Agenda item

            (Ms. M. Higgins, Lead Officer Community Provision, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered a report which provided an update on the activity delivered through the Social Supermarket Fund in 2022/23 and background on the different social supermarket models.  It also advised the Members of the allocation from the Department for Communities (DfC) through the Social Supermarket Fund for the 2023/24 financial year and sought consideration as to whether they approved the recommended approach for the allocation of the 2023/24 funds to support the activity from 1st April 2023 – 31st March 2024.

The Committee was advised that the recommended approach had considered learning from previous schemes and had also been informed by the ongoing work in relation to use of the Hardship/Cost of Living funding that had been made available by DfC for 2023/24.  The approach had also been informed by the fact that until the 7th July 2023 there had been no confirmation of the level of DfC funding for this area of work, in fact there had been no financial support for activity since 31st March 2023. This timescale also meant that there would be insufficient time or resources available to manage an open call grants programme in order to support activity quickly, as the administration of open call would have required significant lead in and delivery time and would not have enabled delivery of activity before December 2023. In addition, given the specialised nature of this work, it was noted that it was likely that only a small pool of organisations would be eligible to apply.

            The officers outlined to the Members the recommendations for the allocation of the funds, as follows:

·        a portion of funding to be allocated to support the establishment of new social supermarket provision, it was recommended that 10% of the overall budget be set aside for this. If these funds had not been used by 1st December 2023, they would be allocated to existing partners on a pro rata basis. Officers would promote this opportunity and seek to work with new organisations. The Director of Neighbourhood Services be granted delegated authority to support new partners and allocate unspent funds to avoid delays in issuing funding;

·        based on a review of the demand from organisations and the membership/areas that they serve it was suggested that the area/thematic allocation be changed to 80/20 of the remaining 90% of the budget. The allocation levels suggested would be the maximum amount that each organisation could access. All projects identified in this report would be invited to submit project proposals and these would be assessed through an agreed process to ensure that activity met the aims of the funding programme, was eligible, value for money and could be delivered within timescales. Recommendations would be brought to the Director of Neighbourhood Services in relation to the outcome of the application process and awards would be offered following his approval;

·        given the successful delivery in 2022/23, it was recommended that current partners be invited to submit proposals for activity. The recommended area allocations had been identified by using the agreed population/deprivation matrix from north, south, east and west Belfast.  There was recognition that these figures were from the 2011 census but new figures were not yet available. Given the increased allocation this year, it was noted that the Members might wish to consider identifying additional delivery partners in those parts of the city where there were fewer area delivery partners;

·        Support for thematic organisations that worked with specific groups of people who might have additional barriers in accessing support was also recommended. Allocations would be based on the numbers of people that accessed services from these different organisations. Some organisations served a much larger membership than others and this would be reflected in the recommended allocation;

·        Of the three organisations that had received an allocation in 2022/23 but did not accept an offer, it was recommended that the Men’s Advisory Project NI and Transgender NI would not be invited to apply in 2023/24, since their normal service delivery fell outside the scope of this work and their user groups would be able to access support from other funded organisations. North Belfast Advice Partnership was one of the 5 advice consortia which delivered advice services across the city and it was composed of six organisations which delivered advice services in north Belfast. It was therefore recommended that they be invited to take part in the scheme to ensure an opportunity to deliver services for that part of north Belfast.

A Member stated that he had concerns that an open call funding process for the distribution of the funding was not the approach being proposed, several Members concurred that it would be their preferred approach. 

The Lead Officer advised that, given that notification of the funding had only been advised on 7th July and the approach would not be ratified by the Council until the beginning of September, there would not be adequate time due to lead in and delivery times to allow for delivery prior to Christmas.  In addition, any open call procedure would be administered by the Council’s Central Grants Unit and she was unsure whether it would have the capacity to administer it at this late stage, therefore, there was no guarantee it could be delivered using this model.

            Following discussion, it was

Moved by Councillor Murray,

Seconded by Councillor Flynn,

      That the Committee agrees to deliver the allocation of funding for the Social Supermarket Fund through an open call process.

            On a vote, 6 Members voted for the proposal and 11 against and it was declared lost.

Further Proposal

Moved by Councillor Flynn,

Seconded by Councillor M. Doherty,

      That the Committee agrees to increase a portion of funding to be allocated to support the establishment of new social supermarket provision from 10% to 25% (i.e. 25% of the overall budget be set aside for this).

On a vote, 7 Members voted for the proposal and 10 against and it was declared lost.

The Committee therefore:

·        noted the update in respect of the activity delivered through the Social Supermarket Fund in 2022/23 and the background on different social supermarket models;

·        noted the allocation from the Department for Communities (DfC) through the Social Supermarket Fund for the 2023/24 financial year;

·        approved the recommended approach, information provided in paragraph 3.12 – 3.16 of the report, for allocation of the 2023/24 funds to support activity from 1st April 2023 – 31st March 2024; and

·        granted delegated authority to the Director of Neighbourhood Services to approve the awards, to enhance awards to existing partners or make allocations to relevant organisations if required to ensure in year spend.