Agenda item

Mr Harrow clarified that an error was present in the Tweeddale Community Fund Assessment Panel Recommendations with the application listed as “Schools Out” in fact being “Our Space Youthy”, an organisation separate from Schools Out. Esther Daborn, of the Tweeddale Assessment panel provided an overview of each of the applications.  Mrs Daborn clarified that the Assessment Panel had carefully considered each application, consulting with each applicant to try and ensure that the remaining funds would be

9.1       Peebles CAN

The application was being considered for a second time. The application was for £4,500 for a community garden project. The recommendation from the Panel was to award £2,500.

9.2       Survivors Unite

The application from Survivors Unite was for £5,500. The Panel acknowledged that the application had been extremely difficult to access and make a recommendation for. The Panel felt that the project was deserving of community funding and national efforts to help ensure that their cause successful. The project was Borders-Wide, but had confirmed that clients and people on the waiting list lived in the Tweeddale Locality. Part of the application was for money for IT resources – the Panel recommended that the Group contact the Tweeddale Renew Crew and for £4,500 to be awarded.

9.3       Peebles Old Parish

The application from Peebles Old Parish Church Of Scotland was well thought out. The Assessment Panel recommended granting £4,320 for materials instead of the requested £5,000.

9.4       Our Space Youthy

The application was initially for £7,500 but had been revised to £5,000. The Panel felt that the group had provided good evidence of success, and demonstrated a desire to reach 11-14 year olds from outside Peebles. The Panel, however, felt that the group needed to develop a stronger business plan and a desire to work with Tweeddale Youth Action and Peeblesshire Youth Trust, and recommended to award £1,000.

9.5       West Linton Early Learners

The application was for £5,000 as part of a post pandemic recovery project. The Panel noted that the business plan of the group had not been well presented, with places given free on an ad hoc basis. The Panel therefore recommended granting the Group £1,000.

9.6       Leithen Rovers

The application from Leithen Rovers was a small part of an overall £10k project. The majority of the funding required for the project had been obtained from other sources. The Panel recommended providing the £1,820 required to complete the project, subject to Leithen Rovers obtaining at least two quotations for the reinstatement of the roof.

9.7       Community Trust 

The Community trust had applied for £7,500, of which the Panel recommended £3,000 to be awarded. The Panel felt that “Tweeddale Library of Things” was a large, worthwhile project and sought to provide evidence of support for the main funding application.

9.8       Mr Harrow confirmed that all of the applications considered had met the criteria required to apply for, and receive community funding, and acknowledged that difficult decisions had been made by the Assessment Panel to reach a decision with the Community Fund oversubscribed. Following considerable discussions regarding the appropriateness of providing a single group such a considerable amount of money and providing another group with no funding, Councillor Haslam, seconded by Councillor Anderson, proposed that funding for Survivors Unite was not approved. This was unanimously agreed. Councillor Haslam, seconded by Councillor Anderson, proposed that Our Space Youthy was granted £5,500. This was unanimously approved. Councillor Tatler, seconded by Councillor Anderson, proposed that the remaining applications were granted in line with the Assessment Panel recommendations, which was unanimously approved. The Assessment Panel’s recommendations were therefore overruled, with the application from Survivors Unite not approved and the application from Our Space Youthy increased to £5,500. The remaining applications were accepted in line with the Assessment Panel’s recommendations.