Manchester City Council Item 8 Resources and Governance Overview and Scrutiny Committee 16 December 2010 Manchester City Council Report for Information Report To: Resources and Governance Overview and Scrutiny Committee - 16 December 2010 Subject: Cash Grants Programme Report Of: Chief Executive ___________________________________________________________ Purpose of Report: To provide Members with feedback on the implementation of the Cash grants scheme over the last three years, with specific reference to how the scheme has enhanced community engagement in wards. Recommendation For Members to note the content of this report. Financial Consequences for the Revenue and Capital Budgets The current Cash grants programme comprised this year of main stream £1,260,000 plus additional £180,000 from WNF Revenue. Contact Officers Maria Boylan - Strategy Leader, Corporate Performance Tel: 0161 234 3998 [email protected] Jolanta Shields – Area Co-ordination and Third Sector Team - 0161 234 [email protected] Background Documents None Wards Affected All 32 Manchester City Council Item 8 Resources and Governance Overview and Scrutiny Committee 16 December 2010 Introduction 1.1 Manchester City Council’s Cash grant programme was set up in 1999, initially as a one – off scheme to support community projects that contributed to the objectives of the Bright and Clean campaign or the Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy. Following the popularity and success of the scheme, the City Council agreed to continue providing support for this programme with the budget per ward rising from an initial £25,000 to £45,000 in 2010. Since this funding scheme was first launched, the Council has made an investment of approximately £8 million in 32 wards in Manchester. This is in addition to statutory provision of services. 2. Background 2.1 The present Cash grants scheme together with Proud of Manchester campaign aims to help local people and community groups develop projects that can make a real difference to their lives and neighbourhoods. The programme encourages residents to identify problems and find solutions that will improve their environment and quality of life. Cash grants have enabled residents deliver a range of excellent innovative projects many of which have made a real difference to the way people feel about their area. The Cash grant programme is built on the principle of self-help, with project ideas initiated, planned and implemented by the residents and community groups. 2.2 In the past City Council departments have delivered a number of big operational/environmental Cash projects on behalf of applicants. However, due to the implications of VAT for the Council, it is no longer possible to process payments in this way. This had some positive effects on the programme by enabling local people to become more involved in the design and delivery of the project and empowering them to take action and acquire new skills. 3. Administration and Management 3.1 Cash grants are awarded to local groups on a yearly basis through a competitive application process with no deadline. Each ward is given a total budget, which in 2010 was £45,000, to support schemes, which are of wide community benefit and in line with the local ward plans and priorities. The administration of the programme is supported by a database, which allows Ward Support Officers to record new applications, check the progress of payments and generate standard forms and letters to applicant groups. The Area Co-ordination and Third Sector Team continues to be the designated budget holder for the Cash grants programme and are responsible for its overall financial management, marketing and post-programme evaluation. 3.2 The delegated authority for the management of this programme has been given to Ward Co-ordinators who, after the consultation with Ward councillors, makes final decision on funding applications in each ward. The devolution of the administration of the programme to the local/grass root level offers elected Members and Ward Co-ordinators an opportunity to determine which projects 33 Manchester City Council Item 8 Resources and Governance Overview and Scrutiny Committee 16 December 2010 deal most effectively with local priorities and have most desirable effect in the wards. Administration of the scheme is simple, flexible and responsive to residents’ needs. The application form is straightforward and accessible to people not used to applying for and/or completing applications. To ensure that the process is consistent we have recently introduced additional page for Area Co-ordination officers to help them ensure that the project meets a standard (baseline) eligibly criteria. 3.3 For projects to be considered they must:- • benefit Manchester residents, • involve local people in development and delivery of the project and • represent value for money Like any funding programme, Cash receives a number of speculative bids from individuals and businesses and it is possible that additional criteria will have to be implemented to prevent such bids especially at a time when other grant streams are diminishing. The decision-making criteria of the Cash grant programme continues to prioritise applications from small and local groups whose work has potential to improve the area and quality of life of its residents. 