £10 billion in unclaimed benefits in 2018. This includes £3.5 billion of unclaimed Pension Credit, £4.2 billion in unclaimed Housing Benefit, and £2.4 billion in unclaimed Income Support, Income-related Employment Support Allowance. This equates to the following: • Pension Credit – average amount of £2,500 per year for each family missing out • Housing Benefit – average amount of £3,000 per year for each family missing out • Income Support/Income-related ESA – average amount of £4,500 per year for each family missing out This demonstrates that services which can help to maximise people’s income and put money directly into the pockets of individuals and their families is needed now more than ever. In 2022, CHAP has helped to achieve over £1.7 million in financial gains for our clients, £697,000 of this was for individuals from the Three Towns. This could be further increased by us having a presence within local communities in the area, as it will allow us to reach disengaged individuals with various accessibility challenges.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP As shown, CHAP is assisting to put more money in the pockets of individuals and families within the Three Towns, which not only has a positive impact on the people themselves; it has a larger benefit to community regeneration. If local people have more money coming into their households, this will allow them to spend more money locally, support local business, boost the economy and improve their wellbeing. Improving people’s wellbeing and confidence, as well as reducing their stress will enable them to move forward in their lives with things such as employment or training opportunities which will have positive long-term effects on their lives. Whilst CHAP are based in Ardrossan and are a key partner in the Better Off North Ayrshire project, the proposed outreach project stands apart from this. The Better Off service will end in June with discussions currently ongoing as to how services will be delivered in the future. However, there is an urgency to deliver support to individuals now as the cost of living crisis is exacerbating already deep rooted issues. Also, the Better Off project is currently based within the Michael Lynch Centre for Enterprise, which represents the ‘traditional office environment’ that 97% of survey respondents have stated they are less likely to access than community-based locations. Due to the current cost-of-living crisis, CHAP is already experiencing an increase to the demand on our services. To date in 2022, we have already seen a 30% increase in referrals to our services, compared to year ending November 2021 and without further funding this increase has the adverse effect of lengthening lead times to first interview. This in turn leads to despair and to many clients not engaging with us. This is expected to increase as we continue to feel the effects of the current economic climate, and families start to feel the real impact of this. 5. What engagement has taken place in relation to the project? Working with the Three Towns locality team, CHAP has undertaken a consultation with members of the community within the Three Towns to ensure that our proposed project is meeting the needs of individuals within the area, and as a result: • 97% indicated that they would prefer to access advice services in a community-based setting, rather than in traditional office type buildings. • 97% of respondents also indicated that they are worried about the current cost of living crisis. We also received valuable feedback in relation to where people in the area feel would be the best locations where advice services could be delivered from within the Three Towns. If successful in the CIF funding application, CHAP will consider this feedback whilst selecting locations to enable us to deliver our services within the area. This will involve further discussions with the managers of those facilities to gauge availability and suitability of the venues. We have developed a strong working relationship with the local Foodbank and are actively working with the Community Learning and Development team in North Ayrshire Council which has allowed us to begin a pilot project in the ‘warm hub’ based within the Church of Nazarine in Ardrossan. This gives individuals who are already engaging with the hub, which therefore indicates that they are facing challenges due to the current cost-of-living crisis, access to advice services. During the initial phase of this, there has been a good uptake in the services being offered, and the feedback from the community
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP is very positive. The successes achieved through this project will continue to be monitored over the coming months. Learnings from this project will inform future service development, including the outreach being proposed for the Three Towns. Please see attached appendix for full details on how this project is being run and managed. 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 Three Towns? Please include the number of volunteering opportunities and employment opportunities • If there are any staff requirements, please outline your HR plans Staff are responsible to the Service Manager and the Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) are cascaded into staff action plans which in turn, influence personal training plans. The Service Manager reports on KPI’s to the CEO on a regular basis, who is required to report to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis on the outcomes achieved across the services. There is also a Service Support Officer who oversees the setup of new initiatives, reporting and quality assurance. The staff induction and training process is aligned with the Scottish National Standards and Financial Conduct Authority requirements. There are ongoing training procedures in place, with staff having dedicated training time incorporated into their working schedule. Each staff member has an individual training plan which highlights any skills gaps and to allow appropriate training to be sourced to assist them to develop the required technical knowledge. Staff are cross trained to maximise overall staff efficiency and flexibility, reducing the potential impact of a key member of staff being absent or leaving the organisation. Our accounts are outsourced to an external company, Alexander Sloans. We have a Virtual Finance Director which provides us with detailed accounts at individual project level. The management accounts produced are reviewed monthly by the CEO, quarterly by the board and annually by our auditors. Procedures are in place to ensure that all elements of the services remain inside the allotted budgets. The Chief Executive and the Virtual Finance Director liaise with each other, regularly discussing said budgets. Each service has its own individual budget sheet, and each budget heading is broken down monthly. The Chief Executive is responsible for ensuring that there is enough in the budget to cover any requests, such as staff training, etc. All company transactions are recorded by our Virtual Finance Director and a financial trail is kept for end of financial year auditing. Detailed quarterly management accounts are provided to the Board of Directors for scrutiny.