Agenda item

Consider funding recommendations from the Berwickshire Assessment Panel for:

(a)          Duns Players,

(b)          Eyemouth & District Community Trust.

(Copy attached.)

1.1         There had been circulated copies of the Minute of the Berwickshire Community Fund Assessment Panel.  Keith Dickinson, Chair of the panel presented the Minute and explained the process of the Community Fund.

1.2         Two applications had been received for the Berwickshire Assessment Fund.  Duns Players had submitted an application for £5,000 to deliver Duns Play Fest in 2022.  Duns Players had established in 2019 and had proved to have been successful.  Duns Players’ ambition and track record for attracting participants were recognised by the Panel.  The Panel also anticipated that the project would attract visitors from within and out-with Berwickshire and that past evidence from annual reports had shown Duns Players managed resources well.  The panel recommended that Duns Players be awarded £5,000 with the note that the Group should not rely on the Community Fund for repeat funding.

1.3         An application for £4,480 had been received from Eyemouth and District Community Trust (EDCT) for a Fund Finder.  The Panel found that the application was unclear and the aims and impact of the Fund Finder had not been adequately expressed.  The aims seemed to conflate with the role of the Community Development Manager.  The panel were supportive of the principle but could not support the application as it had been submitted.  Detail the Panel felt may have been needed included the role distinction from the Community Development Manager, how the role would be recruited for and the scope of the role.  The Panel suggested that EDCT should seek support in order to submit a revised application to the Community Fund which would be welcomed by the Panel.

1.4         The Locality Development Coordinator advised the Meeting of funds remaining in the Community Fund and the Build Back a Better Borders Recovery Fund.  Just under £40,000 was remaining in the Community Fund and approximately £44,000 was remaining in the Build Back a Better Borders Recovery Fund.  It was advised that Rachel Parker, member of the Community Fund Panel, was to work with the Locality Development Coordinator on promotion of the Community Fund to encourage more applications.

1.5         Councillor Greenwell raised that the Community Fund Panel enquired about limiting the word limit on applications for the Community Fund.  Mr Dickinson advised that the Panel found that applications that were lengthy tended to complicate their bid unnecessarily and there was agreement in the Panel that 500 words would be appropriate for the applications.  The criteria of the Community Fund was not recommended to be amended.

DECISION

AGREED to:

(a)          Note the Minute of the Meeting of the Berwickshire Community Fund Panel held on 11 November 2021.

(b)          Approve the recommendations of the Panel to:

(i)            Fund Duns Players £5,000 with the note that they should not rely on repeat funding from the Community Fund; and,

(ii)          Not to approve the current funding application from Eyemouth and District Community Trust but that the Trust seek support to re-write and re-submit their application

(c)          To approve applying a 500 word limit on applications for the Community Fund.