Agenda item

3.1       Selkirk Mini Hockey

There had been circulated copies of an application from Selkirk Ladies Hockey Club Youth Development (Selkirk Mini Hockey) for a grant of £250 to cover the extra expenses incurred due to Covid-19.  It was explained that Selkirk mini hockey club had been running for over 50 years, coaching hockey to primary aged children in Selkirk and the surrounding valley communities.  In order to follow Scottish Hockey’s guidelines ‘Return to safe play’ it was explained that the club was required to sanitise all equipment prior to and after training, provide hand sanitiser for use of both coaches and players and have full PPE in the event of injury to any player.  The amount requested was to cover the initial cost of purchasing sprayers, sanitisers and PPE and ongoing expenses the club would have, to continue to provide hockey safely under current guidelines. Members commented on the importance of the club to the young people of Selkirk and approved the application in full.

DECISION

AGREED to grant funding of £250 to Selkirk Ladies Hockey Club Youth Development (Selkirk Mini Hockey).

MEMBER

Councillor Cochrane declared an interest in the following application, considered in 3.2 below, in terms of Section 5 of the Councillors Code of Conduct and did not take part in the discussion or decision.

3.2       Cycling Without Age – Scotland: Selkirk Community Chapter

There had been circulated copies of an application from Cycling Without Age – Scotland: Selkirk Community Chapter for a grant of £8,450 for the purchase of a trishaw through the Cycling Without Age (CWA) – Scotland Scheme.  Mr McPherson, who had submitted the application on behalf of the group, was in attendance to give background information.  He explained that CWA was a movement which started in 2012 and had since spread to 50 countries around the world including Scotland.  The purpose of CWA was to enable elderly, house bound or mobility-limited people to get out and about by offering free rides on a piloted trishaw. The aim of the Selkirk Community Chapter was to purchase 2 trishaws, a wheelchair carrier e-bike and sundry ancillary equipment at a total cost of £29,200.  The organisation planned to apply to other Grant Awarding bodies for other elements of the project, the request for funding from the Common Good Fund for a single trishaw being sufficient to start up the project.  Alongside this, the group would be working to attract more volunteer pilots for the trishaws and to ensure they underwent the prescribed training.  The trishaw would be based in secure storage in the vicinity of the Haining House in Selkirk where advantage would be taken of the new path system offered by the current developments of the Haining House and Estate.  Members discussed the application and received answers from Mr McPherson to their questions on various aspects of the project. They were very supportive of the scheme and the potential benefits to the elderly and mobility-limited residents of Selkirk.  A question was asked as to the ownership of the trishaw should the Selkirk Community Chapter cease to operate and whether this would revert to the national CWA.  After further consideration Members agreed to grant the full amount requested but that this be subject to a stipulation that, in the event of the Selkirk Community Chapter ceasing to operate, Selkirk Common Good Fund Sub Committee would be consulted about where the trishaw would be sent for continuing use.  Members also asked that the group continued to seek other funding sources to enable their funding target to be met and the project to be fully implemented.

DECISION

AGREED to grant funding of £8,450 to Cycling without Age – Scotland: Selkirk Community Chapter for the purchase of a trishaw, subject to:-

(a)       a stipulation that, in the event of the Selkirk Community Chapter ceasing to operate, Selkirk Common Good Fund Sub Committee would be consulted about where the trishaw would be sent for continuing use; and

(b)       the understanding that Selkirk Community Chapter continued to seek other funding sources to meet their target and to enable the project to be fully implemented.