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP Whilst CHAP does not currently have any active volunteers, this is something we are looking to develop and would welcome the support of volunteers in our community-based work in the role ‘peer supporters’. Other than the board of directors who are all volunteers, CHAP currently does not have volunteers involved in the delivery of services. However, this is something we are looking to develop and we would welcome the support of volunteers in our community based work in the role of ‘peer supporters’. 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 (£) £45,767 Please give a breakdown of cost and recent quotations where appropriate. £45,767 is the total cost of a CHAP advice worker’s annual salary including NI and pension costs and all associated overhead costs. In the last 5 years, CHAP has received the following funding: When Funding Body Purpose £ 2017 North Ayrshire Council Better Off North Ayrshire – Digital Access £70,800 2017 North Ayrshire Council Better Off North Ayrshire – Shared Tenancy £24,136 2017 North Ayrshire Council Housing Advice £130,514 2017 East Ayrshire Council Rent Deposit Scheme £61,368 2017 Scottish Legal Aid Board Ayrshire Homelessness And Prevention £123,710 2017 Scottish Legal Aid Board Money Advice Project £70,677 2017 SCVO Community Jobs Scotland £16,048 2017 North Ayrshire Council Modern Apprenticeship Scheme £6,955 2018 North Ayrshire Council Better Off North Ayrshire – Digital Access £372,231 2018 North Ayrshire Council Better Off North Ayrshire – Shared Tenancy £2,572 2018 North Ayrshire Council Housing Advice £131,890 2018 East Ayrshire Council Rent Deposit Scheme £61,782
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 2018 Scottish Legal Aid Board Ayrshire Homelessness And Prevention £125,713 2018 Scottish Legal Aid Board Money Advice Project £74,298 2018 SCVO Community Jobs Scotland £14,190 2018 North Ayrshire Council Modern Apprenticeship Scheme £2,838 2019 North Ayrshire Council Better Off North Ayrshire – Digital Access £440,792 2019 North Ayrshire Council Housing Advice £137,031 2019 East Ayrshire Council Rent Deposit Scheme £61,781 2019 Scottish Legal Aid Board Ayrshire Homelessness And Prevention £125,714 2019 Scottish Legal Aid Board Money Advice Project £70,560 2019 SCVO Community Jobs Scotland £5,263 2019 Nationwide Community Awards £44,635 2020 North Ayrshire Council Better Off North Ayrshire – Digital Access £91,960 2020 Scottish Government Benefit Uptake Fund/Communities Rec Fund £16,411 2020 North Ayrshire Council Housing Advice £140,874 2020 East Ayrshire Council Rent Deposit Scheme £62,609 2020 Scottish Legal Aid Board Ayrshire Homelessness And Prevention £128,602 2020 Scottish Legal Aid Board Money Advice Project £79,065 2020 SVCO Community Jobs Scotland £9,365 2020 Scottish Government Supporting Communities £15,220 2020 SCVO (Scottish Gov) Wellbeing Fund £14,224 2021 North Ayrshire Council New Better Off £108,148 2021 Scottish Government Benefit Uptake Fund/Communities Rec Fund £24,473 2021 North Ayrshire Council Housing + Money Advice £94,664 2021 East Ayrshire Council Rent Deposit Scheme £62,609 2021 Scottish Legal Aid Board Ayrshire Homelessness And Prevention £129,769 2021 Scottish Legal Aid Board Money Advice Project £78,736 2021 SCVO Employment Initiative £2,410 2021 Scottish Legal Aid Board Debt Advice Journey £54,515
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on the monitoring and evaluation processes planned or in place. CHAP has a robust monitoring and evaluation process in place in relation to all our projects. This includes a recording and reporting programme where we record all of our client’s information, and this is updated at every stage of the support the receive from CHAP. This allows us to capture • Number of clients referred • % of clients engaged • Issues clients need support with • Successful outcomes • Financial gains We also have an evaluation process in place which allows us to capture how the support we provide has impacted our clients’ lives. We have a flexible approach to this, where clients can provide feedback directly over the phone, and we also have an online form which is sent to individuals who have an email address so that they can provide feedback anonymously. The evaluation captures various elements, including: • Satisfaction with the overall service received • Did they feel at ease with their advisor • How easy did they find it to access our services • Was their appointment method suitable • Has our service improved any of the following for them Finances Health Improving Confidence Quality of Life Reducing Stress Social Circle/Activities Employment Education • Any other comments regarding the service We conduct service user focus groups in order to speak to clients face to face and generate a discussion around what we could potentially improve on, and what clients feel we do well, and could do more of. By capturing this information, it allows us to demonstrate the impact that the work we do has on individuals, their families, and the overall community.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND THREE TOWNS LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP Overview of CHAP Assistance to Foodbank Warm Hub CHAP will have a worker based in the ‘warm’ hub at Church of the Nazarene, Ardrossan, for a few hours each week (between the months of November and February) offering assistance on housing, welfare rights and debt issues to those individuals requiring this. This assistance includes, but is not limited to: • Completing benefit and housing applications • Appealing benefit decisions and providing representation at tribunals where required • Negotiating with creditors/landlords • General income maximisation • Advice on budgeting and debt options • Private tenancy issues • Rent/mortgage arrears This is part of CHAP’s efforts to take advice services into the heart of the community, ensuring that they are accessible to all within trusted environments across North Ayrshire. The learnings from this pilot outreach project within the three towns will inform future community-based initiatives in the locality. Individuals accessing the hub are likely to be experiencing financial difficulties and we want to encourage them to seek assistance at as early a stage as possible, to prevent trauma and a crisis situation arising. The aim of CHAP’s services is to ensure that individuals are not disadvantaged through a lack of awareness or information regarding their rights.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP The CIF will support proposals and projects that: • 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; • 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 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’. • 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 finalised proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. • Forms should be returned to your Locality Officer, by email if possible: Name Colin Ferris Locality Officer (Three Towns Locality) North Ayrshire Council St John’s Primary School Morrison Avenue Stevenston KA20 4HH Email: colinferris@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Tel: 475912/212 Mob: 0758461250
