Agenda item

Report of the Head of Community and Housing Strategy detailing the applications for Small Community Grants.

Report of the Head of Community and Housing Strategy which detailed the applications received for Round One of the Small Community Grants 2022/23.

 

There was £50,000 in total available during the financial year 2022/23 to be awarded through the small grants process.

 

This was the first round of funding for the Small Community Grants and in total

£23,086.54 had been applied for, with twelve applications to be considered. It was noted that the Red Kite Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Service were asking for £4,000 but the limit was £2,000.

 

6th Welwyn Garden City Brownies, guide, and ranger unit - £1,000.00

 

The 6th Welwyn Garden City Brownies, Guide and Ranger Unit are a community run group, working within the Girlguiding programme to support members to be independent and understand the world and community around them.

 

They run a small group for girls with additional needs to allow them to access the Girlguiding programme: they have been running for 12 years and take girls from the age of 7.

 

They currently meet fortnightly but pre-covid met weekly but with two different groups of girls each meeting fortnightly.

 

They lost 50% of girls due to them not being able to manage on zoom sessions during covid, but are hoping most of the girls will return once back to face to face meetings.

 

The group want to restart face to face meetings but can no longer meet at their old meeting place and were told that their equipment had been ‘lost’.

 

The group would like to try and budget rent costs for a new venue that has been found and replace all their equipment that had been ruined due to a mouse infestation.

 

The following points were noted:

 

•It was noted that the group had lost their equipment to a mouse infestation and this was an unfortunate situation.

•It was noted that they were looking to rent a new premises.

•Members noted that they were a small group.

•It was noted that rules for Brownies/Scouts had changed a lot and they may have to pay per head and this can be expensive especially if the group was small and they could lose money.

•Part of the request is to cover rent, whilst agreed on this occasion, would not be grant funded on an ongoing basis.

 

AGREED a grant of £1,000.

 

 

Birchwood Trust - £2,000.00

 

The Birchwood Trust has supported families within the Birchwood Community for just over two years now. The trust now need to step up and help families understand the importance of healthy eating. Food insecurity and poor health are related and it is always cheaper and easier to purchase less healthier options. The trust want to show people that with a little thought and food waste management that it is achievable to provide healthy meals for families.

 

The families that access the foodbank would benefit from help regarding menu planning and access to cheap healthy food items.

 

Their Trust’s aim is to correlate recipe cards and provide the food items needed to make 3-4 hot healthy meals a week for 6-8 weeks.

 

The following points were noted:

 

•Members felt uncomfortable that they were calling themselves a ‘trust’ and felt that it might cause some confusion especially if they were asked to give money to other companies/ charities.

•Members noted that they currently did not have a charity number and may be awaiting the number.

•Members were concerned that most of the money was going towards food. Officers stated that the food was to help reach out to families and educate them and help them feel comfortable with creating healthy foods and meals. The programme was going to be run for 6 to 8 weeks.

 

AGREED a grant of £2,000.

 

 

Friends of Acacia Mews - £2,000.00

 

The Friends of Acacia Mews was formed in 2016 and has been working to bring together the community with the elderly residents in Acacia Mews Residential Care Home ever since. The vulnerable, isolated and elderly people they help were all residents in Acacia Mews.

 

The organisation’s aims are to alleviate the social isolation of older friends and provide activities and equipment that are over and above that which the care home is duty bound to provide. These might be focused on particular themes like music, art or gardening or it might simply be that they train volunteers from the local community to befriend, or to sit with people as they reach the end of life, or to spend time with people who have dementia.

 

They want to organise an outdoor event for the residents of Acacia Mews Care Home that would engage the residents in gardening and planting to make the garden look lovely. This would be happening with the help of volunteers and staff: spending time outdoors would have a great impact on the older people's wellbeing and it will bring the community back together after two long years of pandemic.

 

The following points were noted:

 

•Members wanted to know if Acacia Mews was a private care home as private care homes receive fees from residents living there. Officers confirmed it was a private care home.

•Members noted that the application was to mainly benefit the residents of the care home and a few volunteers but not the Welwyn Hatfield community.

•Members noted that planting flowers and plants would be beneficial but was not wide reaching enough.

•Members felt it was not sufficiently beneficial to the wider community to justify a community grant.

 

REJECTED a grant of £2,000.00.

 

 

Hatfield Comet Youth FC - £2,000.00

 

Allowing children to play football at least once per week helps to keep players off computer consoles and out in the fresh air exercising at the same time.

 

The club are a local grassroots football club and try to keep costs to a minimum to allow players to play where in some circumstances parents would not be able to afford to do so.

 

The following points were noted:

 

•Members noted that the football club helps the community and encourages children into active sport.

•Members noted that the Hatfield Comet Football Club was a smaller club.

•Members noted that there were not many female players at the club and wanted to see more female players at the club if possible.  However it was noted that the ethnic diversity of players is broad.

 

AGREED a grant of £2,000.00.

