Committee and Date St Oswald and Llanymynech Local Joint Committee 11Th June 2013 7.00 P.M. Item Public 2012/13 FINANCE REPORT
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Committee and Date Item St Oswald and Llanymynech Local Joint Committee 15 11 th June 2013 7.00 p.m. Public 2012/13 FINANCE REPORT, INCLUDING UPDATE ON FUNDING REQUESTS FOR CONSIDERATION Responsible Officer Corrie Davies Email: [email protected] Tel: 01691 677306 1. Summary 1.1 This report considers the devolved funding allocated to the St Oswald and Llanymynech Local Joint Committee (LJC) for the period 1 April 2013 up until 31 March 2014 1.2 A total of £19,574 has been devolved to the committee to fund projects in the local community served by the LJC for 2013/14. This is made up of an annual budget of £15,500, arts funding at £1,150 and budget carried from 2012/13 at £2,924. 1.3 Prior to each LJC, a planning meeting takes place to discuss applications for funding and agree recommendations. 1.4 Six new applications have been received for this reporting period. These were considered at the planning meeting held on 21st of May 2013. The recommendations from the planning meeting feature in this report, and are put forward to the LJC to be held on the 11th of June 2013. 2. Recommendations 2.1 That the LJC considers the applications received, and awards funding to those organisations and their projects as recommended in this report. 2.2 That the LJC delegates any art specific funding it receives as part of its 2013/2014 budget to Oswestry and District Arts Association, to enable it to continue to run its arts grants programme in the Oswestry area. 2.3 That the LJC delegates 5% of its 2013/2014 budget to Oswestry and District Sports Council to enable it to continue to run its sports grants programme in the Oswestry area. 2.4 In view of the reduced funding available, that the LJC considers whether it wishes in future to prioritise and or invite project proposals which address particular themes or know priorities in the LJC area. 2.5 That the LJC adopts a mechanism for approving applications between LJC meetings by using the Community Action Officer’s delegated authority and where all members of the Committee are in approval. This is not designed to replace decision making at meetings, but to be used when it is in the interest of an applicant to receive a decision between meetings. 2.6 Applications for funding were considered at the planning meeting 21 st of May and recommendations totalling £ 5,100 are now put forward to the St Oswald LJC for consideration. These are as follows : 8.38 Llanymynech Folk Festival Weekend £800 8.39 Llanymynech and Pant Good Companions £1000 8.40 Oswestry Heritage Open Days (Cluster Application) £500 8.41 Kinnerly Rounders Club £1, 500 8.42 Llanymynech Limeworks Heritage Area Leaflets £800 8.43 Llanymynech Football Club £500 TOTAL £5,100 2013/14 budget £ 15,500 2012/13 budget carried £2,924 Arts Funding £ 1,150 Spend to date £0 Total of recommendations 11/6/13 £ 5,100 Delegation of arts funding to Oswestry & District Arts £1,150 Association Delegation of funding to Oswestry & District Sports £775 Association- 5% of 2012/13 budget Current b alance remaining £ 12,548 REPORT 3. Risk Assessment and Opportunities Appraisal 3.1 In determining this recommendation the Council has considered reputational risk and the course of action minimises this risk. 3.2 The recommendations contained in this report are compatible with the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998. 3.3 The proposals under consideration will improve the levels of community based and community driven activity in the LJC area. 4. Financial Implications 4.1 The funding devolved to the LJC can be used for a number of different purposes over the year. At the present time, the Committee has not allocated funds to any specific purposes but has indicated that it will receive applications from local organisations for eligible purposes. Funding by the LJC must comply with the general Financial Rules for LJCs. 5. Background 5.1 From 1 April 2009 Shropshire Council created 28 Local Joint Committees (LJC) to operate across the whole of Shropshire. The LJCs are legally constituted decision making Committees of Shropshire Council 5.2 The LJC for St Oswald and Llanymynech wards has membership from Shropshire Council (4 members) and parish councils (6 members) all with equal voting rights. 5.3 The St Oswald and Llanymynech LJC are responsible for the award and expenditure of the devolved budget. The amount available to the LJC in 2011/12 was reduced as a result of Shropshire Council budget decisions, and a review of locality working in Shropshire. The amount was however supplemented by the transfer of funding previously available for community arts projects in to the LJC budgets and some under spend carried forward. The 2013/14 budget remains the same at £15,500, with additional arts funding and small amount of carry forward from 2012/13. 