Purpose

To seek approval to provide a grant of £10,000 to Phenomenal Futures, a grant of £40,000 to Citizens Advice Nottingham and District, a grant of £2,500 to RCAN and a grant of £5,000 to Gedling Play Forum, to be expended by each organisation during the period April 2025 – March 2026 for the purposes as set out in this report.

Decision

THAT
The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Place
1)approves the giving of a £10,000 grant to Phenomenal Futures, a £40,000 grant to Citizens Advice Nottingham and District, a £2,500 grant to Rural Community Action Nottinghamshire (RCAN) and a £5,000 grant to Gedling Play Forum to be expended by the organisations in the financial year 2025/26.
2)authorises the Assistant Director for Communities, Leisure and Wellbeing to enter into grant agreements with Phenomenal Futures, Nottingham and District Citizens Advice, RCAN and Gedling Play Forum to secure how the grants are used and monitor expenditure and performance.

Reasons for the decision

To enable the continuation of essential welfare rights, supportive crisis and domestic violence intervention and family play services, and to enable ongoing Parish engagement, all for the wider short- and -long -term benefit of those most vulnerable and / or isolated in Gedling Borough.
To ensure that the funds are expended in accordance with the agreed aims and to enable monitoring of performance.

Alternative options considered

To enter into grant agreements and award grants of differing values or with different output levels, aims and target areas/beneficiaries.
The values and purposes of the grants have been approved at full Council based on detailed discussions and comparative benchmarking, and the outputs have been reviewed to ensure value for money and maximum benefit to Gedling residents in areas where there is statistical evidence of most need.
Not to enter into Grant Agreements with the four organisations.
This option would potentially place some of the most vulnerable residents of Gedling at risk of exclusion from essential intervention, rural engagement and community play services and a reduced quality of life.