As you may be aware, the Cabinet meeting on 1 October approved the setting up of the Kirklees Community Grants scheme. This scheme will make grants of up to £3,000 available to voluntary and community groups for projects which;

• Support activities that benefit communities within neighbourhoods\wards\localities

• Deliver locality plans, community action plans and gaps within service provision

• Promote the community’s ambitions

• Build the capacity of the community to participate in local activities and address issues that affect their lives

• Enhance activities that stimulate volunteering.

In 2008/9 the scheme has been funded at the level of £15.5K for each ward.

As part of the arrangements for determining which applications should be funded, there will be an opportunity for councillors to comment on applications which affect their ward. An officer assessment of the project will be forwarded to councillors in the ward(s) concerned by e-mail, with the opportunity for them to submit their views on the project within five working days. Councillor comments, if any, will then be considered as part of the decision making process, which will be by an officer panel.

We anticipate that the first tranche of officer reports on funding requests will be going out to councillors in January. ”