Archived decisions
Hampshire County Council
Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 9
17 March 2005
Partnership Funding to Independent Outdoor Centres - 2005/06
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 applications for partnership funding for the year 2005/06 from five outdoor centres and one other establishment that are voluntary organisations and have charitable or trust status.
2. Background
2.1 The organisations under consideration all received revenue support from the Recreation and Heritage Department in 2004/05 to assist them with essential revenue costs. This support enabled them to deliver programmes to young people and adults resident in Hampshire. Support in 2004/05 was as follows:
Centre Amount
£
Avon Tyrell Outdoor Centre, Ringwood 6,000
Countryside Education Trust, Beaulieu 44,287
Privett Centre, Privett, near Petersfield 26,652
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Centre, Bursledon 12,384
British Red Cross, (Hampshire Branch) 3,806
Gilbert White Field Study Centre, Selborne 34,029
Total 127,158
2.2 In total, over 20,000 Hampshire residents (young people and adults) were involved in day and residential activities provided by these organisations in 2004/05
2.3 Each organisation is aware that the County Council wishes to work within a partnership arrangement and that financial assistance is assessed in terms of the provider's contribution towards the corporate objectives of the County Council. Each organisation now reports briefly on those corporate objectives to which it particularly contributes. In addition, each organisation is encouraged to attend the newly formed `Hampshire Outdoor Forum' (chaired by the County Inspector for Outdoor Education and the Outdoor Activities Officer) where common issues relating to good practice in outdoor learning, its delivery and safety, are discussed. All organisations (apart from the Red Cross) now attend these meetings.
2.4 The charitable status and objectives of each of these organisations ensures that each centre engages with a clear equalities and inclusion agenda with respect to their operations, clients and customers.
2.5 It is the intention of the Recreation and Heritage Department to consider moving this partnership funding to a longer term application cycle from 2006 implementing part of the conclusion reached by recent reviews of grants across the department and the County Council generally. Discussions will be held with centres over 2005. A move to a longer term funding cycle would provide greater stability for the organisations, allow the creation of more coherent and longer term development and provide an opportunity for the County Council to create Service Level Agreements that tie in with longer term service planning.
3. Applications for partnership funding in 2005/06
4. Avon Tyrell
4.1 Avon Tyrell is the National Activity and Residential Centre for Youth Clubs UK, an organisation that provides outdoor education and environmental opportunities for school students and adults across Hampshire. Last year's funding was used to further develop their classroom, barn and outdoor areas and new equipment was purchased for the development of new environmental activities.
4.2 This year the centre would like to update their teaching materials to ensure they meet the National Curriculum, update computer equipment and implement more audio visual equipment.
4.3 With regard to corporate objectives, Avon Tyrell works with a variety of groups from `hard to reach' backgrounds, including Hampshire Youth groups, local play schemes and a number of `young offenders' groups. They contribute to `maximising life opportunities' for these young people, and deliver an environmental message consistent with aims within `stewardship of the environment'. In addition, the partnership funding will enable them to `improve services'.
4.4 Last year the centre provided day sessions for 1,139 young people (an increase of 11% over the previous year) and 510 adults from Hampshire.
4.5 Partnership funding of £6,150 (inc. 2.5% for inflation) is recommended for 2005/06.
4.6 The local member for Ringwood, Councillor Waddington, has seen the report and supports the recommendation for Avon Tyrell.
5. The Countryside Education Trust (CET)
5.1 CET at Beaulieu offers environmental education and access to the countryside for students and adults from Hampshire. It operates the CET Study Centre in Hartford Wood, and the residential Out of Town Centre in Beaulieu. The partnership funding has been used previously to support the salaries of the education officers and Trust administrator.
5.2 The trust is keen to expand its work with hard to reach groups and has begun to target schools and youth groups in many of Hampshire's more deprived locations. To facilitate this they have applied for additional grant aid from a number of children's charities to enable them to reduce the direct cost to young people. The centre also works extensively with local community groups on the Waterside area of the New Forest, offering pre-school and other school clubs, evening activities for young people and a range of holiday and half term events for both adults and children.
5.3 The centre is positively working to `maximise life opportunities' and also contributes to `stewardship of the environment' through its work in the New Forest. It contributes heavily to `achieving economic prosperity' in the local context and strives to `improve services' offered to Hampshire residents.
5.4 In the past year 6,343 young people (an increase of 20% over the previous year) and 2,735 adults from Hampshire attended the centre. Partnership funding of £45,394 (including inflation at 2.5%) is recommended for 2005/06.
5.5 The local member for Brockenhurst, Councillor Thornber, has seen the report and supports the recommendation for the CET.
