South Revenue Grant Scheme – 2022-2024
Officer evaluation report
Ref no. |
Organisation |
Project Name |
Amount requested |
Amount adjusted to |
Reason for adjustment |
Suggested score |
SRev22-24/ 11 |
Oxfordshire South & Vale Citizens Advice Bureau |
Overall running costs for the advice service: advisor training, manager and supervisor salaries, IT running costs and advice centre rent and service charges. |
£238,444 |
N/a |
N/a |
40 |
SRev22-24/ 24 |
Riverside Counselling Service |
Community Well-Being in South Oxfordshire and Income diversification. |
£131,710 |
N/a |
N/a |
38 |
SRev22-24/ 40 |
The Thomley Hall Centre Limited |
Core funding for Thomley’s activities and services for South Oxfordshire residents and funding to enable Thomley to further diversify its activities, fundraising channels and income generation programmes. |
£70,000 |
N/a |
N/a |
38 |
SRev22-24/ 18 |
Didcot Train Inspiring Young People |
Support for the safe & positive development of the Young People of Didcot and its immediate surroundings for the benefit of themselves, their families, our community, residents and society. |
£74,876 |
£74,868 |
Funding request over 33.33% operating costs |
36 |
SRev22-24/ 19 |
Oxfordshire Association for the Blind (OAB) |
Community Engagement Project. |
£80,207 |
N/a |
N/a |
36 |
SRev22-24/ 37 |
Community First Oxfordshire |
Community development actions and training with SODC communities on climate action and community infrastructure activities. |
£42,000 |
N/a |
N/a |
36 |
SRev22-24/ 16 |
South Oxfordshire Food and Education Alliance |
Nourish & Flourish. |
£250,000 |
N/a |
N/a |
35 |
SRev22-24/ 13 |
NOMAD Youth and Community Project |
Core costs towards staff salaries and rent including dedicated hours to fundraising and diversifying income streams. |
£50,000 |
N/a |
N/a |
34 |
SRev22-24/ 17 |
My Life My Choice |
MLMC in South Oxfordshire. |
£31,548 |
N/a |
N/a |
34 |
SRev22-24/ 15 |
Style Acre |
Ways to Wellness: Inspire. |
£44,250 |
N/a |
N/a |
33 |
SRev22-24/ 21 |
The Maple Tree |
Contribution to staff costs to enable us to continue to support children and young families in our community through running high quality play and learning sessions, workshops, outreach activities and one to one support for individual families. |
£25,760 |
N/a |
N/a |
33 |
SRev22-24/ 50 |
The Abingdon Bridge |
The South Oxfordshire (SO) Counselling and Wellbeing Hub - Counselling and Mental health support for 13–25-year-olds living in South Oxfordshire. |
£120,000 |
N/a |
N/a |
33 |
SRev22-24/ 39 |
Earth Trust |
Delivery, management, and diversification of our volunteer network; engaging hundreds of residents in and around their communities to access and take part in activities. |
£90,624 |
£82,371 |
Adjusted to reflect yr 1 and yr 2 funding ask |
32 |
SRev22-24/ 28 |
The Berin Centre |
Core costs. |
£51,006 |
£44,892 |
Funding request over 33.33% operating costs |
31 |
SRev22-24/ 46 |
Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire |
Home-Visiting and Family Support Services throughout the South Oxfordshire District Council Area. |
£63,798 |
N/a |
N/a |
30 |
SRev22-24/ 52 |
Wild Oxfordshire |
Community Ecology Project. |
£30,000 |
N/a |
N/a |
29 |
SRev22-24/ 45 |
Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire |
Hospice at Home in South Oxfordshire. |
£110,000 |
N/a |
N/a |
28 |
SRev22-24/ 22 |
Chiltern Centre Ltd |
Salary funding. |
£50,220 |
N/a |
N/a |
27 |
SRev22-24/ 47 |
Be Free Young Carers |
Brighter Future for Young Carers. |
£37,516 |
N/a |
N/a |
27 |
SRev22-24/ 12 |
Millstream Day Centre |
Benson Millstream Centre Development Plan. |
£25,000 |
N/a |
N/a |
26 |
SRev22-24/ 14 |
Oxfordshire Play Association |
Wheatley Junior Youth Club, Didcot / Vauxhall Barracks Playday, Wallingford / RAF Benson Playday, Berinsfield Playday, Wheatley Playday. |
£44,000 |
N/a |
N/a |
25 |
SRev22-24/ 20 |
Berinsfield Information and Volunteer Centre |
Berinsfield Information and Volunteer Centre will continue to provide services to Berinsfield and surrounding area and react to any new issues that arise. |
£34,440 |
£21,648 |
Funding request over 33.33% operating costs |
25 |
SRev22-24/ 49 |
River Thame Conservation Trust |
Getting to the bottom of the problem with the Thame: A collaboration between researchers and citizen scientists to understand pollution in the catchment rivers and tributaries. |
£125,000 |
£76,224 |
Costs pro rata to reflect service delivery wider than South Oxfordshire |
21 |
SRev22-24/ 32 |
Makespace Oxford |
Increasing inclusive employment in South Oxfordshire (MiO). |
£92,000 |
N/a |
N/a |
20 |
SRev22-24/ 33 |
The Chinnor Village Centre |
Create a centre of excellence; re-establishing and growing day care attendance capacity and room Hire fill-rate. |
£125,000 |
£25,768 |
Funding request over 33.33% operating costs |
19 |
SRev22-24/ 51 |
Thame Players Theatre Company |
Increasing skills capability via training and technical recruitment and increasing marketing to develop additional audiences. |
£36,000 |
N/a |
N/a |
19 |
SCORING MATRIX
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PRIORITY LEVEL |
AWARDS (all awards are subject to sufficient budget) |
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High priority 40 to 43 points |
Award full amount requested - (capped at 33.33 per cent of total organisational cost). We would expect applications to perform strongly across all eight of the scoring categories, as detailed below. |
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Medium priority 22 to 39 points |
Will only receive funding if there is budget left after all the high priority projects are awarded. The percentage of funding awarded will be dependent on remaining funds. |
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Low priority -1 to 21 points |
Will NOT receive funding |
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Financial Review
0 - 1 points |
2 - 3 points |
4 - 5 points |
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A balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
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(0) Unfortunately, no plan has been submitted.