 

 

Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival - £2,000.00

 

The community in which they are based is socially and culturally diverse and are aiming to reach the young and old who would otherwise have no access to live music and the social, physical and psychological benefits that it brings. Music has a powerful physical, emotional and social benefit on all lives, something noticed more than ever during the pandemic when they turned to music to lift spirits and bring people closer to families and communities.

 

Young people involved in some form of music-making also show a measurable improvement in life skills such as concentration, memory and recall, listening ability, mathematical concepts and reasoning, language, co-ordination, and self-discipline. By offering more opportunities to become involved in music-making they inspire and encourage children and young people to aspire to greater things, all of which require collaboration and team-work with others, thus developing personal and social skills alongside musical ones and boosting confidence, mental health and well-being.

 

The following points were noted:

 

•Members noted that the festival encouraged many people to get involved.

•Members noted that they were asking for a grant to buy AV equipment, technical equipment and performing/ recording licenses.

•Members noted that 400 primary age children from local schools will be able to attend one concert free of charge and help expose young children to music.

•Members noted that they worked with Herts Music Service.

 

AGREED a grant of £2,000.00 with conditions:

1.)   Members wanted to know how many tickets went to schools in the Welwyn Hatfield area.

2.)   Members wanted confirmation of how they were reaching out to all schools in the local area.

3.)   Members wanted feedback on which schools attended in the past.

 

 

Hatfield Welwyn Community Choir - £1,807.00

 

The benefits of choral singing have been known by communities for centuries but, more recently, we have come to appreciate how singing with others contributes to our physical and mental well-being. Singing itself improves breathing, posture and muscle tension; learning new songs is cognitively stimulating and helps memory; psychologically we feel happy when we sing with others and being in a choir allows us to increase social connections which also provides health benefits. The community choir would like to extend the benefits to more people in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield.

 

The following points were noted:

 

•Members noted that choir members had to pay subscription fee of £5 a week. The funding will be used to buy music books for the choir and licences for the downloading of pieces of music.

•Members were concerned with the ethnic diversity of the choir and wanted to see more ethnic minority residents in the choir.

•Members wanted to see younger residents attending the choir.

•Members wanted to see the choir engage more within the community and perhaps perform in public spaces like Welwyn Garden City & Hatfield Town Centres.

 

AGREED a grant of £1,807.00.

 

 

Northaw Transition CIC - £2,000.00

 

Northaw Community Orchard is a public space in the heart of Northaw which provides recreational and educational opportunities for residents and others in the locality. It is situated on two fields in the village which were previously inaccessible to the public and it had therefore provided an additional green space for all to enjoy. The land was owned by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.

 

The Orchard is a peaceful, enclosed and safe green space for individuals, groups and families to visit at any time as it is open 24/7. This was especially valuable during the Covid pandemic and many people were able to benefit from being outdoors in an uncrowded and quiet environment to support their physical and mental wellbeing. The Orchard provides picnic tables and seats for people to rest a while, to meet up with family and friends and to enjoy nature.

 

The Orchard run monthly work parties where volunteers can come and help out with Orchard tasks relating to conservation and horticulture thereby gaining gentle exercise in the fresh air, meeting with others and fostering a sense of community.

 

The following points were noted:

 

•Members felt the community orchard was a good cause.

•The Orchard has its own website www.northaworchard.com and is widely advertised through Facebook, e-newsletters, magazines and events.

•The Orchard is open to all and the wider community.

•The Orchard is mainly looked after by volunteers.

 

AGREED a grant of £2,000.00.

 

 

Red Kite Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Service - £4,000.00

 

Red Kite provides a Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Service to the Eastern Half of Herts (including Welwyn & Hatfield). They aim to maintain a safe and healthy community by providing access for those whose lives were impacted by rape and sexual abuse. They also raise awareness and educate the community to ensure that cultural norms which tolerate and sustain sexual violence are changed to reverse the trend of rising numbers of victims and survivors. A 'What You Were Wearing Exhibition' within the borough which presents facimilies of the clothes that people were raped in and their stories to show the horror of rape.

 

The following points were noted:

 

•Members noted that they were a charitable organisation.

•Members noted that the organisation had held many events at the University of Hertfordshire and now wanted to increase its presence to other areas.

•Members noted that the events would help educate the community on sexual abuse and rape and providing a safe space.

•Members noted that it was a worthy cause.

 

AGREED a grant of £2,000.00 with conditions:

1.)   To provide funding for the event providing it is delivered in accordance with the proposal, or (if they are not able to meet their funding goal)

2.)   A scaled down event that is agreed with officers as still meeting the objectives of the bid.

 

 

Stevenage FC Foundation - £1,920.00

 

Stevenage FC Foundation is the official charity of Stevenage Football Club, which delivers a variety of sporting and educational based activities in order to help improve the standard of living within the local community. The club predominantly support the communities of Stevenage, Welwyn Hatfield and North and East Herts.

