Crediton Lib Dem Gives Big Endorsement for Mid Devon Volunteers

11.21.26am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 20th Oct 2008

Speaking after Mid Devon District Council's Executive considered the first extensive report by the Scrutiny Committee he chairs, Lib Dem Leader Cllr David Nation (Crediton) said that he was hopeful the work the Committee had done would result in more support to voluntary organisations in the district.

The Scrutiny Committee had examined the effects of the Council's grants policies on voluntary organisations providing services from advice bureaux to community transport to youth facilities to entertainment in rural areas. A questionnaire was sent to all organisations that had approached the Council over the last two years, three workshops were held in the three main towns and 40% of the organisations responded. As a result, changes were recommended to the Council's ruling Executive which included:

1. A capital budget should be re-established for Village Hall funding in 2009/10.

2. All Strategic Grants awarded will be for a three-year period. This would provide the notice period requested by the Third Sector of any changes to funding levels.

3. Applications for grant funding should include an additional assessment of the social benefits a service provider or project bring to an area.

4. A Development Fund should be created to provide flexibility in the Council's grant funding and enable it to make a time-limited investment in new services.

5. The Council's application form should be shortened for established grant applicants.

Referring to the adequacy of the Grants budget, Cllr Nation said that was a political matter to be decided when the Council's budget was being decided.

Cllr Nation said "The work many of these organizations do is especially welcome in our more remote rural communities. What is amazing and may not have been fully appreciated before is the extent of the added-value to grants that we make. The collective contribution of the 23 organizations that received a strategic grant from us in 2007-08 was a combined annual income of £4.15 million, involved 145 paid staff and 700 volunteers. Our grants to help meet core costs of these organizations are vital and have been seen to be reducing. This imperils their very existence and reduces the number of applications for help. The amount of extra funds levered in when they have our support is significant and taking more account than we have of the social benefits provided will be very positive."