5.4 Following full council on the 23 rd of June 2011 it is recommended that Community Action Officers are given delegated authority to determine urgent and time sensitive matters in consultation and agreement with the Local Joint Committee Chair and/or Vice Chair. Details in this instance can circulated with other members of the panel to obtain a consensus. This will obviate the need for additional meetings and allow for applications to be agreed between meetings if they are urgent 5.5 The total amount available to St Oswald and Llanymynech LJC is calculated as follows: Total LJC electorate as at August 2010: 6,757 Budget based on this electorate £15,500 Plus apportioned allocation of community £1,150 arts budget Plus carry forward from 2012/13 budget £2,924 TOTAL budget for 2012/13 £ 19,574 5.6 The value of recommended projects put forward in this current round total £5,100 plus delegation of £1,150 arts and £775 Sports Council leaving a remaining balance of £12,548 for future rounds during 2013/14. This is dependent on claimed projects over previous year. 6. Additional Information 6.1 A summary of applications received has been compiled and included below. 3 6.2 Llanymynech Folk Weekend 6.2.1 The purpose of the project is to hold a bi-annual, cross-border folk, and traditional arts festival, within the bounds of Llanymynech, with a strong community focus. This would mean that it would altinate with the gŵyl Tegeingl festival. The festival will include English and Welsh folk music, workshops in traditional music, song, dance, and storytelling, a twmpath/ social dance and a family fun day including a procession with giant puppets and a large village fête event on the Heritage area. Aims include the following: 1) Better cross border understanding within the local community, of the traditional culture; arts, music, and dance, associated with each country. 2) Increase in visitor numbers to the local area and a corresponding increase in trade for local businesses. 3) Education and experience of the area's heritage and historical places. 4) Training and engagement with traditional arts, crafts, and musical skills which will enable participants to engage more fully in the local cultural heritage. To further engage children and young people a series of bi-lingual puppet making workshops will be held with Vagabondi Puppets to construct, and to learn to manipulate, a lion and dragon for the procession on the final morning of the festival. Prior to the festival weekend, workshops will be run with children in local schools to begin construction of the figures, and as a means of involving them in the event. The puppeteering element of the event will culminate in a show by Vagabondi Puppets on the Heritage area during the final afternoon. Total project costs at £ 5,546, LJC request at £1,400 and match funding of £2000 from Welsh Arts Council, £300 from Carrehofa CC, £2000-£3000 in funds raised by tickets estimated and £920 in voluntary time. 6.2.2 Need and Demand – The idea of the festival has come from the need to draw together and promote a series of disparate threads of local activity and creative groups, including, the Heritage area and canal wharf, Underhill Farm, the local church, and activities relating to the English and Welsh sides of the village. The puppet making and procession is an attempt to bring this last element to the fore in an exciting and engaging way. Within the festival the group have identified a need to engage young people in the centre of the event and not just add “childrens activities”. Of course some children will be able to participate in the music, dance and story workshops but these are essentially mixed age sessions and will not appeal to some children. The group have decided to use the skills of Vagabondi, a local puppet group, who are already working in local schools. The group would like them to go into local schools and build two giant puppets which can be used as part of the procession on the Sunday of the festival. This would also provide publicity and engagement of local families who might not otherwise be interested in a “folk music” event. During the festival the puppet workshops would be encouraging the children to work in teams to operate and animate the puppets. The group would like to be able to put Vagabondi in to the primary schools attended by the local children, in Pant, Four Crosses and Carreghofa, ideally 4 for two days in each. This would mean hiring Vagabondi for 8 days. The group have had support from all the schools but, sadly, it has been made clear that due to the current situation of funding in Education it will not be possible to ask the schools for finance towards this project.