Purpose

At its meeting of 14th May 2025, Council approved the use of up to £60,000 of UKSPF funds to support the Arts in East Herts programme. A total of £39,317 of the available funding is being allocated to 48 applications for a grant for activities and events which have met the eligibility and assessment criteria.
At the same meeting, Council delegated decision-making on all UKSPF spend on Arts in East Herts to the Head of Housing and Health (now the Director for Communities) acting in consultation with the Executive Member for Communities.

Decision

Fund the 48 applications made during the Arts in East Herts grants bidding window which fully met the eligibility and assessment criteria, these being:

All Sorts Dementia Group - £1,000
Amar Devsi - £1,000
Artshed Arts - £1,000
BEAM - £1,000
Bryony Applegate - £1,000
Buntingford Live! - £1,000
Coruscate Stained Glass - £1,000
Eloise Pilbeam - £1,000
Generation Circus - £1,000
Genevieve Smart - £1,000
Hart Studios - £1,000
Hertford Regional College - £1,000
I AM I AM Theatre Company - £1,000
J Wright Globemaker - £1,000
Ken Boyter - £1,000
Love Bengeo Community Group - £1,000
Master Art Workshops - £1,000
Ore Projects - £1,000
Pins and Feathers Theatre Group - £1,000
Rose Collins Millinery - £1,000
Roxana Parker - £1,000
Rubino Wilson - £1,000
Sawbridgeworth Memorial Hall - £1,000
Sirena13art - £1,000
Stortford Music Festival - £1,000
The Company of Players (Hertford) - £1,000
The Fabric Folk - £1,000
Ware Arts Centre (Southern Maltings) - £1,000
Ware's The Fun Palace - £1,000
Fiona Martin - £999
Drawing Voices - £997
Donna Reeves - £950
Bishop's Stortford College - £900
Matipo Arts - £810
Much Hadham Drama Group - £809
The Bishop’s Stortford Choir Festival - £700
Hertford Film and Play Association - £600
Julie Arnall – grant #1 - £535
DancePro Academy - £500
Gilston and Eastwick Village Hall - £500
Quintessence Drama Group - £500
Julie Arnall – grant #2 - £360
Much Hadham Forge Museum - £350
Sue Nicholls - £270
Hertford Social Sewing - £200
Evans School of Ballroom Dancing - £147
Ware & District Photographic Society - £110
Cottered Village People Crochet Club - £80

Alternative options considered

Option 1 - Not fund all or some of the applications listed above. NOT RECOMMENDED because the applications to be funded were eligible, assessed within the approved policy and will clearly contribute to the Arts in East Herts programme and the UKSPF outputs on which the council is required to report to government.
Option 2 - Fund the 48 applications which were eligible and fulfilled the assessment criteria. RECOMMENDED.