Agenda item

A report was presented which provided an update on the financial position of the Ward Alliance budget for each ward for the 2023/24 period.

Members recalled a discussion that had ensued at the last meeting regarding a letter sent into the Barnsley Chronicle, which had wrongly suggested that the North Area Council was not passing money onto the community groups.  Members noted that the BMBC Communications Department had issued a statement to Barnsley Chronicle which would make clear the funding segments including the one which the community could bid upon; a good number of applications had been agreed by all Ward Alliances.

In relation to the new sheets detailing the funding allocation for each Ward Alliance, Councillor Tattersall requested an additional column to indicate how much had been spent, the total remaining and the amount returning back into the budget.

R Adams would look into Councillor Tattersall’s suggestion further.  At the end of each financial year a report would be brought to the North Area Council meeting to detail the running budget, indicate the underspend and carry over into the next financial year.  It was anticipated that the 2024/25 funding allocation would remain the same as previously.

RESOLVED that each Ward in the North Area Council area priorities the efficient expenditure of the Ward Alliance Funds 2023/24, in line with the guidance on spend.