Agenda item

The Area Council Manager introduced the item referring to finance remaining in each of the Ward Alliance Funds.

The Central Ward Alliance had £19,086.35 available funding but £2,430 had been allocated for the Healthy Holidays Provision (£2,000) and to the Dearne Valley Litter Pickers (£430).  The Dodworth Ward Alliance had £19,701.04 available funding but £125 had been allocated for the Secretary payments.

The Kingstone Ward Alliance had allocated £4,384.00 of its available funding of £14,538.91 as follows, Hope in the Community – Covid 19 (£1,217.99), Exodus Project food delivery programme (£1,508), Bowling Club for residents (£959) and Bowling Greens at Locke Park ((£700).  The Stairfoot Ward Alliance had £20,926.00 funding available with £2,000 allocated for the Healthy Holiday Provision.  The Worsbrough Ward had £28,161.66 available and had allocated £15,267.14 on 9 projects for various amounts.

There was a discussion on the moratorium on expenditure and the devolvement of Ward Alliance Budgets which limited what Ward Alliances could utilise finance for, however, given the wide priorities of the Area Council it was felt that there was plenty of scope for expenditure, although this had ben be related to Covid 19 priorities. 

Arising out of this, the Area Council was informed of the devolvement of finance from central government in relation to expenditure financial hardship issues.  £42,000 had been utilised locally across the Healthy Holidays Programmes and a request had been made for an additional £10,000 per area to assist with financial hardship issues and approval had been obtained to add £10,000 to the existing welfare services being delivered in the Central Area.  This would add value and bolster the work in the area that DIAL were already operating.

If Members were looking at where to allocate Ward Alliance Funding, whilst DIAL offered support around Welfare Benefits, there would be the possibly to give support to the CAB in work with people made redundant, accessing employment, issues with mortgages/rent which would then mean that there was a whole systems approach within the Central Area around access to Welfare Services and access to Benefits/support alongside the work of the CAB.  The additional funding referred to above would not, however, be allocated to the Ward Alliances but would add to the existing funding already allocated to the DIAL contract. 

It was felt important not to blur the lines between core Council business and the work of Area Councils and this was a matter that was regularly addressed to ensure that any expenditure added value.  There was perhaps a need to have further conversations on how additional finance was distributed.

The Area Council Manager confirmed that the Advice Network comprised Age UK, DIAL and the CAB, therefore, any contribution to the CAB from the Ward Alliances would ensure a wraparound service from all partners.  Such a contribution would mean an allocation of £2,000 from each Ward and each Ward Alliance would have to determine whether or not to support such a proposal.

A decision on the allocation from the Central Area of an additional £10,000 to Ward Alliances would be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.

Arising out of the above, there was a discussion about dates for meetings of the ‘Business and Economy’ Workshop.  The Head of Service Stronger Communities stated that she would circulate proposed dates to all members.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.