Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors A S Lewis and C Richards.

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, the following interests were declared:

 

Councillor J E C Harris – Minute No. 40 – Overview of Current and Forthcoming European External Funding Applications – Personal as Chair of Looked After Children Forum and Minute No. 41 – Community Action Transformation Fund (04 – Bont Elim Community Church) – Personal - known to Councillor and (07 – Pontarddulais Partnership) – Prejudicial - Chair of the Pontarddulais Partnership and left the meeting prior to this item being discussed.

 

Councillor C E Lloyd – Minute No. 41 – Community Action Transformation Fund (03 – St. Thomas Church – Clock & 05 City & County of Swansea Bowls Association) – Personal - known to Councillor.

 

Councillor J A Raynor – Minute no. 40 - Overview of Current and Forthcoming European External Funding Applications – Personal as member of Corporate Parenting Forum & Prejudicial - Member of Scrutiny Panel that recommended the application of funding for the post.

 

Councillor R C Stewart – Minute No. 41 - Community Action Transformation Fund (06 – Coed Gwilym Bowls Association) – Personal – known to applicant.

To approve and sign as a correct record, the Minutes of the previous External Funding Panel.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the External Funding Panel held on 3 February 2016 be approved as a correct record.

The Interim Principal Officer, Child & Family Services provided an update in relation to Welsh Government funding for Group Therapy Pilot Project for Looked After & Care Leaving Teenagers at Risk of their own Children becoming Looked After Children (LAC).

 

She apologised for the oversight of not receiving authorisation from the External Funding Panel prior to submitting the application to the Welsh Government (WG).

 

The Panel were asked to accept the offered funding proposal from WG for a therapeutic initiative to break the generational cycle of LAC becoming young parents who often have their own children become LAC.

 

The funding would support a 3 year Pilot Project with the intended outcome of reducing future generations of families already known to Child & Family Social Services becoming LAC plus improving outcomes for our Children Leaving Care.

 

RESOLVED to accept the funding as set out in the Grant Offer Letter from Welsh Government.

The Chair commenced by clarifying that the applications being considered by the Panel today had not been considered or approved by the Panel in advance of the meeting, as had been suggested in an article published by a local newspaper.

 

The Third Sector Co-Ordinator presented a report regarding the applications for the fourth round of funding of the Community Action Transformation Fund.  The background and principles underlying the Fund together with the criteria that applications should meet and what they could be used for was detailed in the report.

 

Members noted that 7 applications had been received by the closing date for the fourth round of the fund on 4 March 2016 as follows:

 

1.       Parc Williams Community Bowling Association

 

2.       Beaufort Bowls Association

 

3.       St. Thomas Church – Clock

 

4.       Bont Elim Community Church

 

5.       City & County of Swansea Bowls Association

 

6.       Coed Gwilym Bowls Association

 

7.       Pontarddulais Partnership

 

He discussed the summary of applications detailed in Appendix A and Appendices B1 to B7.

 

Members’ debated the applications and asked questions of the Officers who responded accordingly.

 

The Panel AGREED that:

 

1.       The application submitted by Parc Williams Community Bowling Association be APPROVED in the sum of £24,277.

 

2.       The application submitted by Beaufort Bowls Association be APPROVED in the sum of £15,000.

 

3.       The application submitted by St. Thomas Church be APPROVED to the sum of £2,155.

 

4.       The application submitted by Bont Elim Community Church BE REFUSED.

 

5.       The application submitted by the City & County of Swansea Bowls Association be APPROVED to the sum of £37,000 – it was also agreed that the group be afforded the opportunity to reapply to the fund in the future.  One year’s maintenance funding was awarded rather than the three requested, however the panel appreciate that maintaining three greens in line with the application may require more support than applicant groups maintaining one green.

 

6.       The application submitted by Coed Gwilym Bowls Association be approved to the sum of £2,010. With consideration given to any requirements under Planning legislation for the storage container.

 

7.       The application submitted by Pontarddulais Partnership BE REFUSED.