Agenda item

Purpose of report:

This report presents an update on Your Fund Surrey and is presented for scrutiny.

YOUR FUND SURREY UPDATE  [Item 5]

Witnesses:

Mark Nuti, Cabinet Member for Communities

Marie Snelling, Executive Director for Customer & Communities

Jane Last, Head of Community, Partnerships & Engagement

James Painter, Communities Partnerships Manager

Key points raised during the discussion:

1.    The Chairman observed that Your Fund Surrey (YFS) had yet to accomplish the level of bids expected by Members and questioned if Officers were confident that the fund could realistically match expectations on the numbers of approved projects. The Head of Community Partnerships and Engagement explained that Your Fund Surrey was a new fund, and the process was developed to support communities through the process, allowing the Council to adapt by learning from communities and to develop new guidance and support through its life. It was noted that YFS was just through the first year of operation and the team had supported many applicants through to final bid. YFS had been launched during COVID-19 and therefore the on the ground Communications campaign was not as it would have been in normal times, despite this a large number of applications had come through which the team would expect to recommend for funding

2.    The Chairman stated that progress had been slower than expected and asked if the future approval rate would be set as per the expectation anticipated when the Fund was set up i.e. around 100 per annum. The Cabinet Member for Communities confirmed that applications were being processed more quickly with planned communications, engagement and advertising expected to maximise applications.

3.    A Member commented that the sharing of Your Fund Surrey information with Members needed to be prioritised to allow them to communicate the benefits of the scheme with residents. The Cabinet Member for Communities noted the information was available on the Members’ Portal and said that work would take place with Members to ensure they had the information required to engage with their communities.   

4.    A Member asked how areas without community groups or voluntary activities could access this funding, particularly considering the Council’s ambition to ‘leave no one behind.’ The Cabinet Member for Communities confirmed that communities that would benefit from extra support and encouragement to submit applications were being identified. Guidance was being offered, as were one-to-one sessions and support from the voluntary sector in some cases.

5.    A Member noted that the application process was causing delays and that they had been approached by organisations reporting a lack of communication from the Council once bids were submitted. The Executive Director explained that a balance had to be struck between a robust application process and being able to approve as many bids as possible, that there were no targets on application throughout, rather the emphasis was on supporting communities through the process at their pace. Members were encouraged to highlight any applicants that had encountered a lack of communication regarding the progression of their submissions.  

6.    A Member, part of the Your Fund Surrey Advisory Panel, sought to reassure the Committee that the Fund, although in its early stages, was well managed. The Member added that consideration of an appeals process for failed applications would be beneficial. The Cabinet Member for Communities stated that information would be easier to locate following the launch of the dedicated communities’ channel on the Members’ Portal and agreed to investigate the possibility of an appeals process.

7.    A Member reported being unaware of bids in their division and issues with communications to prospective bidders. The Cabinet Member for Communities said that a short form application process for smaller projects was being investigated, in addition to the possible implementation of technology allowing applicants to track their submissions. Also, the team would ensure that all Members were aware of the Members portal report which would show them all applications and their status. 

8.    A Member asked if resources for the Fund could be directed elsewhere, for example Greener Futures or Active Travel, to better support communities. The Cabinet Member for Communities said that the fund did not take resources away from other schemes and that the YFS team had strong connections with colleagues from across the organisation to support community led projects in these areas.   

9.    The level of direct Member involvement in the fund was queried despite references to Member participation to support and facilitate applications within the report. The Cabinet Member for Communities highlighted that all applications are required to have a supporting statement from the relevant Division Member as part of the process and stated that Members championing projects was key to the success of the fund.  

10.A Member said that every Member should receive notification when an application was made by their community with their support and advice being mandatory and noted capacity for this to be built into the local and joint committees’ function. The Head of Community Partnerships & Engagement confirmed that Members were able to see applications coming through via the report on the Members Portal or through accessing the Commonplace map and that an initial check was made to identify existing divisional Member connection with the applicants. Members were then required to add a statement about a project as part of the process.

Cameron McIntosh joined the meeting at 11:01am

11.The Chairman, in noting the July 2020 Cabinet report, asked if a scale of increase in delivery could be guaranteed, otherwise, fundamental reconsideration of the fund would be essential. The Cabinet Member for Communities reiterated that having completed the first year and with the end of lockdown it was expected that more applications would be ready to come forward to decision. The Community Partnerships and Engagement Manager confirmed that COVID-19 public health restrictions being eased would result in more community engagement

12.The Chairman asked for reassurance that applications received annually would be closer to 100 than low double digits by this time next year. The Cabinet Member for Communities expected improved figures to be reported to the Select Committee when the Fund returned for scrutiny.

Resolved:

The Select Committee:

Expresses its concern that the number of Your Fund Surrey (YFS) approvals has been disappointing in contrast to the ambitions expressed in the July 2020 Cabinet Report.

The Select Committee:

1. Strongly advocates that the rate of progress dramatically accelerates in the next two years and calls on the Cabinet to institute immediate action to ensure delivery with an update report (in 9 months) to the Select Committee.

2. Expects the process for small bids to be 'short-form' in scope to encourage applications as intended in July 2020 and expediate the entire process so intended delivery gathers space.

3. Urges improvement in Member engagement by YFS team and the Council (including proactive communication with local Divisional Members about projects/applications in their area including relevant boroughs and districts).