 

The Foundation’s work is built around two core principles: People & Potential. They work on a number of projects with a variety of partners in order to deliver work that impacts those two principles. In July 2021 they launched the new four-year strategy introducing the key values or Aspire, Empower and Thrive and setting out the work the foundation will undertake to contribute to this. The overarching aim is to create a community where being physically active and having the opportunity to improve health and wellbeing, and lead positive lives is accessible for everyone.

 

Strength and Balance classes were designed for individuals wanting to improve their strength and balance while learning some new exercises to help maintain independence. The classes are suitable for older adults who have not exercised before or who have started to experience a decline in their physical ability. The classes lasted for approximately one hour and each class is taught by a qualified and knowledgeable instructor who is able to adapt to the needs of the individual participants at all times.

 

The following points were noted:

 

•Members thought this was a good cause to support.

•Members asked if these classes will be delivered in the Borough. Officers stated that they operate within Welwyn Hatfield and it was noted that their address in the application was Woodhall Community Centre in Welwyn Garden City.

•Members noted that they wanted to expand on the strength and balance classes.

 

AGREED a grant of £1,920.00.

 

 

The Inclusion Project Charity - £1,000.00

 

The Inclusion Project is a new Charity set up to support Beneficiaries who are Adults (post-16) living with Autism and/or Learning Disabilities to access social and sporting events to facilitate friendships, and improve social skills and health. In doing so, the charity’s mission is to build social inclusion, confidence, interaction skills, independence and social networking through promoting social lives. The Inclusion Project Charity would like to organise fundraising events throughout the year as well as raising funds online. These funds would then be used to organise and fund regular social and sporting events for Beneficiaries to access, to develop their own social network through promoting social inclusion.

 

The following points were noted:

 

•Members noted that the charity tackled social inclusion and focused on people with disabilities who had difficulty integrating with people.

•Members felt that this was a worthy cause.

•Members noted that the summer event is planned to be held in Colney Heath.

•Members noted that the charitable objectives note that they help 16 +, but the application says 18+.

 

AGREED a grant of £1,000.00 with conditions:

1.)   Members wanted to know whether the money received, will benefit the Welwyn Hatfield Community, for example will events be held within the borough or is there transport provided.

2.)   Members wanted confirmation on the targeted age group.

 

 

Welwyn Hatfield Women's Refuge and Support Services (WHWR) - £1,359.54

 

The resettlement program had a positive impact on the community because the outcome of the workshops provided to women living in the refuge leave with the tools to be safe in their new homes in Welwyn Garden City. 80% of women who leave refuge live in the borough (including a second stage house).

 

WHWR supported and referred women to almost 30 differing services during their stay (on average 4 to 8 months) in taking control of their safety and wellbeing and for their children.

 

The following points were noted:

 

•Members thought this was a good charity to support.

•Members noted that the project was to help prepare women living in the refuge to move into a permanent residential property and build a better life.

 

AGREED a grant of £1,359.54.

 

 

Welwyn Wheelers - £2,000.00

 

Welwyn Wheelers Cycling Club is one of the premier cycling clubs in the South East of England and is accredited with Club mark and British Cycling’s Go-ride status. Based at the Gosling Sports Park the clubs key aim is to enable to promote and increase participation in cycling. The club host regular weekly coached sessions throughout the year, which are open to both club and non-club members, along with rider development programmes and regional events. To support activities the club need to urgently replace communication devices and purchase communication devices to support the operation of the club in terms of sessions, rider academy development and local events.

 

The project would contribute towards the Councils 2036 strategy to develop the GSP as a community cycling sports hub. The project would provide more opportunity for local residents, especially young riders, to participate in a wide variety of cycling disciplines and events in a safe environment. Whilst enabling the borough to maintain its above national sporting participations levels and provide the opportunity to increase sporting participation rates in the Borough (Sport England Active People Survey).

 

The following points were noted:

 

•Members noted that the funding was for equipment such as Mitex portal radio for event management.

•Members thought this was a cause to support.

 

AGREED a grant of £2,000.00.

 

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Small Grants should be paid as follows (out of the budget of £50,000):

 

Small Community Grant Organisations	Amount Seeking	Amount Granted
6th Welwyn Garden City Brownies, guide, and ranger unit	£1,000.00	£1,000.00
Birchwood Trust	£2,000.00	£2,000.00
Friends of Acacia Mews	£2,000.00	£0
Hatfield Comet Youth FC	£2,000.00	£2,000.00
Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival	£2,000.00	£2,000.00
Hatfield Welwyn Community Choir	£1,807.00	£1,807.00
Northaw Transition CIC	£2,000.00	£2,000.00
Red Kite Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Service	£4,000.00	£2,000.00
Stevenage FC Foundation	£1,920.00	£1,920.00
The Inclusion Project Charity	£1,000.00	£1,000.00
Welwyn Hatfield Women's Refuge and Support Services (WHWR)	£1,359.54	£1,359.54
Welwyn Wheelers	£2,000.00	£2,000.00
Amount Requested:	£23,086.54	£19,086.54