Agenda item

Town of a Thousand Trails

            There had been circulated copies of an application for financial assistance from Town of a Thousand Trails requesting £15,000.00 to assist with the build and ongoing digital marketing of their online hub.  Representatives from Town of a Thousand Trails were in attendance and circulated their Business Plan at the meeting.  It was explained that the project was for the creation of an interactive online hub which would provide routes for all activities, abilities and social media marketing which would encourage visitors to the area and benefit the economy of Hawick and district.  It was anticipated that the Hub would be operational in the summer of 2019.   In response to questions it was advised that initial investment of £60,000.00 was required for start-up costs, with annual maintenance estimated at £22,000.00.  By Year 2 it was expected that the Hub would be attracting income from advertising revenue, with a projection from Year 4 that it would be fully sustainable. It was noted that the organisation was considering setting up a social enterprise company, and that as well as online, activities would be promoted through local newspapers.    The Sub-Committee congratulated the organisation on the project and agreed to award £15,000.00 to assist with the build and digital marketing costs of Town of a Thousand Trails. 

DECISION

AGREED to award a grant of £15,000.00 to Town of a Thousand Trails to assist with the build and ongoing digital marketing of the online hub.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Mr Graham Marshall, Vice-Chair Hawick Community Council, declared an interest in the following item of business in terms of Section 5 of the Councillors Code of Conduct and left the table during the discussion.

4.2       Hawick Community Council

There had been circulated copies of an application for financial assistance from Hawick Community Council requesting £3,000.00 towards the finance of bandstand entertainment in Wilton Lodge Park, Hawick.

DECISION

AGREED to award a grant of £3,000.00 to Hawick Community Council to assist with financing bandstand entertainment in Wilton Lodge Park, Hawick.

4.3       Hawick Golf Club

With reference to the Private Minute of 19 March 2019, there had been circulated copies of an application for financial assistance from Hawick Golf Club requesting £3,000.00 towards the cost of urgent repairs required to the roof of their Clubhouse extension.  The Hawick Golf Club Treasurer was in attendance and explained that through fundraising they had raised £2,000.00 towards the repairs, which were estimated to cost £8,000.00.

DECISION

AGREED to award a grant of £3,000.00 to Hawick Golf Club towards the cost of urgent roof repairs to their Clubhouse extension.

4.4       Will H Ogilvie Memorial Trust

There had been circulated copies of an application for financial assistance from the Will H Ogilvie Memorial Trust requesting £2,000.00 for a replacement memorial cairn at the top or Harden Glen.  The application explained that the original bronze had been stolen in 2016.  An exact replica had been created and would be unveiled, as a permanent memorial to the poet, on 17 August 2019, as the climax of the 150th anniversary celebrations.  The bronze sculpture had been funded by the Trust.  In response to a question, the Chairman of the Trust advised that the replacement bronze and cairn would be fully insured.

DECISION

AGREED to award a grant of £2,000.00 to the Will H Ogilvie Memorial Trust for the building of a replacement cairn.  

4.5       Live Music Hawick

There had been circulated copies of an application from Live Music Hawick towards marketing costs, leaflets and posters for the ‘Heart of Hawick Festival’.  It was advised that an application to the Localities Bid Fund had also been submitted and if this was successful the Common Good grant would be reimbursed.

DECISION

AGREED to award a grant of £1,000.00 to Live Music Hawick towards marketing, leaflets and artists for the Heart of Hawick Music Festival.

NOTED that if Live Music Hawick’s Localities Bid Fund application was successful, the £1,000.00 would be reimbursed to Hawick Common Good Fund. 

URGENT ITEM

Under Section 50B(4)(b) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the Chairman was of the opinion that the item dealt with in the following paragraph should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency, in view of the need to make an early decision.

4.6       Hawick & Wilton Cricket Club

There had been circulated copies of an application from Hawick and Wilton Cricket Club requesting a grant of £4,000.00 towards the running costs of their Party on the Pitch Family Fun Day on 10 August 2019.  In response to a question regarding the costs associated with the hire of the pitch, the Sub-Committee was advised that as this was a Cricket Club event there would be no charge.    Members noted that the Cricket Club had been granted a Public Entertainment Licence for the event and had applied for Public Liability Insurance.   Following a discussion, the Sub-Committee agreed in principle to grant £4,000.00 towards the running costs of the event, providing that officers were satisfied that the Cricket Club could demonstrate it had appropriate governance arrangements in place and submitted a copy of their annual verified accounts.

DECISION

AGREED in principle, to grant £4,000.00 to Hawick and Wilton Cricket Club towards the running costs of the Party on their Pitch Family Fun Day, providing the officers were satisfied that the Cricket Club could demonstrate appropriate governance arrangements and submitted annual verified accounts.