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP For more information see the guidance form here: http://www.northayrshire.community/wp- content/uploads/sites/60/2018/06/community-investment-fund-guidance-notes-17-12-17.pdf 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation Ardrossan Community Sports Hub Postal Address for Correspondence Name of Contact Person Eddie Gibb Position in Organisation Trustee Telephone Number Click or tap here to enter text. Email Address 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. Ardrossan Community Sports Hub are a Registered Charity (SC049582) who were created in 2019 to promote a healthier Ardrossan where people are more active more often and where physical activity and sport helps bring about positive benefits for individuals and our community, including a sense of wellbeing, resilience and civic pride. We have 4 key objectives that we aim to deliver within Ardrossan: • To promote excellent physical and mental health through participation in person-centred sport and physical activity. • To promote a strong, resilient, sustainable, and supportive community which has pride in its achievements. • To develop skills for life, learning and work through volunteering and employment. • To improve access to sport and physical activities facilities and environments.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP We have 133 members and beyond this our gym membership numbers stand at 340. Our 8 member Board are well connected with trusted community organisations such as Ardrossan Castle Heritage Society, Ardrossan Community Development Trust, Winton Rovers CIC, and local Primary and Secondary Parent Councils. To develop our activities we’ve consulted extensively with local people and groups using social media with over 1400 Facebook followers. During 20/21 ACSH took over a 7500q ft private gym in Ardrossan which had shut down during COVID – bringing a redundant building back to life, resurrecting this as a community asset and operating it as a community gym. Since the gym opened in May 2021; • more than 340 members have been signed up to take advantage of affordable, low cost gym membership generating membership income to provide the building block for a longer term sustainable community enterprise. • 5 staff have been employed and sustained to operate the facility, creating valuable employment opportunities for residents • several grant awards were secured to provide sporting activities for children and purchase equipment to enable local people facing financial hardship to access on line services and encourage children and parents to interact inside and outside during lockdowns. • a large external grass area was developed following a request from Winton Youth Academy to provide a turfed area suitable for their youngest teams to train and play games. Given ACSH’s status as a Registered charity, our track record in resurrecting a redundant gym and success in quickly establishing a significant membership and community profile, it is envisaged that we will take the lead role in the Winton 3G project.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND 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. Project Title – Winton Park 3G Background Ardrossan Winton Rovers Junior Football Club (AWR) are a well-loved institution within the town of Ardrossan and are committed to developing even further as a community club. Community use of the facilities at Winton Park, however, is constrained as the grass pitch is unable to take more intensive use. Ardrossan Community Sports Hub (ACSH) have a growing reputation and profile after resurrecting a Community Gym of the town in 2021 – operating now as a local social enterprise with more than 340 members and a track record in securing grant funding for projects. 15 teams currently operate under the umbrella of Ardrossan Winton Rovers Youth Academy (AWRYA), with more in the pipeline, with more than 325 youngsters registered within the Academy. Current Situation & Project Proposal A significant majority of AWRYA teams report great difficulty in hiring training facilities and a pitch for home games in Ardrossan – with none of the 15 playing in Ardrossan itself. Academy Managers reported difficulties travelling to train or play home games - both logistically and in terms of costs, with lower turnouts when travel is involved as a result. Significant expenditure (c £50-70k pa) is made by the AWRYA teams outside of Ardrossan in facility bookings and ancillary spend whilst teams travel for home games and training – representing leakage from the local community. Ardrossan contains significant pockets of deprivation with low income and poverty being a barrier to participation in sport. In health terms 45% of Three Towns data zones are in the top 15% most health deprived in Scotland, the highest rate for any local authority. Despite this there is obvious under provision of facilities within Ardrossan and the Three Towns when mapped against those available in other North Ayrshire towns such as Kilwinning, Irvine, Dreghorn and Kilbirnie. There are no Astroturf facilities within the Three Towns that are suitable in size or surface to accommodate 11 aside league games on. As a result a project partnership has been established to develop the business case and assemble funding to install a 3G synthetic surface at Winton Park. The development of a new community asset
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP would help give the AWRYA teams an identity and an affinity to the club and town – with a local survey establishing likely positive impacts on participation on sports and physical activity. Project Partnership The project involves a delivery partnership with key roles for each of the three parties involved • Winton Park is owned by Ardrossan Winton Rovers Ltd, essential a holding company the shares in whom are wholly owned by Ardrossan Winton Rovers CIC – who are the legal vehicle for Ardrossan Winton Rovers Junior football team. Ardrossan Winton Rovers Ltd will retain ownership of Winton Park will lease the pitch to Ardrossan community Sports Hub for 25 years. Winton Park will remain the home ground of AWR who will have priority access to the facility for home matches and training. AWR will continue to operate the Supporters club, Hospitality Suite and changing rooms whilst making these available to the wider community. • With a 25 year lease for Winton Park in place, Ardrossan Community Sports Hub would be the lead partner in this project seeking capital funding to install the new 3G surface and procure and manage the works contract. Post installation ACSH will be responsible for overall facility management, financial management and marketing and promotion of the facility including managing pitch bookings via their software system. ACSH intend to enter into an Agreement with Ardrossan Winton Rovers CIC for the maintenance of the facility. • Ardrossan Winton Rovers Youth Academy teams would populate the facility for training and home games, providing sufficient income to make the facility financially sustainable and play a key role in managing and promoting wider community use. What will the Funding be Used for CIF funding will contribute to the capital funding package we are assembling for the project. Indicative cost estimates secured earlier in 2022 suggest this could be c £615,000 which includes provision for replacement of the existing grass surface with a new 3g synthetic surface, associated drainage and substructure work, ball retention fencing and netting, 3 sets of 7 a side and 1 set of full-size goals, allowance for new LED floodlighting system, installation of a modular changing facility with multipurpose room on site, professional fees and unrecoverable VAT. A detailed specification of the works involved is contained in the Business Plan, with an elemental cost breakdown shown in Section 7 of this application.