Archived decisions

Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 6

11 March 2008

Partnership Funding to Independent Charitable Outdoor Centres - 2008/09

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Stuart Nundy ext: 5015 e-mail: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report considers applications for partnership funding for 2008/09 from the six independent charitable Outdoor Centre providers (including the Hampshire Red Cross). It recommends the distribution of a total of £133,650 in 2008/09 as follows:

Centre Amount

Avon Tyrell Outdoor Centre, Ringwood 6,300

Countryside Education Trust, Beaulieu 46,530

Privett Centre, Privett, near Petersfield 28,060

Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Centre, Bursledon 13,010

British Red Cross, (Hampshire Branch) 4,000

Gilbert White Field Study Centre, Selborne 35,750

2. Recommendations

i. That approval is given to the above partnership funding recommendations for 2008/09.

ii. That a review of this funding be undertaken in preparation for 2009/10 to meet the Decision of the Leader of the County Council of 28 January 2008.

3. Background

3.1 The six identified organisations are invited to apply for annual partnership funding to assist them with their essential running costs. The funding levels are largely historic. The support enables them to deliver outdoor education to Hampshire young people in support of the Hampshire Outdoor Service 2005/08 Strategy and in support of the Corporate Priorities, specifically relating to `Enhancing our quality of place'.

3.2 A review of Outdoor Centre provision across Hampshire County Council, undertaken by the Culture and Community Scrutiny Committee was presented to the Leader of the County Council on January 28. He accepted recommendation 3 which, in the context of the centres referred to in this report, states:

That work is undertaken with respect to the outdoor centres run by charitable trusts and currently supported by revenue grant funding. This should include an assessment of funding criteria and the fit of services and facilities provided by the independent centres with the overall provision of outdoor and field study opportunities by Hampshire County Council.

4. Legal Implications

4.1 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.

5. Financial Situation 2008/09

5.1 The base budget provision for this partnership funding in 2008/09 is £133,650.

6. Impact Assessment

6.1 Race and equality impact assessment has been considered in the assessment of these applications. No adverse impact has been identified.

7. Application details

Centre	Number of HCC young people worked with 2007/08	Type of work undertaken	Funding 2007/08 (£)	Suggested funding 2008/09 (£)	Notes
Avon Tyrell Outdoor Centre	2034 Residential	Outdoor education	6300	6300	Funding applied just to the Environmental Education Unit. The local member for Ringwood, Councillor Nigel Clarke, has been consulted
Queen Elizabeth II Activity Centre	5900 Day Use activities and Residential	Outdoor activities with Hampshire young people and adults with special needs	13010	13010	The only centre with facilities for severely disabled young people. The local member for Hamble, Councillor Keith House, has been consulted. He has commented that "by not allowing an inflation increase these are hidden cuts to bodies that rely significantly on local authority funding"
Countryside Education Trust, Beaulieu	9233 Residential and Day Use	Field studies and environmental education. Community education	46530	46530	Has a broad community education remit, extending well beyond formal education. The member for Brockenhurst, Councillor Ken Thornber, has been consulted
Gilbert White Study Centre	2575 Day Use	Field studies and environmental education	35750	35750	Part of Gilbert White House Museum. The member for Alton Rural, Councillor Mark Kemp-Gee, has been consulted.
Privett Centre	965 Residential and Day Use	Residential and life skills for children with special needs and disabilities	28060	28060	Pays rent to HCC of £9,000. R&H is now `landlord'. The member for Petersfield Hangers, Councillor Michael Cartwright, has been consulted
Red Cross - Hampshire Branch	11000	Training in First Aid skills for young people	4000	4000	Works with most HCC secondary schools, youth groups, PRUs and voluntary bodies working with young people. The trust operates county wide. There is no available comment from a local member.

8. Conclusion

8.1 These grants have remained in place since they moved to Recreation and Heritage from Education in the mid 1990s and have generally remained at the same level or been increased by inflation each year. This is a situation that requires further review.

8.2 The requirement placed upon the Department by the Decision of the Leader of the County Council will provide an impetus to review thoroughly this situation in time for the financial year 2009/10.

8.3 It is proposed that funding for 2008/09 should be maintained at 2007/08 levels pending the review.


LINK(S) TO CORPORATE STRATEGY
	Yes	No
Hampshire safer and more secure for all	_
Maximising well-being	_
Enhancing our quality of place	_

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

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

Grant applications. Sport, Community & Outdoor Services

Mottisfont Court, Winchester

This content is archived