Purpose

To seek approval to establish a two-year
community focussed grant scheme running to April 2027 ensuring
£1.1 million funding goes to support local
communities.

Decision

Cllr Paul Hodgkinson sought approval for the establishment and delivery of a new two-year
councillor-led grant scheme entitled the ‘Grassroots
Neighbourhood Fund’, through the investment of
£1,100,000.
 
Having considered all of the
information, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:
 

1.    
Approve the establishment and delivery of a new
two-year councillor led grant scheme commencing October 2025 that
will be funded through the allocation of £1,100,000 from the
council’s general fund reserves to support grass-root
projects to improve health and wellbeing, including tackling health
inequalities.
The
rules of the scheme will stipulate that a maximum of £20,000
may be allocated to projects in each of Gloucestershire’s
fifty-five electoral divisions in line with the grant scheme
criteria described in Recommendation 2 below.
 
2.
       
Delegate authority to the Director of Public Health in consultation
with the Lead Cabinet Member for Public Health, Communities and
Fire to:

a. Finalise the award criteria for the
above scheme on the basis described in the “Background”
section of this report; and

b.
Approve each grant to be awarded under the scheme in accordance
with the agreed award criteria.