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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 of *** Outcomes In developing the proposals set out in this application the project partnership will look to deliver the following activities and outcomes within the local community • Develop and operate a sustainable 3G facility that is able to meet the requirements of the wider local community as well as the Ardrossan Winton Rovers Youth Academy for a safe, welcoming and accessible venue • To promote excellent physical and mental health through participation in football, sport and physical activity. • Enable more children and young people engage in and enjoy positive sporting and diversionary activity. • Increase the number of players, coaches and clubs playing football and progressing through recognized national pathways. • Design and deliver specific programmes for a range of different groups within the community and link with related clubs and promote the new facility as a venue for local social and leisure events • Create employment and volunteering opportunities, developing skills for life, learning and work. • To improve access to sport and physical activities facilities and environments. • Increase the level of community engagement with the Winton Park facility and establish a reputation for quality and good practice. • To promote a strong, resilient, sustainable, and supportive community which has pride in its achievements. • Provide opportunities for participation in football and wider sports to local residents from underrepresented groups. Tackling Inequality Ardrossan with a population of c10,500, has quite significant challenges in relation to inequality, with numerous issues affecting the local population such as: low income, poor health, high unemployment, substance abuse and a lack of proper infrastructure in the town:
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP Some of the statistics below paint a rather daunting picture with regards to some of the issues affecting our local Ardrossan residents. • 7 out of 13 Ardrossan data zones, accounting for 55% of the population, rank within the 20% most deprived in Scotland • In terms of income deprivation, 5 of Ardrossan’s 13 data zones are in the worst ten percent in Scotland with 6 of the data zones having income deprivation levels twice the Scottish average. • Ardrossan remains an unemployment blackspot. The neighbourhood of Ardrossan Central ranks the highest for both adult (9%) and youth (11%) unemployment in North Ayrshire. 7 of Ardrossan’s 13 data zones are in the worst 20% for employment deprivation in Scotland. • In health terms within Ardrossan 7 of 13 data zones are in the worst 20% in Scotland. • Ardrossan Central has the lowest male life expectancy in North Ayrshire (68.2 years versus 75.3 years) and the third lowest female life expectancy (75.2 years versus 80.1 years) This level of deprivation translates into significant inequalities in terms of being able to access and participate in sport and fitness activity – particularly for young people. This is compounded by the marked absence of local provision for sport and fitness within Ardrossan, where KA Leisure don’t operate any facilities. Despite overall increases in sports participation across the country in recent decades research indicates that those living in the most deprived areas – such as those prevalent within Ardrossan - continue to maintain an especially low level of participation. In March 22 we surveyed officials from the Ardrossan Winton Youth Academy about their experience of how the lack of facilities locally impact on young people’s participation. Feedback received included: • Ardrossan has no 11 aside Grass or Astroturf pitches or goals. There are 10,600 people in Ardrossan, and they all must travel to Saltcoats or Ardeer Rec in Stevenston to get use of grass playing facilities, which in Winter are either swamped due to poor drainage or ice has made the ground unplayable. Not to mention travelling miles to get there and at cost using public transport or cars. • I believe some of our boys pick and choose games depending on where it is based. • Travel/time/expense are definite barriers to us at AWRYA and applies to a lot of our players. • We must play all our home games away from home 9.5 miles away in Irvine - this proves to be a logistics problem most weeks trying to get 20-30 kids and parents that distance puts a strain on the coaches/parents and families. Also incurs additional costs as almost every week the team is having to travel away from its hometown to access decent quality facilities. • Some Girls can’t pay the expense so unfortunately miss out. It’s a real issue. • Some kids miss out as they wont or don’t travel to the home games due to parents lacking transport or the distance/cost to get there. This feedback has been crucial in convincing our project partnership to develop our proposals for a new 3g facility at Winton Park. ACSH commissioned a community survey in April 22 to test residents’ views on the 3G proposals which included their opinions about the potential wider community impacts. The feedback received from residents emphasised that the project would definitely play a
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP role in addressing these inequality – with very large majorities expecting the project to have a positive impact on participation on sports and physical activity generally (92%) and on the health and wellbeing of people in the community (92%) whilst 89% felt it would improve the quality of life generally. Three Towns Locality Partnership Priorities The Winton 3G project will impact on the priorities of the Three Towns Locality Partnership in the following ways: Promoting the Local Economy and Tourism The project will lever significant new funding into Ardrossan from a range of public and Trust funders, leading to the creation of a significant new community asset. In funding the upgrade of Winton Park this investment will, in turn, help stem the leakage of expenditure from Ardrossan. Our survey work with our Winton Youth Academy teams earlier in 2022 established that these teams make significant expenditure (c £50-70k pa) outside of Ardrossan in facility bookings, travel and other ancillary spend whilst teams travel for home games and training – representing leakage from the local community. As local teams are able to play home games at the facility this will be reduced, with resultant benefits in terms of refreshment spend in local shops - not only from expenditure incurred by Winton players/parents but also from the resulting increase in visitor footfall to Ardrossan from opposition teams. Within our business plan we estimate that once the facility is up and running we will have around 66000 visits to Winton Park from over 1100 participants over the course of a year (including players, coaches, volunteers, youth and community groups). More directly the project will create 3 jobs in managing and operating the facility which will provide paid employment opportunities for local residents – with 2 of these posts targeted specifically on unemployed young people. Over a longer period we expect increasing sessional employment opportunities to be created from the delivery of coaching and other skill development programmes which will take place at the facility Regenerating Community Facilities The Winton 3G proposals fit directly with North Ayrshire Community Wealth Building objectives. The Development Partnership we have put together involves collaboration to best effect between a local Community Interest Company (Ardrossan Winton Rovers), an existing SCIO (Ardrossan Community Sports Hub) and an aspiring SCIO (Ardrossan Winton Rovers Youth Academy) – all managed by voluntary Boards / Committees made up of local residents. Use of Winton Park is currently limited to accommodating home games and training for Ardrossan Winton Rovers. A ‘typical’ weekly usage profile indicates that around a maximum of 8 hours activity
