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Consideration was given to a proposed
50th Anniversary Community Grant Scheme as detailed in
the report of the Cabinet Member for Community Services and the
Chief Executive.
 
The grant guidelines, criteria and application
process were set out in Annexes 1 and 2.
 
Over recent years the Borough Council had
delivered two Community Development Grant Schemes using income
provided by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) which had been
oversubscribed.  This illustrated a
local need for funding of smaller organisations and charities to
enable them to deliver projects and support services that helped
residents.
 
At the present time, there was no firm
commitment for any future round of UKSP funding for 2025/26 or
beyond.  However, the Borough Council
had agreed a sum of £87,000 to be allocated to support a
one-off 50-year anniversary grant scheme.  It was recommended that £50,000 be allocated
to the Anniversary Grant Scheme with a further £37,000
ringfenced to support further community initiatives in 2025/26,
potentially including phase 2 of the borough wide Community
Enforcement Team pilot.
 
Cabinet had due regard to the financial and
value for money considerations and the legal implications and
welcomed the proposal for a one-off grant to coincide with the
50th anniversary year of the Tonbridge and Malling
Borough Council.
 
RESOLVED: 
That
 

(1)            
a 50th Anniversary Community Grant Scheme be launched
with a budget of £50,000 with effect from 2 January 2025;
 

(2)            
the Grant guidelines, criteria and application process, as set out
in Annexes 1 and 2 be endorsed; and
 

(3)            
£37,000 be ringfenced to support further community
initiatives in 2025/26, including potentially phase 2 of the
borough wide Community Enforcement Team Pilot.