Archived decisions
Hampshire County Council
Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 7
23 March 2006
Partnership Funding to Independent Outdoor Centres - 2006/07
Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage
Contact: Stuart Nundy Ext: 5015 e-mail: [email protected]
1. Purpose
1.1 The purpose of this report is to consider applications for partnership funding for the year 2006/07 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 2005/06 to assist them with essential revenue costs. This support enabled them to deliver programmes to young people and adults resident in Hampshire. Support in 2005/06 was as follows:
Centre Amount
£
Avon Tyrell Outdoor Centre, Ringwood 6,150
Countryside Education Trust, Beaulieu 45,394
Privett Centre, Privett, near Petersfield 27,318
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Centre, Bursledon 12,693
British Red Cross, (Hampshire Branch) 3,901
Gilbert White Field Study Centre, Selborne 34,879
Total 130,335
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 2005/06.
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 [Children's Services] and the Outdoor Activities Officer [Recreation and Heritage]) 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 All these centres are assessed by the County Inspector for Outdoor Education to ensure they meet the County Council's requirements with respect to Health, Safety and risk management of groups in the outdoors. In addition, the Department provides training in Risk Management in the Outdoors where requested to do so for staff at these centres to ensure engagement with current systems.
2.5 Additionally, the Outdoor Service has begun an audit of teaching and learning quality provided by each centre. The first of these audits will be at the Gilbert White Field Centre on March 16 2006 and then encompass all the other centres within the next six months.
2.6 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.
2.7 It is the intention of the Recreation and Heritage Department to consider moving this partnership funding to a longer term application cycle from 2007 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 2006. 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 2006/07
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 revise 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 1,634 young people and 500 adults from Hampshire.
4.5 Partnership funding of £6,300 (including 2.5% for inflation) is recommended for 2006/07.
4.6 The local member for Ringwood, Councillor Nigel Clarke, has been consulted.
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 targets 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 6,500 young people and 2,700 adults from Hampshire attended the centre. Partnership funding of £46,530 (including inflation at 2.5%) is recommended for 2006/07.
5.5 The local member for Brockenhurst, Councillor Ken Thornber, has seen the report and fully supports the recommendation, especially in light of the recent fire at the centre.
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 2005/06. 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 1200 young people and adults from Hampshire attended days at the Centre, an increase of 5% over the previous year.
6.3 The centre receives a revenue grant of £2,000 from East Hampshire District Council to enable it to meet District priorities with respect to young people for 2006.
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 2005/06, 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 Estates Practice.
6.5 Partnership funding of £28,060 (including 2.5% for inflation) is recommended for 2006/07.
6.6 The member for Petersfield Hangers, Councillor Michael Cartwright, has been consulted.
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 centre focuses upon the corporate aim to `maximise life opportunities' for these young people. It is the only centre in the county which specifically works with such groups as it's principal clientele.
7.2 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.
7.3 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.
7.4 The centre also receives revenue funding from Southampton City Council (£2,900) and the Learning and Skills Council (£5,000) to work with specific groups for young people from the Southampton area.
7.5 Partnership funding of £13,010 (including inflation at 2.5%) is recommended for 2006/07.
7.6 The local member for Hamble, Councillor Keith House, has seen the report and supports the proposals but also notes that with the extension to the centre this year it would be sensible to review base funding for future years based on the new scale of activity. This will be included in our considerations for next year.
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 Two years ago the trust 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 2,535 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 £35,750 (including inflation at 2.5 %) is recommended for 2006/07.
8.5 The member for Alton Rural, Councillor Mark Kemp-Gee, has been consulted.
9. British Red Cross, Hampshire Branch
9.1 With its headquarters in Petersfield, 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. The trust also worked with over thirty Hampshire schools in 2005/06, and intends to become involved with double this number in 2006/07.
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 £4,000 (including 2.5% inflation) is recommended for 2006/07.
9.4 As the trust operates county wide, there is no available comment from a local member.
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.
11 Financial implications
11.1 The funds associated with the proposed partnership funding (£133,650) are fully identified within the Sport, Community and Outdoor Services annual budget.
12. Personnel implications
12.1 There are no personnel implications associated with this recommendation
13. Impact Assessment
13.1 Organisations applying to this scheme are by their nature defined as accessible
to all members of the community. This is embodied within their charitable objects, therefore no groups or organisations should be excluded from any benefit arising from these decisions.
14. Crime Prevention Issues
14.1 All the organisations referred to above have a primary objective to work with young people, often with a clear focus on emphasising the Rights, Respect and Responsibilities agenda. To that end, all of them play a part in providing diverting and educational activities for young people.
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