039/2013 – Community Fund – 20 May 2013

Executive Summary and recommendation:

As part of the Police & Crime Plan published on the 1st April, the Police and Crime Commissioner committed to provide a ‘Community Fund’. The aim of the fund is to enable local people, groups and organisations to access grants for values of between £500 and £20,000 for one off projects that make their communities safer by reducing crime, disorder or the fear of crime. The fund will be publically launched on 9 May, the communications plan is appended to this notice.

The grants are only available for new projects led by people based or operating solely or mainly within North Yorkshire and the City of York. The minimum award will be £500 and the maximum award will be £20,000 per grant and they will be given for specific projects including:

• Extra-curricular or ‘diversionary’ activities for children and young people
• Promoting safety and reducing the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour
• Support for victims
• Improving community cohesion
• Preventing crime and anti-social behaviour
• Supporting the purchase of specific pieces of equipment

The Executive Board is asked to note the progress made to date in developing the community fund, feedback on any issues so that the paperwork can be altered appropriately and consider how any repetitional risk may be mitigated through evaluation of those receiving a grant. Confirmation is also required as to how the evaluation of each bid will take place and by whom.

Signature Date 20 May 2013
Title Police & Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire

Part 1 – Unrestricted facts and advice to the PCC

Introduction and background

As part of the Police & Crime Plan published on the 1st April, the Police and Crime Commissioner committed to provide a ‘Community Fund’. The aim of the fund is to enable local people, groups and organisations to access grants of values between £500 and £20,000 for one off projects that make their communities safer by reducing crime, disorder and the fear of crime.

The fund will be publicly launched on 9 May at the Henshaws College for the Blind’s Arts and Crafts Centre in Knaresborough and the communications plan is attached at Appendix 1.

Work has been ongoing to develop the associated paperwork for the Community Fund and the Police and Crime Commissioner has previously given direction on some aspects of the processes which will be involved.
The total amount of the Community Fund available is £250,000 for the financial year 2013/14 with each bid entitled to request funds from a minimum value of £500 to a maximum of £20,000. From its launch on 9 May, applications will be open for the first tranche of funding, which will close on 31st July 2013.
Further funding will be released on a quarterly basis and applications will be judged on merit, rather than on a geographical or ‘first come, first served’ basis. All grants, regardless of amount, will be offered “upfront” rather than in arrears.

The Office of Police and Crime Commissioner will act as the lead organisation for applicants with all requests and applications tracked within the office. Single points of contact (SPOCs) are being identified within North Yorkshire Police so that applicants have an individual person who they can contact throughout the life of their project. A number of the SPOCs will be available for the launch on Thursday to assist people with the application or to answer questions.

The communications pack attached at Appendix 1 proposes a rolling timetable for roadshows which can be managed by the SPOCs and moved around the county for each tranche of funding available. This will give members of the public an easy to access and friendly environment in which to discuss their project and any issues that they may have in relation to the application process.

The associated paperwork and timescales for applications to be submitted for the fund is attached at Appendix 2. These can be altered quickly to reflect the discussions at the Executive Board and produced ready for the launch.

Work on developing a standard approach for Terms and Conditions of each project is continuing recognising an element which will be bespoke to each project granted funding depending on the amount, project, timescales and any other specific requirement.

Matters for consideration

Confirmation is needed from the Executive Board that the application paperwork is appropriate for the fund.

The Executive Board are asked to consider the potential for reputational risk to possibly arise from a number of factors as part of the application and granting process and if these could be mitigated through the evaluation of applications. A series of questions could be included within the application process to safeguard against any potential issue arising.

Confirmation is required as to how the evaluations will take place and by whom.

Other options considered, if any

As part of early discussions with the Police and Crime Commissioner, options were considered in relation to whether grants would be issued upfront or in arrears and whether the amount offered should vary dependent on who was submitting the application.

It was agreed that all applicants, regardless of whether an individual or organisation, could bid for a grant for a minimum value of £500 up to a maximum value of £20,000 and that all grants will be paid up front.

Contribution to Police and Crime Plan outcomes

The introduction of the Community Fund is direct outcome of the goal to Putting People First within the Police and Crime Plan.

A project must be able to demonstrate how it supports the Police and Crime Plan objectives and must contribute to people being safe and feeling safe so that the area can continue to be the safest in England. All projects must focus on reducing crime, disorder and the fear of crime in an area.

Consultations carried out

The Police and Crime Commissioner has been consulted on the proposed process for the Community Fund.

Financial Implications/Value for money

The Community Fund is provided through money which was unexpectedly received as part of the funding settlement. As such the fund may not be available post March 2014. Projects will be assessed on value for money terms and SPOCs will work with applicants to ensure that costings are correct and not speculative during the application process.

Legal Implications

The basis of the Community Fund is legally sound and within the rules of how the police money can be allocated.

Equality Implications

The Community Fund is open to all groups, individuals and organisations within the area. All efforts will be made to ensure that the application process is fair and accessible to any person wishing to access it.

Public access to information

The Police and Crime Commissioner wishes to be as open and transparent as possible about the decisions he/she takes or are taken in his/her name. All decisions taken by the Commissioner will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

As a general principle, the Commissioner expects to be able to publish all decisions taken and all matters taken into account and all advice received when reaching the decision. Part 1 of this Notice will detail all information which the Commissioner will disclose into the public domain. The decision and information in Part 1 will be made available on the NYPCC web site within 2 working days of approval.
Only where material is properly classified as restricted under the GPMS or if that material falls within the description at 2(2) of The Elected Local Policing Bodies (Specified Information) Order 2011 will the Commissioner not disclose decisions and/or information provided to enable that decision to be made. In these instances, Part 2 of the Form will be used to detail those matters considered to be restricted. Information in Part 2 will not be published.

Is there a Part 2 to this Notice – NO