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP per week takes place in the summer months – with this dropping further in Winter weather conditions as training requires to be moved off site to protect the surface. Ardrossan Winton Rovers as a community club would like to be able to offer more community use of the facility, but this isn’t possible with the existing grass pitch which could not sustain further use given prevailing weather conditions and the maintenance regime required to keep the pitch in good condition. The project will, therefore, upgrade the facilities at Winton Park, creating a new modern facility with a synthetic surface and associated facilities which will allow much more intensive use of Winton Park by the community. The facility will be available for use over 85 hours across 7 days per week not only by the clubs within the Winton Youth Academy structure but also for walking football, by local schools, community session (e.g. unemployed groups, walking clubs, youth groups) use by Ardrossan Community Sports Hub gym activities (e.g. boot camps, aerobics etc), and coaching courses. Increasing Civic Pride and Community Engagement The survey work we undertook to establish the local community’s perceptions of the project established that a very significant proportion are supportive, with 80% expressing a positive view and only 3% expressing a negative view - with a significant majority of respondents (62%) very positive. Some of the benefits identified by those commenting included creating more of a focus for people in the local community to come together; improving social cohesion; and the facility being seen as good for the community generally. Feedback from the coaches surveyed within the Winton Youth Academy also stated benefits of this kind: • Better facilities will be a great community asset ....... that the Ardrossan Community can use which in turn helps social isolation, mental health, physical health, and fitness. • Bringing back some Civic Pride to our town by establishing a proper community club in the heart of an underprivileged area. • A home ground would give us girls an identity and an affinity to the club and town. We are forced miles away and are essentially nomadic. • Keeps a lot of money in the town and helps local businesses and shops who otherwise are losing trade as the 15 teams never actually play in Ardrossan. • We are buzzing as an academy that this site is being looked at as a potential new Astroturf facility, we think it would give the town a better community spirit, as well as a financial boost. Improving Community Wellbeing Sport and physical activity are not the sole answers to widespread health issues – issues of diet, lifestyle and poverty are central to many of these. Nevertheless, there are clear health gains to be obtained by a general increase in regular participation in sport and other physical activity which will be facilitated for Ardrossan residents by this project. Physical activity has significant direct health
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP benefits – making a significant contribution to the control and reduction of obesity and increased cardio-respiratory fitness reducing the risk of coronary heart disease mortality in particular. It’s well documented that a positive experience of sport and physical activity at a young age can contribute to a lifetime of participation in sports. The availability of the Winton 3G facility will make it much easier for young people and adults to participate in the recommended level of physical activity per week. Improved self-esteem, confidence, self-efficacy, and perceived competence result from long-term participation in sporting activities and team sports. The appeal of sport and sports-related employment can also be used within the education curriculum to engage disaffected pupils and improve academic performance and commitment to continuing education. Football governing bodies across Europe have undertaken a lot of work in recent years to demonstrate that an investment in grassroots football can generate positive societal impacts by stimulating inclusion and integration as well as improved health and wellbeing for those playing. Using Social Return on Investment models, UEFA worked with several top academics and practitioners in the field to quantify both the positive social consequences of football and its overall economic impact. In addition to obvious direct economic and employment benefits resulting from investment in football facilities the largest impacts are derived from “implied benefits” relating to education, integration, reduced crime rates, improved wellbeing, and reduced risk of type II diabetes and heart disease. There’s also evidence of impact on mental health, in terms of anxiety and depression and social benefits such as a reduced likelihood of people getting involved in the criminal justice system , in terms of people’s greater propensity to be employed and in terms of improved educational performance. We are confident that the development of a Winton 3G facility will have similar associated benefits for our community.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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. Two focused consultation exercises were undertaken to inform the development of our proposals In March 2022 Ardrossan Community Sports Hub undertook a survey of the 15 teams playing under the umbrella of the Ardrossan Winton Rovers Youth Academy (AWRYA) – and representing 325 young people aged 5 to 20 years old. The aim of the survey was to gather information on the facilities currently used for training and playing home matches and to gauge the views of the Team Management on the adequacy of the these. Key findings included: • The 15 youth academy teams undertake 30 training sessions a week – with only 8 of these taking place in Ardrossan. 12 out of 15 AWRYA teams reported it to be very difficult to hire training facilities in Ardrossan • Similar numbers reported it to be Very Difficult to hire a pitch for home games in Ardrossan – with none of the 15 playing in Ardrossan itself, the majority playing elsewhere in the Three Towns and 6 of the teams travelling as far as Kilwinning (6.2 miles), Irvine (8.6 miles) and Kilbirnie (11.1 miles) to play home matches. • St Matthews, despite training on it out of necessity, is very poor surface predominantly for Hockey with sand based low generation Astroturf which has been there for years. This facility is also prone to surface water flooding. • There are no Astroturf facilities in the Three Towns that are suitable in terms of size or surface to accommodate 11 aside league games on. Despite only having 6,000 more people than Ardrossan Kilwinning has 3 full size Astroturf pitches. Kilwinning is half the size of the three towns locality and has 3 times the amount of suitable all weather Astroturf facilities for anyone playing over age 12 • The survey went on to ask Team Managers about how they might use any new 3G Astroturf facility which could be created at Winton Park in Ardrossan. All 15 teams expressed a wish to train and play at the facility. This was followed up by a wider community survey an independent survey of 189 Ardrossan residents conducted by IBP Strategy and Research in April 2022 on the impact which a new facility would have locally - not only on participation levels but also in wider community terms. Those commenting positively referred to benefits such as increasing participation in physical activity generally; providing quality facilities to allow sports people to fully develop their potential; positive impact on pride in the area; and providing greater opportunities for participation amongst young people. A smaller proportion indicated that they felt the project would have a substantial impact on reducing crime and anti-social behaviour in the area whilst almost 9 in 10 felt it would improve the
