Report of the Head of Leisure, Parks and Community Services, and the Head of Customer Services.

The report recommends the allocation of grants to community and voluntary organisations for 2014/15.

Subject to Council subsequently agreeing the grants budget for 2014/15 as set out in Table 1,  City Executive Board is recommended  to:-

(1)  Approve the recommendations for the commissioning programme as listed in Appendix 1.

(2) Approve the recommendations as amended and listed in Appendix 2 for the Arts and Culture commissioning theme.

(3) Approve the recommendations for the applications received to the grants 2014/15 open bidding programme as set out in Appendix 3.

The Head of Customer Services and the Head of Leisure, Parks and Community Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended0.

Resolved, subject to Council agreeing the grants budget on 19^th February 2014, to:-

(1)  Approve the recommendations for the commissioning programme as listed in Appendix 1 to the report, noting that at the Board’s meeting on 9th October 2013 it had agreed that 2014/15 would be a one year funding programme with a three year commissioning cycle from April 2015 (minute 80 refers);

(2) Approve the recommendations as amended and listed in Appendix 2 to the report for the Arts and Culture commissioning theme;

(3) Approve the recommendations for the applications received to the grants 2014/15 open bidding programme as set out in Appendix 3 to the report.

The report informs the Board of the review of the community and voluntary organisations grants programme, and requests agreement for the approach to commissioning from April 2014.

The Board is recommended to:-

(1)  Approve the programme for the (one-year) annual open bidding grants programme, youth ambition grants programme and the social inclusion programme for 2014/2015;

(2)  Continue the 3 year commissioned funding approach from April 2014 for all themes except the advice and money management theme, which for a transition year will be a one year programme from April 2014, subsequently reverting to a three year cycle;

(3)  Approve the funding themes and commissioning approach as outlined in Appendix

The Head of Leisure, Parks and Communities and the Head of Customer Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning the review of the community and voluntary organisations grants programme.

Councillor Bob Price, Board Member for Corporate Governance, Strategic Partnerships and Economic Development, presented the report to the Board. Councillor Steve Curran, Board Member for Youth and Communities, provided some background and context; and Councillor Susan Brown, Board Member for Benefits and Customer Services, added that there was an intention to work closely with the money advice centres.

Councillor Ed Turner, Board Member for Finance, Efficiency and Strategic Asset Management, pointed out that Oxford City Council was one of only five Councils that had expanded its investment in this area.

Resolved to:-

(1)  Approve the programme for the (one-year) annual open bidding grants programme, youth ambition grants programme and the social inclusion programme for 2014/2015;

(2)  Continue the 3 year commissioned funding approach from April 2014 for all themes except the advice and money management theme, which for a transition year will be a one year programme from April 2014, subsequently reverting to a three year cycle;

(3)  Approve the funding themes and commissioning approach as outlined in Appendix 2