Report of the Interim Strategic Director, Communities and Environment

The Committee received a report and presentation from The Community Foundation on the Gateshead Thrive Fund and to seek the Committee’s view on the impact of the Gateshead Thrive Fund during 2018/19, looking at how it has helped to support, develop and build capacity in the voluntary and community sector.

The Gateshead Fund was established in 2011 to support, develop and build capacity in the Borough’s voluntary and community sector and to help strengthen communities.  The outcomes of the Gateshead Fund are:

·         Increased capacity building and sustainability within the voluntary and community sector

·         Increased provision of services by the voluntary and community sector

·         Improved clarity and equity in commissioning processes

·         Simplified and proportionate application and assessment processes

·         Developing and mobilising volunteers

·         Supporting and building relationships within communities

·         Supporting residents to build their communities and improve what is already there

·         Retention and expansion of councillor community champion role

Council agreed a £300,000 budget allocation for the Fund for 2018/19 which, together with the agreed carryover of underspend and returned funds, equated to an overall available fund of £443,460 which was assigned as per the following:

            Thrive Fund Main Grant                                             £255,360

            Thrive Community Grant                                            £60,000

            Tyneside Crowd                                                          £30,000

            Local Community Fund                                              £66,000

            Talented Athlete / Sporting Individuals grants           £10,000

            Gateshead Volunteers Month Grant              £20,000

The Community Foundation for Tyne & Wear and Northumberland continued to administer the fund in accordance with its agreement with the Council, which runs until July 2020.

A copy of the annual impact review of the fund has been circulated.  This includes a breakdown of how the fund has been allocated and examples of some of the applications, and a breakdown of the Volunteers Month small grants and Sporting Grants to individuals.

Newcastle City Futures, the multi-sector partnership of which Gateshead Council is a member, contracted with SpaceHive to set up a new crowdfunding platform which has been called Tyneside Crowd.  It provides an opportunity for people and organisations in the Tyneside area to collaborate on creative and innovative projects to improve and celebrate the places where they live, work and study.  Tyneside Crowd also provides an opportunity for grant makers to place funding programmes on the platform; The Thrive Fund ring fenced up to £30,000 to support eligible projects from Gateshead with up to £2000 of project matched funding.  No projects were supported during the financial year.

The Local Community Fund allocation of £3000 per ward was agreed as aprt of the Gateshead Fund budget proposal.  The £66,000 budget is part of the overall Thrive Fund but is administered by the Council’s Neighbourhood Management and Volunteering Team separate to the main fund arrangements.  The amount available was augmented with £40,600 underspend carried forward from 2017/18.  As in previous years, the majority of activities supported were varied, small in scale and impactful, delivered by local groups within communities.  Over the year £98,500 helped support 164 projects and activities, ranging from events across the Christmas festive season, school holiday activities for children and families and equipment for community lounges and community festivals.

The Gateshead Thrive Fund continues to provide a significant financial resource supporting the viability and sustainability of a number of Gateshead’s key community groups and organisations, helping them to maintain their positive impact in the community and contribution to the delivery of the Council’s Thrive Agenda.

RESOLVED - That the information contained within the report be noted.