6. The Privett Centre
6.1 The centre, situated in the Meon Valley, is a self catering residential establishment based in a disused primary school listed building. The Privett Centre Trust is a registered charity. It targets young people with special needs especially from the Basingstoke area. It's aims are to advance education by providing such students with a secure base and facilities to learn outside their `normal' learning environment. The centre really does `maximise life opportunities' for these young people.
6.2 The partnership funding was used to balance the revenue account in 2004/05. The Management Committee states that this year's support would be used to improve the facilities for students of all ages, especially those with special educational needs. In the past year 936 young people and adults from Hampshire attended days at the Centre, an increase of 5% over the previous year.
6.3 The centre has successfully approached East Hampshire District Council for a revenue grant of £2,000 to enable it to meet District priorities with respect to youth for 2005/06.
6.4 It should be noted that the building is rented from the County Council at £9,500 per annum, plus building maintenance of £868. In 2004/05, the Centre management successfully agreed a `rent holiday' with the County Council to enable them to carry out and pay for stage one of essential building work to improve the quality of the centre and its services to Hampshire schools and youth groups. They are currently applying for a similar rent holiday this year to enable the completion of this work. The department is supportive of this approach to the Estates Practice.
6.5 Partnership funding of £27,318 (inc. 2.5% for inflation) is recommended for 2005/06.
6.6 The member for Petersfield, Councillor West, has seen the report and made the following comment. "I am very pleased to see the continuing level of financial support that is proposed. I consider we are very lucky with having Cheryl Abdi as our Centre Manager - she attended this Centre as a child. She is not afraid of hard work, and I enjoyed attending one of her Working Parties where Volunteers helped keep the cost of the work as low as possible".
7. Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Activities Centre
7.1 The centre, situated within the County Council's Manor Farm Country Park at Bursledon, aims to provide challenging and motivating outdoor educational and recreational activities for people of all ages with disabilities. The partnership funding was used last year to support the revenue account. The centre was attended by 4,861 disabled people from Hampshire for day sessions last year.
7.2 Although the centre is now financially stable, officers maintain frequent contact with the Executive Committee and the Outdoor Activities Officer has quarterly meetings with the Centre Manager and Trust Secretary to assess the budgetary position. Councillor Davidovitz also sits on the Trust's committee on behalf of the County Council.
7.3 Partnership funding of £12,693 (including inflation at 2.5%) is recommended for 2005/06.
The local member, Councillor House, has seen the report and supports the recommendation for the QE II centre.
8. Gilbert White's House and Oates Museum, Selborne
8.1 This establishment provides a Field Studies education service for the young people of Hampshire. The unit is a `day use' centre and integrates it's work with the National Curriculum. The trust maintains the museum and house with material relating to Gilbert White and Frank and Lawrence Oates. The centre has a `strategic fit' within the Outdoor Service strategy by providing outdoor educational opportunities to Mid and North Hampshire where provision is currently sparse.
8.2 The trust has completed a major expansion to the Field Studies provision, converting a Tithe Barn into classroom and lecture space, extending the number of both children and adults able to use the facility. Partnership funding would be used to directly maintain the education service. In the past year a total of 2,268 young people from Hampshire, including some 200 youngsters from special schools, attended for day field study work.
8.3 Centre staff also support the educational work of the museum, producing materials and resources for educational use and enhancing visits to the museum by school groups. In addition, the centre has a primary mission to look after the environment in which it is based and the centre is careful to ensure that all activities are sustainable and contribute to corporate objectives with regard to the environment of Hampshire.
8.4 Partnership funding of £34,879 (including inflation at 2.5 %) is recommended for 2005/06.
8.5 The member for Medstead and Selborne, Councillor Scott, has seen the report and supports the recommendation. However, he asks the Executive Member if it is possible for the department to address the accumulated deficit of £3,500 that has developed within the field studies department. It is recommended that this not be addressed as part of this current Partnership Funding round, but that officers approach Gilbert White with a view to considering this and other funding issues for the Museum site as a whole as a separate element.
9. British Red Cross, Hampshire Branch
9.1 With its headquarters in Winchester, the Hampshire Branch has over 10,000 volunteers active in the community delivering services to the vulnerable in crises. Over 6,000 young people and 1,000 adults from Hampshire were involved in Red Cross training last year.
9.2 They used last year's partnership funding to purchase much needed equipment for use in training the teaching of first aid, including audio visual aid equipment. For this year they intend to recruit and train more volunteers and require additional equipment and materials for a training resource library. The new volunteers will include more youth workers who are intended to go into schools and youth organisations in order to teach first aid.
9.3 Partnership funding of £3,901 (including 2.5% inflation) is recommended for 2005/06.
10. Legal Implications
10.1 The Council has wide powers under Section 19 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 to provide recreational facilities, and to contribute by way of grant or loans towards expenses incurred by voluntary bodies in providing such facilities.
Recommendation
That approval is given to the above partnership funding recommendations.
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