Kirkbank House, English Street, Dumfries Dumfries and Galloway, DG1 2HS, Scotland Tel: 01387 260028 Web: www.dgleader.co.uk
MINUTES LEADER Local Action Group – Full LAG Meeting
Wednesday 12th October 2016, 2pm
Held at: Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries
Present: Peter Ross (Chair) (PR) Cathy Agnew (CA) Heather Brash (HB) David Rennie (DR) Caroline Graham-Brown (CGB) Gillian Khosla (GK) Alastair McNeill (AMcN) Karen Ward Boyd (KWB) Claire Thirlwall (CT) Norman Burns (NB) Doug Wilson (DW) Harry Harbottle (HH) McNabb Laurie (ML) Clair McFarlan (CM) Jenny Wilson (JW) Teresa Dougall (TD) Gill Dykes (GD) Sharon Glendinning (SG) Amanda Hannah (AH) Judith Johnson (JJ) Eva Milroy (EM)
Staff: Nicola Hill (NH) Derek Hextall (DH) Simone Tyrie (ST) Ellen Grant (EG) Rowan Lloyd (RL) Lesley Ross (LR)
Apologies: Colin Smyth (CS) Craig Peacock (CP) Barry Dunne (BD) Heather Hall (HH) Chick McKenna (CMK) Joan Neilson (JN) Rob Wells (RW) Grant Course (GC) Stephen Hardy (SH) Shaun McGuire (SM) Debbie Parke (DP) Pam Taylor (PT) John Tooth (JT) Jonathan Warren (JW) Allan Watson (AW) Lesley Jackson (LJ) Ed Forrest (EF) Actions from this meeting:
Agenda Point: Action: Responsible: Annual Report D&G Foresight Group to be established PR
LAG Membership Circulate meeting dates for all groups within NH the LAG Kirkbank House, English Street, Dumfries Dumfries and Galloway, DG1 2HS, Scotland Tel: 01387 260028 Web: www.dgleader.co.uk
Welcome PR welcomes members. Members all introduced themselves and confirmed which Group they sat on in the LAG.
Minutes of Last Meeting N/A. This is the first Full LAG meeting to be held during this programme period.
Day of the Region 2016 – Presentation
Lesley Ross (LR), Day of the Region (DoR) Project Officer delivered an overview of Day of the Region 2016. There were 6 participating communities:
Sanquhar (5th Year)
Glentrool (2nd Year)
Kirkconnel & Kelloholm (4th Year)
Annan (2nd Year)
Lochmaben (2nd Year)
Stranraer ARC (Pilot Community of Interest)
LR gave the LAG members an overview of the programmes delivered over the four DoR weekend celebrations. Lesley explained the transnational element of the project had not been delivered due to the EU referendum result casting doubt over the programme and preventing the team from organising this aspect of the project. LR discussed the Community Gathering which took place on the 1st October 2016 and the informal evaluation undertaken at that event. An evaluation of DoR 2016 is currently being undertaken by LR.
DR enquired about the inclusion of Stranraer ARC and if the DoR steering group are planning to take this forward. The LAG discussed the new approach to including communities of interest as well as geographic communities. LR confirmed this was something the DoR steering group are keen to explore in future DoR celebrations.
Cathy Agnew (CA) joined the meeting
Annual Report – Presentation
Nicola Hill (NH), LEADER Programme Manager delivered a presentation on the Annual Report 2015/16. NH confirmed this report included both LEADER and EMFF programmes.
NH highlighted some of the networking activities the LAG has engaged in over the past 12 months:
Ceredigion/Cairngorms LAG Visit – September 2015
Finnish Group Visit – April 2016
Heritage Lottery Fund – Joint Funding Road Shows – October 2015 LEADER Conference – Aviemore – March 2016
NH confirmed that she has represented LEADER on the Community Learning & Development (CLD) Strategic Plan Working Group for D&G. NH has also liaised with Mark Molloy of D&G Council Youth Services regarding LEADER being represented on a working group for a new Youth Democracy & Participation Strategy for the region. D&G LEADER was also represented at the recent Scottish Rural Parliament (SRP) event in Brechin – October 2016. Peter Ross (PR), Heather Brash, Eva Milroy, Derek Hextall and Ellen Grant all attended over the 3 day event. PR delivered a Fringe event at the SRP on an approach to delivering LEADER type programmes – Foresight.
NH advised the LAG of a number of ‘lowlights’ in the programme over the past year:
Lack of clear Scottish Government Guidance
LARCS IT system – delay in being implemented and on-going technical issues.
BREXIT
NH confirmed in response to communications from Scottish & UK governments D&G LEADER has brought forward the December decisions on applications to a meeting on 17th November. This approach is to ensure funds are committed prior to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement and per letter received from Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing. This advised LAG’s that any funds committed prior to the Autumn Statement would be honoured.
The LAG discussed the implications of the EU Referendum result on the D&G programme and the national programme. NH advised that since the Cabinet Secretary’s letter UK government has confirmed all EU funding committed prior to the UK leaving the EU will be honoured. This suggests funding is secure until March 2019 approx. NH awaits something in writing to confirm this by Scottish Government.
NH extended her thanks to the LEADER team for their hard work over the past 12 months and thanks PR for his dedication to the programme. SG extended her thanks to the LEADER team and suggested there was an opportunity for the LAG to engage in some strategic discussion around how things ought to be taken forward from a rural perspective. TD confirmed she has been feeding information through MP’s, MSP’s and MEP’s via the NFUS.
PR suggested the LAG establishes a ‘Foresight’ group to enable those strategic discussions to take place. He asked for volunteers to sit on group. SG, TD, GD, HH, DR, CA, CB and HB all agreed to join a group.
Action Point (PR)
LARCS IT System
NH confirmed that all LAG members will have now received ‘log in’ details for the new IT system and that they should all ensure they familiarise themselves with the system. NH advised the LEADER team are available to assist with any queries/issues.
LAG Membership
PR advised the LAG that there are some issues with LAG member attendance at decision making meetings. PR had stepped in at the last Rural Enterprise Group meeting to ensure decisions were quorate. The LAG members discussed this matter and NH confirmed she would circulate meeting dates to ensure everyone had them in the diaries and gave them the necessary priority to ensure quorum at all meetings.
Action Point (NH) Kirkbank House, English Street, Dumfries Dumfries and Galloway, DG1 2HS, Scotland Tel: 01387 260028 Web: www.dgleader.co.uk
Date of Next Meeting 11th October 2017 – venue to be confirmed.