Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 9

17 July 2003

Partnership funding to Independent Outdoor Centres - 2003/04 - Gilbert White Study Centre

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Stuart Nundy Ext: 5015

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That partnership funding set out below be approved for the Gilbert White Study Centre in 2003/04.

Centre Amount

£

Gilbert White Study Centre 33,199

1.2 That officers be asked to liaise with colleagues in the Education Department and explore further the educational value and outcomes delivered through the centre.

2. Reason

2.1 To support Outdoor Educational provision in Hampshire.

3. Other options considered and rejected

- Rejecting partnership funding application

4. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or a member or officer consulted - None

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: (signature) Date: (date of decision)

..................................

Councillor J. Waddington

Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 9

17 July 2003

Partnership funding to Independent Outdoor Centres - 2003/04 - Gilbert White Study Centre

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Stuart Nundy Ext: 5015

1. Purpose

1.1 The purpose of this report is to consider the application for partnership funding for the year 2003/04 from the Gilbert White Study centre.

2. Background

2.1 The Gilbert White Field Studies Centre, Selborne, is one of four independent outdoor centres with charitable status within Hampshire that is supported by the County Council. In 2002/03 partnership funding of £32,358 was awarded.

2.2 The centre has operated since 1973 with an initial brief to ensure the sustainability of the grounds and surroundings of the Gilbert White House by offering environmental education courses to schools. At that stage it was fully funded by the Local Education Authority (LEA). Since that time, the centre's role has expanded to include much of the education work in the museum and to that extent has contributed to a wider use of the museum resources by schools.

2.3 In early 2003 the Outdoor Activities Officer carried out visit to the centre, and reviewed it's operation with managers. In essence the visit revealed that the centre is providing a service to the County Council that complements our own direct provision with little overlap between them. Gilbert White offers a `day use' opportunity in a part of Hampshire where there is little other direct outdoor education provision.

3. Application for partnership funding for 2003/04

3.1 The centre is working with significant numbers of Hampshire young people. In total, some 2500 students were provided with courses by the centre in 2002/03. It should be noted that, crudely, this equates to a cost to the county council of just over £12 per person. At first glance, this compares poorly with most other partnership centres, where similar figures are, at most, only some £5 - £8 per person. However, the other centres are all residential and are able to apply a higher direct charge to the user which absorbs much of the gross cost of those centres. Gilbert White is a `Day Use' centre and, as such, meets resistance from schools to any `true cost' charge as well as suffering from the very high costs of transport incurred by schools just out for a day trip. The only comparable Hampshire centre is the Sparsholt Schools Centre, which is funded by the LEA and Sparsholt College and is completely free to all Hampshire's schools. Gilbert White charges a maximum of £3.65 per student, and this is at the upper end of fees for such provision, providing little opportunity for further significant increases without impact upon user numbers.

3.2 The centre employs two teaching staff - a Field Studies Manager (0.8 fte) and an Education Tutor (0.5 fte) costing £37,871 in 2001/02. Total expenditure at the centre was £46,928 in 2001/02 and with income of £43,540 produced an operating deficit of £3,388 for the year. Income included partnership funding from Hampshire County Council of £31,600, grants from Portsmouth totalling £3,240 and £8,700 from fees received. Audited accounts for 2002/03 are not yet available, although indications are that the deficit will be of a similar order and will be dealt with in the context of the overall budget of the Gilbert White and Oates Museum, for whom the teaching staff provide educational support.

3.3 The grant to the centre from the County Council in 2002/03 rose in line with inflation to £32,358. The order of rise was identical to that applied to all other charitable trust centres that benefit from Recreation and Heritage partnership funding. In 2003/04, these other centres were awarded a 2.6% inflation increase over their 2002/03 funding. At the same time each was asked to consider ways in which they would manage and, potentially, reduce their reliance on partnership funding. Gilbert White have left this section of their application blank this year.

3.4 On the basis of the above there appears little compelling evidence to justify a substantial increase in the level of partnership funding in 2003/04 compared to similar centres. However, the strategic position of the centre in the central/northern part of the county enables it to meet access requirements for schools in that area that would otherwise be unmet, and which a reduction in partnership funding would put at risk.

3.5 The centre has been made aware that the County Council wishes to work within a partnership arrangement and that financial assistance from 2003/04 will be assessed in terms of the provider's contribution towards the corporate objectives of the County Council. The centre is now fully aware of County Council corporate priorities and will be seeking to address these as appropriate during 2003/04. In addition, the Inspector for Outdoor Education has looked into the educational outcomes delivered through the Gilbert White Centre, and has suggested that further work would be beneficial as a means of assessing the contribution of the centre to educational outcomes in Hampshire. This is a process that is currently taking place across all outdoor centres visited by Hampshire children, including our own directly managed centres.

Recommendation

i. That approval is given to the above partnership funding recommendation.

ii. That officers be asked to liaise with colleagues in the Education Department and explore further the educational value and outcomes delivered through the centre.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE LOCATION

Detailed grant application forms County Outdoor Activities

Service, Mottisfont Court