Agenda item

            (Mr. R. Black, Director of Neighbourhood Services, attended in connection with this item.)

 

            The Committee considered the following report:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

 

1.1       The purpose of this report is to:

 

·        update the Committee on further ‘Social Supermarket Support’ funding received from the Department for Communities which has to be spend by end March 2022;

 

·        update the Committee on capacity issues for existing funded community partners which is affecting their ability to fully spend existing allocations; and

 

·        request updated delegated authority to the Director of Neighbourhood Services to make pro rata allocations given the very tight timescales for delivery.

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

2.1       The Committee is requested to grant updated delegated authority to the Director of Neighbourhood Services to allocate the additional monies received by DfC and any underspends from existing allocations on a pro rata basis to the following delivery partners and only to those who have confirmed they can spend the allocation by end of March 22:

 

-       Area Strategic Partners

-       City Thematic Partners

-       St. Vincent de Paul and Salvation Army

-       Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid

-       Men’s Advisory Project

 

3.0       Main Report

 

            Background

 

3.1       Members will be aware that, at the People and Communities Committee meeting on 9th November 2021, the following was agreed:

 

                                             (i)          to agree to accept the additional funding allocation of £1,243,710 from the DfC under priority areas of General Community Support and Financial Inclusion.

 

                                            (ii)          to agree to the following allocation model for the additional funding.

 

Community Support

£631,360 (Micro & Medium Grants Programme 21/22)

£250,000 (Area Strategic Partners)

£150,000 (City Thematic partners)

 

                                          (iii)          to grant delegated authority to the Director of Neighbourhood Services to allocate any additional monies which may be received by DfC in-year to relevant delivery partners based on the agreed delivery approaches as outlined within this report.

 

3.2       However, at the subsequent Council meeting on 1st December, one element of this decision was changed, specifically the £250,000 allocation to Area Strategic Partners should instead be allocated to:

 

                                             (i)          £180k to be divided equally between the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul to support their Christmas appeals;

 

                                            (ii)          £55k to be allocated to Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid; and

 

                                          (iii)          £15k to be allocated to the Belfast Men’s Advisory Project.

 

3.3       It is important to note that the change to the People and Communities decision of 9th November was on the basis of the Council having already allocated £650,000 to Area Strategic Partners at Special Council on 26 November 2021.

 

                        Current Context

 

3.4       The Department for Communities has just issued a letter of offer for £239,803.74 to the Council for Social Supermarket Support funding.  The aim of a social supermarket model is to offer a sustainable response to food insecurity by seeking to help address the root causes of poverty rather simply provide food.

 

3.5       Additionally, existing some funded partners (as detailed above) are indicating to officers that they are not in a position to accept even some of the funding already allocated to them due to serious capacity issues.  This is primarily down to the requirement for spend by end March 22 from the Department for Communities as the funder and the significant amounts of last minute funding already provided to these partners.  Officers have engaged with Department for Communities regarding flexibility of this, but have been advised this is not possible and all spend must take place by end March 22.

 

            Recommendation

 

            Given the very challenging timescales in relation to achieving full spend of all of the Department for Communities funding by the end of March 2022 and the capacity issues being articulated by funded partners, the Committee is asked to grant further delegated authority beyond that given to the Director of Neighbourhood Services on 9th November. 

 

3.6       This would include his authority to allocate the additional Department for Communities Social Supermarket Support funding and any underspends identified in the existing allocations to the full range of funded partners agreed by Members at the People and Communities Committee on 9th November, at the Special Council meeting on 26 November  and the Council meeting on 1st December.  Specifically, this would include pro rata allocations to:

 

                                             (i)          Area Strategic Partners

                                            (ii)          City Thematic Partners

                                          (iii)          St Vincent de Paul and Salvation Army

                                          (iv)          Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid

                                            (v)          Belfast Men’s Advisory Project

 

3.7       Please note that further allocations to micro/medium grants are not needed as these schemes are adequately financed.  Additionally, partners in the above categories who have already indicated they cannot spend their already allocated funding by the end of March 2022, would not be included in any further allocations by the Director and should further partners indicate they cannot spend additional funding, the Director would have the delegated authority to reallocate that pro rata to the remaining organisations who have indicated they can spend the additional funding by the end of March 2022.

 

3.8       It is worth bringing to Member’s attention that the significant amounts of funding coming from the Department for Communities without sufficient warning or adequate timescales in which to ensure the funding can be spent presents a real risk that by end March 22 some of the allocated funding will not be spent.  Officers have been highlighting these issues to DfC Officials for some time. 

 

            Financial and Resource Implications

 

3.9       As detailed in the report.

 

            Equality or Good Relations Implications and Rural Needs Assessment

 

3.10      This is considered on an ongoing basis.”

 

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.