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP quality of life generally. These very positive views were reflected across all identified demographic groups. Further consultations have taken place with key stakeholders. North Ayrshire Council are proposing to redevelop the vacant site adjacent to Ardrossan Marina at North Shore. Following public consultation the development of the North Shore site is part of a wider £150M regeneration programme including Ardrossan Harbour, 130-150 new housing units, an extended marina, and a community campus which includes sports pitches for school and community use. The development is not likely to be completed until 2025. The development framework for the site notes that sports pitches will be mainly used by the schools in school hours, with the pitches required to meet the needs of school curriculums but should be available for community use outside these times. Consultations took place with North Ayrshire Council staff in early June 2022. During the meeting it was emphasized that the Winton 3G facility and the new pitch within the Campus in North Shore would be able to dovetail to provide significant new capacity within the Town as follows: • The proposals outlined in our business plan demonstrate significant demand (amount to c75% of peak period capacity and 40% of overall capacity) from teams within the Ardrossan Winton academy structure. This would be sufficient to financially sustain the facility, with room for additional peak time use by other teams outside the Winton family and would be almost exclusively free to be used during off-peak periods by the Community. • In contract the new schools pitch within the North Shore Campus would have significant planned use during the day, Monday to Friday – which is effectively the off-peak period – with capability for use by the wider community in the evenings and weekends, including from teams who aren’t able to access the Winton 3G facility at these times due to excess demand. On this basis discussions took place regarding the range of potential funding opportunities both within and external to North Ayrshire, with local authority staff happy to provide further inputs and offer support for the proposals to strategic funders such as Scottish Football Association and Sport Scotland. Consultations have also taken place with Cameron Watt, Football Facilities Manager at the Scottish Football Association, the potential key funder for the project. The SFA indicated their awareness of Winton 3g proposals dating back to 2013/14, understood the basis of a potential submission and confirmed that the project would be likely to be eligible to apply under Phase 3 of the Grassroots Pitches Fund in Autumn 2023.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 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 Three Towns? Please include the number of volunteering opportunities and employment opportunities • If there are any staff requirements, please outline your HR plans ACSH Board Facilities Management As the lead partner within the project, Ardrossan Community Sports Hub will have the following roles and responsibilities Financial Responsibilities ● Managing Winton 3G cash flow and ensuring it meets all its financial obligations and undertakings and that money received and spent is properly accounted for. ● Ensuring effective financial record keeping and procedures and production of regular financial reports as required to funders, members and stakeholders. People Responsibilities ● Provision of line management, support and supervision of employees. ● Exercising duty of care to employees, volunteers, service users and visitors or visiting their premises. Premises / Facilities ● Overall responsibility for the state, use and security of its premises, particularly in relation to legal uses and health and safety. ● Ensuring employer liability, public liability, building and contents insurance provision, compliance with fire and safety regulations, public health requirements and planning consents and regulations. Legal / Governance Issues ● Ensure compliance with the relevant charity and company law ● Make decisions on and exercising general and legal responsibility for all contracts to be entered into by the organisation. ● Ensuring funding is used as per conditions of grant Reviewing And Monitoring ● Ensuring regular review of performance against the terms and targets of contracts, grant awards and other funding
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP ● Ensure key stakeholders and funders are updated regularly on performance and progress and effectively manage relationships with them Business and Project Development ● Developing and monitoring the Business Plan and its implementation ● Developing a Marketing and Promotion plan for the Winton 3G Hub and ensuring a strong brand within the local community ● Identifying new development opportunities and sourcing business development support as required Financial Management Ardrossan Community Sports Hub Board will be responsible for financial management of the facility and to this end have prepared 5 year financial projections for the facility which are set out within our business plan. The main source of earned income for the facility will come from 3G pitch hire with peak period pitch fees projected to contribute 54% of income in Year 1 rising to 56% in Year 5 and determined by benchmarking with KA Leisure. Occupancy levels are based on known requirements by Winton Youth Academy teams together with prudent assumptions concerning use of the facility by local amateur teams, other youth football clubs and the general public hiring the pitch for their own leisure use We have included grant funding contributions at reducing levels towards staff costs which we believe is realistic given the known availability of revenue grant funding from various sources and ACSH’s track record to date in securing similar funding awards. Staff Costs are the main cost item for the Winton 3G Hub over the life of this Business Plan – followed by the Sinking Fund provision required to be made to enable replacement of the artificial carpet surface after Year 8. Within Overhead Costs we have insured increased provision is made for Heat and Light cost given the recent and future predicted pattern of energy costs. We have set out realistic and attainable income and expenditure targets which can deliver modest annual surpluses whilst ensuring key funder requirements such as Sinking Fund provisions to secure the longevity of the facility and sustain funder investments can also be met. Proposed Staffing Arrangements Ardrossan Community Sports Hub will employ a Facility Manager to manage the facility – supported by 2 Facility Assistants recruited via Employability programmes. Pitch bookings and payments will be made using industry standard on line software, minimizing the need for staff administration time. It is intended that these staff will provide cover the facility during Peak operating hours – from 4.30 pm to 10om Monday to Friday and during the weekends.