8th August 2012

LYME REGIS: New grants system could help deal with large funding requests

By Francesca Evans

TOWN councillors have agreed to put in place a strategy for dealing with larger grant request from local organisations in the future.

The suggestion came from Strategy and Policy Committee chairman, Councillor Mark Gage, at last week’s meeting. Councillor Gage thought a procedure should be put in place for dealing with grant requests for £10,000 and above, for example.

The proposal came following the recent annual grants meeting, when each year councillors struggle to distribute a set amount to local groups because of their conflicting interests.

Councillor Gage said: “I don’t think any of us for different reasons were happy with yet another round of grants.”

He said the meeting was not well organised and raised a “whole series of issues”.

“Requests were as different as people asking for a piece of equipment to some asking for major capital investment,” he added.

“It doesn’t work which is why we are looking at a fundamental review of the grants system, which is being led by Councillor Lucy Campbell and Councillor Lorna Jenkin.

“I do think we need to look at how, as a council, we handle grants and support local organisations.”

He said a clear strategy would offer security to organisations asking for the council’s support.

Councillor Lucy Campbell added: “It’s interesting that you have put this on the agenda tonight as this is something I actually made a note of when we were looking at the grants to flag up.

“It is something that we have said for quite a long time that we need to look at. Certainly since I have been here we have given a lot of larger grants and not just at grants time.

“I think we should have a clearer way of dealing with grants for organisations to understand how it works.”

Councillor Gage’s actual proposal was for a policy that would offer “longer term support to larger local organisations”.

Councillor George Symonds said they had to be clear about the definitions of “larger” and “local”.

Councillor Michaela Ellis argued against the proposal.

“I can’t see where you are going with this,” she said.

“It seems unfair to smaller organisations. I think everything should be dealt with at the grants meeting. I can’t see how this is going to help that grants procedure.”

Councillor Anita Williams spoke in support: “I like the idea of a strategy. At the moment we are just fumbling around. I’d like to see a change and I’d probably like to see two pots – a strategic development pot for organisations offering facilities or education, etc. and then one for ordinary organisations who want small things like pom poms.

“We already have a mish mash of what we are doing and I would like to see some consistency.”

The Mayor, Councillor Sally Holman, also spoke in support of a new procedure but said she thought there were three main sections, rather than two. These were organisations providing essential services, organisations that depend on the council’s support, such as the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and Axe Valley Ring and Ride, and the organisations that come to the council for “small grants”.

Councillor Owen Lovell said: “Obviously this has gone on for years. Everyone is speaking with in the back of their minds where the grants will go. That’s the problem with our grants system.

“If you are going to go for a strategy you really need to know your strategy else you could be pulled from post to post. Everyone here will have a good cause that needs the money.

“You could be spending twice as much as you are at the moment because, as you know, the grants at the moment do not go far enough.”

Councillor Campbell added: “I agree, I think you have got to have very, very clear criteria. It’s going to be quite a long job for Councillor Jenkin and myself to do.”

She proposed that they go ahead with Councillor Gage’s recommendation to link the review of the grants system with a policy for longer term support to local organisations, but not specifically larger organisations as originally suggested, which was agreed.

LYME REGIS: New grants system could help deal with large funding requests

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