3.4 The Cash grants programme has evolved to be responsive to the changing needs and priorities of the Council as well as Manchester residents. As such, over the last three years, the programme has been successfully championing the innovative approach to community engagement through the participatory budgeting events: ”U Decide”, in a number of wards. 4. “U Decide” events or Participatory Budgeting (PB) 4.1 Participatory budgeting is a way of involving communities in real decisions on spending priorities for a specific public budget. Elected members, Ward Co- ordinators and Support Officers can use it to engage residents and community groups to discuss and vote on spending priorities. It is a powerful tool for engaging with residents and can be used to involve and encourage a broader spread of people. Research has shown that PB directly benefits individuals by forming strong links to a neighbourhood and building a capital of new skills and experiences. At the same time, if offers ward Members and the Ward Co- ordination Team an opportunity to effectively reconnect people, often disenfranchised, with democratic process and build trust. The Cash grant programme is an effective tool in championing community engagement at the grass root/neighbourhood level. The process of awarding grants is determined in consultation with ward members who have essential understanding of problems and demographics of individual wards. The cash scheme promotes the idea of partnership working, negotiating solutions to the local problems and improving participatory democracy. Over the years, the Ward Co-ordination and ward Members have been involved in advising and consulting on numerous community projects often with marginalised and hard to reach communities. The Cash grant programme is an initial broker of those 34 Manchester City Council Item 8 Resources and Governance Overview and Scrutiny Committee 16 December 2010 relationships. It supports the community action and has a mandate to bring together different ideas and encourage open dialogue with new and diverse residents groups. 4.2 The “U Decide” event is a unique brand for participatory budgeting developed and piloted through the Cash grants programme in four wards in Manchester. The events inspired large turnouts of residents who felt that their actions would make a tangible difference to their local neighbourhoods and communities. The next section discusses these outcomes in detail. 5. PB Pilots using Cash Grants 5.1 Two PB events took place in Fallowfield and Whalley Range wards in 2008/9 under the name of “U Decide”. Following the success of these events in 2009/10, four U Decide pilots took place across Chorlton, Fallowfield, Whalley Range and Northenden. The first three events were funded by CASH and the Northenden event was funded by central government funding to develop engagement in Northenden. The following case studies provide a snapshot of “U Decide” events and its successes: CASE STUDY – CHORLTON In Chorlton, £10,000 was allocated from Chorlton Wards Cash Grant budget to hold a “U Decide” event for residents in Chorlton in October 2009. The maximum amount accepted for each bid was £1,000. 16 project bids were submitted to the value of £13,966.85, and accepted in line with the funding criteria. A total of 141 people attended the “U Decide” event and 102 people were eligible to vote. Of the 16 project bids submitted, 12 projects were funded which had been voted on by local residents. CASE STUDY – FALLOWFIELD In February 2010, Fallowfield ward allocated £10,000 to hold a “U Decide” event for its residents. The maximum amount accepted for each bid was £1,500. 11 projects were submitted to the value of £14,350 and accepted in line with the funding criteria. A total of 46 people attended the event with 34 of them actually voting. Of the 11 proposed bids, eight were successful in securing funding. The funded bids ranged from young to older people’s projects both working for the benefit of the community they live in. CASE STUDY – WHALLEY RANGE Whalley Range allocated £12,000 to carry out a “U Decide” event in March 2010. The maximum amount accepted for each bid was £1,000. 17 project bids were submitted to the value of £14,965, and accepted in line with the funding criteria. A total of 102 people attended the event and 84 people voted. Of the 17 project submitted, 14 were funded to the value of £12,265. The successful projects were all about being resourceful and imaginative in our approaches to local issues such as 35 Manchester City Council Item 8 Resources and Governance Overview and Scrutiny Committee 16 December 2010 eating (Eat your Street project), cycling (Bike Resurrection) and helping the youngest to enjoy local facilities.