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP During Off Peak periods in a typical week – essentially Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30 pm – it is envisaged that the facility will be used primarily for wider community use and access for these purposes and associated supervision will be provided for by Gym staff who are located within the nearby Ardrossan Community Sports Hub Community Gym. The Facility Manager will have the following management and development roles and responsibilities • Oversee the daily operations and management of Winton 3G Hub and its facilities including ensuring the safety and quality of playing surfaces and the safety of those using the facilities. • Prepare annual budgets for Board approval and manage resources within budget • Take the lead in proposing pitch hire, membership, room hire and other facility fees for Board approval • Line manage, support and develop the Facility Assistants • Work within specific guidelines, e.g. equal opportunities, health and safety and child protection • Identify and develop sport, recreation and health initiatives and develop partnerships to develop initiatives and implement them • Attend meetings, seminars and conferences and liaise with schools, partners and other Clubs to develop new opportunities and partnerships • Ensure the facility is effectively marketed to ensure high useage rates and engagement within the local community – using social media, specific events and other relevant activities • Identify potential opportunities to secure external funding • Raising local public awareness of health and fitness issues and promote participation in sport, particularly amongst underrepresented groups • Evaluate and monitor activities and projects using performance indicators The Facility Assistants will have the following roles and responsibilities • Act as first contact for sports facility visitors, dealing with enquiries. • Maintaining admin procedures for the Winton 3G Hub and deal with cash handling as required • Organize and schedule events as required. • Assist the Facility Manager as required in the marketing of the Hub and its facilities including use of social media • Assist in the set up / take down of sports equipment as required. • Ensure that the safety and behaviour of the public is controlled to prevent injury, misuse and damage to facilities. • Provide first-aid cover, and act as a Fire Warden ensuring that the appropriate documentation is completed • Carry out routine facility checks and completion of relevant documentation • Carry out general cleaning duties of the facility, including changing rooms, toilets and external areas. Volunteering Opportunities
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP All three organisations involved in this project have volunteers at the core of their operations. Ardrossan Community Sports Hub have 8 Trustees who act on a voluntary basis across various roles to champion Ardrossan and make sure the Town secures the best resources possible. Ardrossan Winton Rovers CIC have a voluntary board of Trustees and facilitate volunteering opportunities currently mainly around Ground/Stadium Maintenance, fundraising and administration of the football teams. Ardrossan Winton Youth Academy have a volunteer Committee and have 15 teams with 32 coaches who train, coach and facilitate the Youth Academies games on a weekly basis. A further 44 volunteers are involved in the teams in other roles such as secretary, treasurer, and first aid/ safety officers. With the new facility the deliver partnership will likely create further volunteering opportunities as the Youth Academy are expected to grow further so will need further coaches and off field voluntary support. They will likely also want to increase their board. ACSH and AWR will seek help with maintenance of new facility and will aim to upskill potential trainees or volunteers to allow more voluntary contribution to this new community facility.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND 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 (£) £100,000 Please give a breakdown of cost and recent quotations where appropriate. Cost Breakdown In April 2022 a set of indicative capital costs for the installation of a 3G pitch at Winton Park with associated works were secured from Sportslabs. These are appended at the end of this application for information. The summary elemental costs, in the region of £615,000, are shown in the table below. Estimated 3G Capital Costs Element Estimated Costs Prelims £25,622 Site Preparations £34,888 Drainage £12,357 Sub Base £93,314 Shock Pad & Synthetic Turf £200,673 Fencing £17,022 Reinstatement £2,197 Equipment £9,966 Floodlighting £50,000 Maintenance £2,200 Modular Changing Room £50,000 Sub Total £498,239 Key Stage Inspection Fees & Testing £4,420 Sportslabs Consultants Project Management Fees £10,250 Net Total £512,909 20% VAT £102,582 Total £615,491
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP Current Funding Plan One For The Team CIC conducted a review of key potential funding sources for a Winton 3G project in October 2022. A summary of key and possible funding sources for the project is set out in the table below. It is anticipated that ACSH will require to secure assemble a capital funding package between October 2022 and March 2024 to enable 3G installation between May – June 2024 - with contributions from between 6 and 8 funders required to meet the indicative Capital Costs set out above. ACSH will continue to monitor the funding environment to identify new suitable funding opportunities as they arise. Funding Body Comments Scottish Football Association • Scottish FA Grassroots Pitch & Facilities Fund was created in 2021 using UK Government money. • Initially the money was used to support the replacement and enhancement of existing 3G pitches across Scotland, but mostly focused on areas identified in Deciles 1-6 of SIMD areas. • This fund in 2023 will open to applicants looking to transform grass pitches into Synthetic and will meet up to 50% (c£300,000 - £350,000) towards the cost on installation of pitch. • This has been identified as a Key Funding Source by ACSH and having spoken to SFA Football Facilities Manager, he feels Winton 3G are positioned well to apply at the next funding round in October 2023. Sport Scotland • Sport Facilities Fund (SFF) aims to support capital projects that create or improve places where people take part in sport and physical activity. • Sport Scotland have set 2 deadlines each year for this fund: the 1st of April and the 1st of September. The next deadline is 1st of April 2023. • Successful applicants can secure up to £100,000 towards their project if they successfully demonstrate that their project will meet Sport Scotland’s key funding criteria (Increasing Participation and Progression) North Ayrshire Council – Community Investment Fund (CIF) • North Ayrshire Council have a Community Investment Fund which can provide Grants of up to £100,000 for projects which connect with identified local strategies. • The Three Towns Locality have already approved the Expression of Interest submitted by ACSH, to allow a full application for up to £100,000 to be developed.