Contact: Louise Pickford - 01962 847355, e-mail: [email protected]

1. Introduction

1.1 This report shows details of grant requests received from voluntary organisations and other bodies which are to be considered from the Policy and Resources grants budget.

2. Recommendations

a) That grants totalling £16,000 be made to voluntary organisations and other bodies as specified in the schedule to this report.

b) That a grant of up to £3,500 be awarded towards the cost of the Care at End of Life Research project.

3. Budget Position

3.1 The balance available for allocation at today's meeting is £92,306, after allocating grants approved at the last decision day, commitments made in previous years and sums earmarked for specific purposes. This figure is on the basis that the £50,000 capital grant being recommended to the Countryside Education Trust (Item 1b on the agenda) in the current financial year is drawn from this budget.

4. Details of Requests

4.1 The Schedule of items gives details of 5 applications which, if agreed in the amounts recommended, would total £16,000 and is attached as Appendix 2 to this report. A copy of the guidelines used for allocating these grants is included as Appendix 1.

4.2 Research on Care at End of Life Review

4.2.1 The County Council, University of Southampton and Hampshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) have engaged in a collaborative research project on Care at End of Life (CaEoL). This research, due to be completed by February 2008 and cost £12,500, is intended to complement the acclaimed work of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and will be based on surveying bereaved families about their experience of the help and services provided to the family and the deceased. The aim is to gain additional evidence in order to identify where further improvements can be made by the NHS, Adult Services and independent providers.

4.2.2 This research will be of great value to commissioners and providers of services in Hampshire. The lessons learnt from these findings will also be of significant value to national organisations, other authorities and the `third sector'. Together with the CaEoL Review, these two pieces of high quality work raise the national profile of the County and confirm its commitment to Hampshire residents and beyond.

4.2.3 The PCT has contributed £9,000 and the County Council is being requested to meet the remaining sum. These monies will be used to obtain information from the Office of National Statistics, which is an essential requirement in order to receive ethics approval, and a graduate researcher who will be analysing the data and providing the report.

4.2.4 Funds are also being sought from Cancer Research; Help the Aged; National Health Service and other bodies and therefore the sum being sought from the County Council may reduce. In view of this it is recommended that a grant of up to £3,500 be awarded towards this project.

5. Conclusion

5.1 The awarding of these grants would support all of the County Council's Corporate Priorities by making Hampshire safer and more secure for all, Maximising well-being and Enhancing our quality of place.

OR

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 excluded:

Published works.

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

TITLE FILE

Letters from organisations which Chief Executive's Department

applied for financial assistance

5dR80104

Appendix 1

EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR POLICY AND RESOURCES

GUIDELINES FOR ALLOCATION OF GRANTS

TO VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AND OTHER BODIES

These notes should be regarded as guidelines and not prescriptive rules.

(i) Assistance will be considered only in response to direct applications from the individual or organisation seeking assistance.

(ii) Where appropriate, applications will be referred to the relevant service department (e.g. Adult Services, Children's Services, Recreation & Heritage, Environment, etc) for consideration.

(iii) Grants will normally be "one off" and not recurring.

(iv) Preference will be given to applications for specific projects rather than "general running costs" of organisations or projects with on-going revenue implications. Any applications for the latter must state how the on-going costs will be met.

(v) Only in exceptional circumstances will grants be made in respect of applications from the following:-

· District or Parish Councils (precepting bodies)


· Government Institutions (e.g. NHS)


· Schools (exceptions might include special schools)


· Overseas and out of County organisations which have no direct Hampshire involvement


· Branches or organisations assisted centrally with a sum from the County Council (e.g. Citizens Advice Bureaux, Scout and Guiding Organisations)


· Bodies requesting funds for onward distribution to charities e.g. mayoral appeals, carnivals, fetes, etc.

(vi) As a general rule, grants will only be awarded to churches to support accessibility issues in line with the County Council's policy regarding the Disability Discrimination Act.

(vii) Assistance will be considered for organisations based in Portsmouth or Southampton only insofar as benefits to the wider County result.

(viii) Where possible self-help within organisations should be encouraged and to this end, grants should normally be a percentage of the sum required to complete the project.

(ix) Requests may be considered from young people in Hampshire aged between 16 and 25 years undertaking trips for educational/personal development purposes. Grants will not be awarded for university students undertaking electives as part of their degree.

(x) Conditions may be attached to any grant if considered appropriate, e.g. availability of minibuses for community use when not in use by the owning organisation.

(xi) As a general rule, grants in excess of £5,000 will not be awarded.

(xii) Where financial support is sought towards a facility, which is used by others, such as a hall or minibus, details should be given of the extent of that use (in % term(s) and to what extent charges are made.

(xiii) As a general rule, grants will be held up to a maximum of three years after the award has been made.