6th July 2011

LYME REGIS: Former Mayor 'disgusted' over grants allocation

Lyme Regis Town Councillor News

With Francesca Evans

LYME Regis Town Council has handed out £17,854 to 24 local organisations in their annual grant allocation - a third of £52,038 asked for.

Councillors struggled to stick to their budget of £17,914 when deciding on the grants at a special meeting last Tuesday. Their original donations totalled £21,427 - an overspend of £3,513. It was then suggested that all donations should be reduced by 18 per cent which would put them back on budget, but some councillors argued that three organisations - the Axe Valley Ring and Ride, Bridport and District Citizens Advice Bureau and Victim Support - were “crucial” to the local community and should still be given the full amount they requested.

It was then decided not to cut the grants given to these three organisations, but to reduce the rest by 21 per cent, with the Citizens Advice Bureau receiving the largest donation of £2,905.

Disgusted

Councillor Michaela Ellis said she was “totally disgusted” with the way the grants had been distributed and cut. She said she had been suggesting amounts that would pay for certain projects the organisations were running, rather than all of them, throughout the meeting and believed this was a fair way forward.

The Mayor, Councillor Sally Holman, said: “We are all aware this is not a perfect system for the grants”. And she asked councillors to come forward with a better process at a later date.

Applications from Lyme Regis Operatic Society, which requested £2,500 towards its next production, and St Michael’s Parish Church Flower Festival, which asked for £500 towards the production and sale of 2012 calendars, were both rejected. Lyme Bay Photographic Club only received £40 of its requested £300 for a new laptop, foam board and for maintaining its website. Lyme Regis Gig Club was also given a small donation of £79 after requesting £500 toward a new wooden gig.

Lyme Regis Development Trust, which requested £4,000 toward re-siting the current library, received the second highest grant of £2,370, with LymeNET receiving a further £1,953 for a new photocopier/printer, and the trust’s property management section receiving £395 for new windows for LymeNET at St Michael’s Business Centre.

Full list

The full list of grants are as follows with requested amounts and reasons in brackets:

Axe Valley Ring and Ride Service - £1,000 (requested £1,000 for provision of community transport for those with special needs); Bridport and District Citizens Advice Bureau - £2,905 (£2,905 for cost of running Lyme Regis outreach station); Lyme Bay Baden-Powell Scouts - £395 (£2,905 for purchase of storage trailer); Lyme Bay Photographic Club - £40 (£300 for new laptop, foam board and website maintenence); LymeNET - £1,953 (£2,472 for new photocopier/printer); Lyme Regis ArtsFest - £158 (£200 for ArtsFest 2011 in September); Lyme Regis Community Events - £1,185 (£3,200 for provision of community activities); Lyme Regis Development Trust - £2,370 (£4,000 for library/housing project); Lyme Regis Development Trust Property Management - £395 (£1,000 for new windows for LymeNET); Lyme Regis Football Club - £790 (£3,500 for purchase of new heavy roller, chairs, tables and gravel for outside areas); Lyme Regis Fossil Festival - £790 (£2,000 for pre-festival marketing and promotion for 2012); Lyme Regis Gig Club - £79 (£500 for new wooden gig); Lyme Regis Girl Guides - £198 (£400 for new uniforms, sports, craft and orienteering equipment); Lyme Regis Majorettes - £545 (£3,000 for new uniforms); Lyme Regis Operatic Society - £0 (£2,500 for next production); Lyme Regis Pantomime Society - £237 (£600 for backcloth for next production); Lyme Regis Museum - £593 (£2,947 for new lighting); Lyme Regis Taekwondo Club - £166 (£210 for purchase of equipment); Lyme Regis Youth Football - £395 (£500 for new equipment and CRB checks and training for adults); B Sharp - £790 (£2,000 for “Hear Here” project); Lyme Youth Theatre - £395 (£500 for upcoming productions); St Michael’s Parish Church Flower Festival - £0 (£500 for production and sale of 2012 calendars); Town Mill Trust - £790 (£4,000 for PV solar panels); Uplyme and Lyme Regis Cricket Club - £395 (£500 for equipment and coaching training for project with Woodroffe School students); Victim Support (Dorset) - £500 (£500 for volunteer training); Woodmead Halls Management Committee - £790 (£10,000 for overhauling of the stage area, including a third dressing room and office).

LYME REGIS: Former Mayor 'disgusted' over grants allocation

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