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP • The Full Application will be submitted in early November 2022 to be considered at the next meeting of The Three Towns Locality. Garfield Weston Foundation • Garfield Weston Operate 2 grant schemes – one for under and one for over £100,000. • Themes Garfield Weston are looking to fund includes: Arts, Education, Youth, Health, Museums & Heritage, Community, Environment, Faith, and Welfare. • However, in practice Capital Grants are unlikely to be more than 10% of the total project cost (£50,000 or under) and are made when ACSH can demonstrate that they have raised funds locally, that their project is valued by the community, and they have identified approximately half the costs of the project already. Suez Landfill – Primary Fund • Up to £50k available from their Primary Fund, after successfully applying via Suez 2 stage application process. Which can take up to 6 months. • SUEZ Communities Trust consider projects which focus on physical improvement at an identified site. • To be eligible, your project site must be in Scotland. and in the vicinity of a landfill site or transfer station. ACSH are eligible. • Before SUEZ Communities Trust can release funding, a supported project must arrange a payment called the Contributing Third Party (CTP) payment – equal to 11.5% of the grant amount. ACSH willing to arrange this. Additional funders who can be targeted include Barcapel Foundation; Postcode Trust; and Valencia Landfill Community Fund. Previous Funding Support ACSH have a good track record of levering in grant funding resources to enable delivery of our activities. Recent funding secured since 2019 is set out in the table below. Grant Funding Received since 2019 by ACSH Funder Amount Date Received Purpose of Grant Funding Sport Scotland £9,800 April 2019 Grants to provide local children with sporting activities and purchasing of required Sporting Equipment to do so.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP Corra Scotland £5,730 May 2020 Funding secured to help ACSH through the COVD 19 pandemic Foundation Scotland The Community Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund £5,000 June 2020 To fund the purchase of resources to encourage interactions between children and parents inside and outside the home during times of social distancing (board games, arts and crafts materials, books, etc.), and to enable people facing financial hardship to access online services. National Lottery Awards for All £9800 March 2020 Funding to allow ACSH to take young people to sporting events and provide a range of sports activities. The project aim is to inspire people in Ardrossan to participate in sport and give them access to new opportunities. Corra Scotland - Winter Support Small Grants Fund £3,390 December 2020 Funding to help families with Christmas gifts, food and fuel costs. North Ayrshire - Community Investment Fund £43,000 January 2021 Full contribution to wages for 1 year of a Fulltime Gym Manager and 1 Part Time Assistant Coach role. National Lottery – Community Led Fund £92,639 June 2022 Grant money obtained over three years to contribute towards salary of the Gym Manager and Coaching Assistants as well as for further cardio equipment within the ACSH gym. North Ayrshire Ventures Trust Fund £30,000 August 2022 Grant money obtained over three years to contribute towards Gym Manager salary cost.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on the monitoring and evaluation processes planned or in place. Ardrossan Community Sports Hub will ensure an effective monitoring and evaluation programme is in place to provide the feedback necessary to allow us to run the facility effectively and secure the impacts we want to deliver for the community. This will include: Area What Will be Monitored Use of the facility Weekly recording of: • No of Games and Training Sessions • No of Players/Participants • % Occupancy levels in Peak and Off Peak periods Use of information to monitor uptake as per business plan projections and to identify excess demand / access problems Beneficiaries Weekly recording of sociodemographic information on participants including age, gender, residence, disability, protected characteristics. Use of information to test who is using facility, ensuring maximum penetration within local community; help guide marketing and promotion activity to underrepresented groups; and identify need for creation of specific initiatives to address any issues arising. Financial Sustainability • Monthly financial reports noting Peak and off peak income from facility hire; event income; grant revenue funding received – all against target • Monthly financial reports noting expenditure against budget Use of information to monitor financial position, identify variances against budget and need to take remedial actions where required. Satisfaction Levels Quarterly surveys of facility users to gain feedback on services provided – from booking systems, access arrangements and affordability to quality of surface, changing rooms, spectator areas and refreshment facilities. Use of information to address concerns and review any policies or procedures necessary to ensure safe, welcoming, affordable and accessible facility Coaching Infrastructure 6 monthly monitoring of: • Nos and Characteristics of coaches; qualifications obtained; progress through recognised national pathways
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP and Volunteering • Nos and Characteristics of volunteers; no of volunteer hours; types of volunteering opportunities • Questionnaires gathering information from coaches/volunteers on impact of these opportunities on skill levels, confidence, self-esteem and future aspirations Use of information to ensure facility is creating necessary non-playing infrastructure and opportunities which are vital to long term success and supporting the development of volunteers. Wider Community Use Monthly recording of amount and type of use by different groups within the community including social and leisure use e.g. walking football, by local schools, community sessions (e.g. unemployed groups, walking clubs, youth groups), boot camps, aerobics, coaching courses etc. Use of information to gauge level of wider use made of facility by community and associated satisfaction levels. Impacts Anticipate carrying out annual survey work with facility users/participants, member clubs, wider community clubs and other community users. Use of information to test if facility has: • improved access to pitches for training and home games and resolved current barriers • increased participation levels for different groups • impacted positively on teams/participants affinity and association with Ardrossan and Winton • Impacts on participants physical and mental health and wellbeing Beyond this at the end of Year 3 we would anticipate commissioning a wider, independent community survey to establish: • residents perceptions of the facility; • how well it has been received by local people; • the contribution it has made in terms of terms of increasing opportunities for participation in football and wider physical activities and in delivering health benefits; • and whether it has impacted on overall quality of life and pride in the community.
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COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP