Purpose

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

Decision

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.

Reasons for the decision

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.

Alternative options considered

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.