Decision details

To request approval to launch and administer the Gedling UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) ‘Strength In Community’ Grant Fund.

THAT:
1.The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Place approves the launch and administration of UKSPF ‘Strength In Community’ Grant Awards to Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) groups providing services to vulnerable people in Gedling.
2.The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Place delegates authority to the Head of Communities and Leisure to give final approval on grant applications, following rigorous assessment by a panel established from within the GBC Communities Team.

To enable the timely launch and delivery of the Council’s UKSPF ‘Strength In Community’ VCS Grant programme 2023/24 and 2024/25.
To enhance VCS capacity to encompass events delivery, employability, life skills, household financial resilience, health and wellbeing services and bespoke solutions to specific communities and vulnerable residents recognised as having protected characteristics in the Equalities Act, including wider target groups identified by the LRF Humanitarian Assistance Group.

Not to deliver the Strength In Community VCS Grant Fund 2023/24 and 2024/25. Gedling Borough Council recognises the importance of community resilience in terms of supporting community inclusion, cohesion and wellbeing, therefore this option does not support the current corporate priority ‘To enable a resilient, empowered, connected, inclusive and healthy community’.
To deliver a different approach to achieve VCS resilience and support for community cohesion in Gedling.
Gedling is recognised by the National Lottery Community Fund and other bodies as being underrepresented in successful grant awards. Additionally, the Borough does not have a dedicated local CVS resource offering support and local conduits to funding, training, volunteering, governance and service development.
This Grant fund and the wider package of VCS Resilience Support offered by the UKSPF Strength In Community programme sets out a system approach to such support, a platform for coproduction between the voluntary sector and commissioned partners and most importantly a voice for the Voluntary Sector in Gedling Borough.