Issue - meetings

To receive an update on the Councillors Pride Fund for 2023/2023.

The Cabinet Member: Inclusion, Engagement, Equalities & Civic Pride presented the report on Councillors Pride Fund 2022-23: Helping to Protect, Care and Invest to Create a Better Borough which provided details in relation to allocation of the Councillors’ Pride Fund during the financial year 2022/23.

The fund enabled Members to deliver the Council’s five priorities in their ward with a small amount of money making a big difference on a local level, particularly to small community groups that found it difficult to access alternative grant funding.  The final deadline for submitting applications in the current financial year was 1 February 2024.  During the reporting period a total of 604 proposals had been received with 402 applications being awarded – some Councillors had joined forces to provide more funding for particular projects.   By 5 September 2022, 36% of projects had been approved and were underway.   Applicants were encouraged to seek match funding which had secured 46p of additional funding for every £1 allocated.

The report highlighted how Councillors had used the funding to support the Council’s priorities in 2022.

Cabinet Members welcomed the report and highlighted the positive impact it had made in local communities and to support the voluntary sector and were proud of the Pride Fund.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group welcomed the funding of £5,000 per Ward Member.

The Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group advocated the scheme which was administered efficiently and allocated to local communities in response to their requests and thanked the staff for their work.

RESOLVED – that:

a)    the continued impact of the Councillors Pride Fund in supporting Members to deliver the Council’s five priorities in their ward to protect, care and invest in order to create a better borough. Councillors Pride Fund 2022-23: Helping to Protect, Care and Invest to Create a Better Borough be noted;

b)   the importance of this funding in offering a bespoke response to need in individual communities and in supporting community organisations to thrive and offer valued services to residents be noted;

c)    the additional funding that applications to this scheme have secured through match funding of projects to the value of £248,212 be noted;

d)   the final deadline for applications in the year 2023-24 of 1 February 2024 be noted.