Voluntary group grants agreed
Thursday June 16, 2010
The first round of voluntary sector grants for the year ahead were agreed on July 15. There will be a second round later in the year.
The Council's Cabinet agreed an overall allocation of £4.2 million to the local voluntary sector, a reduction of £158k for 2010/11. Read the report (pdf).
Around 60 members of the public attended the meeting including six deputations from unsuccessful groups.
Thirty five organisations were awarded a total of £2.6 million, including 16 organisations receiving financial support for the first time. The successful groups are:
CaVSA £162,000
Community Accountancy Self Help (CASH) £40,000
H&F Volunteer Centre £120,000
HAFAD £10,000
Urban Partnership Group £48,000
Retender: BME/Refugee voice/network £20,000
Retender: social enterprise support £32,000
Retender: premises support £32,000
Banooda Aid Foundation (BAF) £16,000
Barnardo's (SEone Service) £55,000
Brunswick Club - Brunswick Juniors £20,000
Brunswick Club - Motivate £22,000
Catholic Children's Society £10,000
Challenge Network £112,500
Doorstep Library Network £40,000
Family Action Family Action £50,000
H&F Mencap £40,000
H&F Urban Studies Centre £15,000
QPR in the Community Trust £40,000
Sands End Associated Project £50,000
Standing Together Against Domestic Violence £30,000
Urban Partnership Group £30,000
West London Action for Children £45,000
Fulham Legal Advice Centre £32,500
H&F Citizens Advice Bureau £318,263
H&F Credit Union £31,500
St Paul's Centre £149,500
Tendis Ltd £180,000
Third Age Foundation £30,000
ESF (European Social Fund) £50,000
Business Partnerships and Enterprise £78,013
Age Concern £170,000
Alzheimer's Society £38,000
Asian Health Agency £28,000
Bishop Creighton House £75,000
Fulham Good Neighbour Service £38,000
Irish Support & Advice Service £38,000
Nubian Life Resource Centre £58,000
Urban Partnership Group £48,000
West & North West London Vietnamese Association £25,520
The second round of funding to retender the remainder of the budget will be advertised later this year.
H&F Credit Union was awarded £31,500 for its work in helping people manage their finances in difficult times. Manager Cheryl Gale, said: ”We are absolutely thrilled that the council has awarded us such a large grant. The council has always provided us with magnificent support and it is that assistance that consolidates us in the borough.
"The Credit Union helps people save money which they can then spend on their families. People can then use that cash to avoid taking out another loan from an unscrupulous lender who may trap them into debt. Some of our members are people who withdraw their benefits from the Post Office and then end up spending all of their money. No matter who you are cash burns a hole in your pocket. We offer advice, a bit of re-education and ideas on how people can save or we will lend them money at a fair rate."
Leader of the Council, Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh was the first person to join H&F Credit Union. He said: "High levels of personal debt is one of the pathways to poverty for many people and is one of the most serious social problems facing us today. The credit union is a fantastic place for savers and I am sure that it will go from strength to strength over the coming months and years.” Read more on the Credit Union's grant.
Challenge Network received £112,500. Craig Morley, Chief Executive said: "This is absolutely fanstastic news. This funding will allow us to inspire young people across Hammersmith & Fulham to make a real difference to their communities. We are very grateful to the council for their support."
Fourth highest voluntary sector spend in London
The council says its appreciation of the role the voluntary sector plays in the borough is reflected in the fact that it spends significantly more on the voluntary sector than the majority of London councils (see table below) and points out that other boroughs have cut their grants budgets by 50% or 60%
H&F is 4th in highest in terms of spend per head - £26 per person, compared to £9 per person in Ealing and just £1 per person in Havering.
More for less
However, it says that, as the council has to find £55 million in savings over the next three years, all groups have to follow the council's lead in doing more fore less. Council Leader, Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, says; "The national economic crisis means we have to radically rethink how we provide services and we expect the organisations we fund to do likewise. We are, however, asking third sector organisations to share less of the budget reduction than other council services - only £158k ."
Protecting the grants budget by selling buildings
"In a totally unprecedented move, we have stated very publicly that we will put services before buildings," adds Cllr Greenhalgh. "To protect frontline services, including the grants budget, we are consulting on selling nine buildings that are either underused or provide poor value for money. The voluntary sector is hugely important in supporting local residents, but in these difficult times we must all do more for less."
The council says these buildings could raise an estimated £20 million which would contribute towards paying off council debt and cutting interest repayments. Rental payments will also be saved. In total £2.5 million in cash would be freed – money we would otherwise have to find from existing budgets.
The council has shrunk its use of space by 40 per cent already with asset sales of £42 million. Now the council is asking voluntary groups to do the same.
Working with us
Cllr Greenhalgh said; "The majority of groups recognise the financial crisis we are all in and are constructively working with us to protect local services.
Many of the best-organised groups have shown an impressive recognition of the need to strive for increased independence from council funding, to develop new ways of working and make their services more sustainable.
We really appreciate these efforts."
Forty two community groups have also been awarded £100,000 worth of small grants under the council’s Fast Track grants scheme.
In addition, the council says it is pursuing additional sources of external funding for the voluntary sector and hopes to have a positive announcement imminently.
One of the organisations recommended for approval as part of the grants report will provide other third sector organisations with tailored help with fund-raising and securing other sources of financial backing.
The latest comparative figures for voluntary sector budgets are for 2008-09
Croydon £14,919,888
Southwark £6,700,000
Camden £6,289,139
K & C £6,704,000
Greenwich £5,401,000
Westminster £4,704,595
H&F £4,531,079
Sutton £3,264,000
Haringey £2,500,000
Wandsworth £2,248,405
Hackney £2,465,809
Waltham Forrest £2,000,000
Redbridge £1,947,500
Hounslow £1,88,400
Hillingdon £1,687,000
Enfield £1,518,000
Brent £1,015,467
Richmond £1,636,900
Ealing £1,036,704
Barking & Dagenham £733,340
Havering £200,000
