Agenda item

Tweeddale Assessment Panel to present funding recommendations for the following NSF applications:

·         Perfect Harmony

·         Peebles Mens Shed

·         Greener Peebles

·         Priorsford Primary School

·         Informal Group of Peebles People

Ms Esther Daborn of the Tweeddale Assessment panel provided an overview of each of the applications.  The Assessment Panel had carefully considered each application and any conflicts of interest were declared during the Panel’s deliberations. 

7.1       Perfect Harmony

The charity engaged local musicians to provide concerts in Nursing Homes, Residential Homes/Flats, Sheltered Housing, Hospital and Day Care Centres in the whole of the Scottish Borders. An application for £2700 to stage concerts had been made. Perfect Harmony had been asked to supply the 2023/24 budget for Tweeddale to clarify how the £2700 was to be spent to the benefit of Tweeddale specifically.  This had not yet been received therefore no recommendation was possible.

7.2       Greener Peebles

Greener Peebles had requested £5,180 for a Celebratory event.  Staff costs outlined in the application were not over and above normal staff costs, therefore an award of £2950 was recommended to cover budgeted staff costs.

7.3       Peebles Men’s Shed

Peebles Men’s Shed had requested £6,300 for rent and insurance. There was a limit of £5,000 to the NSF award if there was no evidence of seeking funding from other sources, so an award of £5,000 was recommended.  The group were encouraged to continue to request ‘pay what you can’ contributions from members.

7.5       Priorsford Primary School PTA

An application had been made for £153 to restore their school badge mosaic.  The project was to mount and frame the mosaic so it could be hung for display at the school.  The Panel recommended the award.

7.6       Informal Group of Peebles People

An application had been made for £1287 to stage a week long factual public exhibition on the Peebles Common Good Fund (11/2/23-20/2/23) in the Eastgate Theatre Café. This was considered the business of the Peebles Common Good Fund and therefore no award was recommended.

7.7       There was general agreement to consider at the next meeting in March the restarting of a fast track process for applications of less than £1500.  This two stage process would require a recommendation from the Tweeddale Assessment Panel, to then be decisioned by Elected Members via email.  Kenny Harrow suggested a meeting with the Assessment Panel to agree criteria and process prior to the next meeting of the Area Partnership.

7.8       Councillor Tatler informed the Sub-Committee of the in-person meeting of the Peebles Common Good Fund on 28 February 2023.  This meeting was to include a public Q&A session.  There was to be considered the production of an annual report and an exhibition on the work of the Peebles Common Good Fund Sub-Committee in the future.

DECISION

AGREED:-

(a)        that the application from Perfect Harmony was not approved;

(b)       to award Greener Peebles the sum of £2950 to cover staff costs at a celebratory event;

(c)        to award Peebles Men’s Shed the sum of £5,000 towards rent and insurance costs;

(d)       to award Priorsford Primary School PTA the sum of £153 to restore and hang their school badge mosaic;

(e)        that the application from Informal Group of Peebles People was not approved;

(f)        to convene a meeting of the Tweeddale Assessment Panel to set criteria and process for a fast track funding application for awards under £1500 to the Neighbourhood Support Fund; and

(g)       to add an item to the agenda of the meeting of 28 March 2023 to consider the criteria and process recommended by the Assessment Panel for fast track application for awards under £1500.