Issue - meetings

Council is asked to consider the recommendation of the Community Wellbeing & Housing Committee to agree the Community Grants for 2025/26.

Council resolved to:

1.    Approve the recipients of the 2025/26 Community Grants,

2.    Approve the indicative grant funding for the five core funded organisations for 2026/27,

3.    Note the other support that Spelthorne Borough Council provides to the voluntary/charity sector,

4.    Note the proposal that any underspend from the Council Grants and Better Neighbourhood Grants budges will be carried forward to the next financial year; and

5.    Note the potential changes to the Discretionary Rate Relief Policy.

To consider the Annual Grant Awards 2025/2026 and make a recommendation to Council.

*Councillors Attewell, Doran and Dunn did not participate in the debate or vote on this item due to being members on the Grants Panel. 

The Community Development Manager, Lisa Stonehouse, presented the Annual Grant Awards report for 2025/2026. The report aimed to make a decision and recommendation to the Council regarding the allocation of community grants as proposed by the Grants Panel. The baseline grant funding budget for 2025/2026 was £231,200, with an additional carry forward of £1585.85 from the financial year 2024/25, making a provisional budget of £232,785. As demand for funding far outstripped the available budget, out of the 37 organisations that submitted applications, the Grants panel recommended either partial or full funding to 19 organisations (allocation total being £232,715).

The Committee suggested that it would be beneficial for Councillors to donate their remaining Better Neighbourhood Grant Funding to those organisations who were partially funded, or missed out on grant funding. The Community Development Manager agreed to compile and distribute a list of those organisations who did not receive expected funding to be sent to all Councillors.

The Committee further queried the grants application process and how this was advertised. The Community Development Manager confirmed that the application process opened on 3 September 2024 and closed on 2 October 2024. The link to the application form and further information on the eligibility criteria was available on the Council website and the Voluntary Support North Surrey website. The process was also promoted heavily on various social media platforms and previous applicants were notified directly by email.

The Committee expressed thanks to members of the Grants Panel for their hard work in deciding suitable funding recommendations and to officers for their assistance in the process.

Committee resolved to:

1.    Make a recommendation to Council to approve the recommendations of the Grants Panel regarding the proposed recipients of the 2025/2026 community grants.

2.    Approve the recommendations of the Grants Panel regarding indicative grant funding for the 5 core funded organisations for 2026/2027.

3.    Note the other support that Spelthorne Borough Council provides to the voluntary/charity sector.

4.    Note the proposal that any underspend from the Council Grants and Better Neighbourhood Grants budget will be carried forward to the next financial year.

     5. Note the potential changes to the Discretionary Rate Relief Policy