(1) A limited plan which doesn’t cover the required three-year period and there doesn’t appear to be the detail on how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. |
(2) A realistic three-year plan that includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. Whilst some over reliance on certain income streams and small gaps in funding, this is unlikely to impact service delivery. (3) As above however Clear movement towards a more sustainable and balanced funding base, with a realistic plan to reduce budget deficits. |
(4) A detailed three-year plan demonstrating a diverse range of secured income streams; includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams.
(5) As above and There is a healthy balance of both restricted and unrestricted funds.
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Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
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(0) Each financial year appears to show significant gaps in balancing the budget and / or unfortunately, no reserves policy has been submitted.
(1) 2018/19, 2019/2020 show balanced budgets. 2020/21 budget negatively affected by COVID 19 or other factors, with evidence of significant reduction in services/activities. Officers note a concerning depletion of reserves over the three years. |
(2) 2018/19, 2019/2020 balanced budgets 2020/2021 budget negatively affected by COVID 19 or other factors, leading to an overall reduction in services. The reserves policy, some depletion over the last three years with little explanation but officers can see it is still within reserves parameters
(3) As above however Officers note only a marginal reduction in services/activities with a clear explanation for depletion of reserves.
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(4) 2018/19 - 2019/2020 balanced budgets, 2020/2021 budget affected by COVID 19 or other factors, overall increase in services/activities. Has a reserves policy, no depletion of reserves over the last 3 years.
(5) 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 balanced budgets showing both an increase in services/activities and income and officers note some growth in reserves.
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Deductions |
Officers can remove one point if the organisation’s finances suggest they could contribute towards the service/activity costs but are not. Even if an application scores enough points, the community grants panel can recommend not funding it if they: have serious concerns around the management of the organisation now or in the future; believe the applicant has sufficient unrestricted reserves to fund the service themselves; have serious concerns about the appropriateness of the service or its financial viability, such as if the organisation has not demonstrated having a sound fundraising plan with contingencies should any of their grant applications (to the council and others) be unsuccessful or award less than requested. |
The Service(s) / Activities
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0 - 1 points |
2 - 3 points |
4 - 5 points |
Community need and consultation
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(0) There does not appear to be community need, most likely due to insufficient evidence/information submitted
(1) Officers get a limited sense of community need, likely due to limited evidence/information supplied and / or limited consultation has taken place with existing users.
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(2) Some indication of community need with consultation limited to existing service users only.
(3) as above however
Officers can see evidence of regular consultation with service users.
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(4) Strong and clear indication of community need, consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders.
(5) as above and
Substantial consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders, including priority groups if the service/activities impact them.
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Direct community benefit and inclusion This is not an exhaustive or definitive list yet within the scope of this scoring matrix ‘vulnerable’ / priority groups can include, the elderly, isolated young families, homeless, economically disadvantaged, educationally disadvantaged, migrant groups, individuals with disabilities, and those with impairments.
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(0) The service/ activities appears to offer little or no direct benefit to the community.
(1) Up to 50 residents, which does not appear to include vulnerable/ priority groups.
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(2) More than 51 and up to 500 residents and it is clear this includes some vulnerable/ priority groups.
(3) As above and Providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
or (3) points if a service/activity is directly supporting up to 50 vulnerable residents and / or priority groups
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(4) More than 501 residents and includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ residents.
(5) As above and Providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
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District reach
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(0) Appears to be minimal district reach (focused on town or village organisations located in) across the district.
(1) Limited reach (up to two wards) across the district. |
(2 – 3) Good geographical reach (up to 10 wards) across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
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(4) Very good geographical reach, (up to 15 wards), across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
(5) Full district-wide reach with clear evidence submitted to support statement of reach. |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
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(0) It is unclear as to how the targets have been arrived at.
(1) Targets are high and officers feel could be unrealistic.
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(2) Targets are mostly internally focussed, with some research/benchmark data to support, which includes some measurable outcomes for residents. (3) As above however Targets are specific and achievable with measurable outcomes for residents. |
(4) Targets ambitious whilst still feel achievable. Outcomes for residents are specific and measurable. (5) As above and An increase in the percentage potential client base benefiting, in 2023/2024.
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Add |
Add an additional one point if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation |
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Add |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded, in addition to the above score banding, for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities. |
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Deductions |
The community grants panel can recommend not funding a service / activity if they have serious concerns about the appropriateness of the service. |
Corporate Plan Priorities and Equality Objectives
The application will be marked against the equality objectives and one of the Corporate Plan priorities, depending on which Corporate Plan priority the applicant selected in the application.
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0 - 1 points |
2 – 3 points |
4 – 5 points |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
To protect and restore our natural world “We will champion the opportunity to restore our natural world in both biodiverse and bio-depleted areas through nature recovery networks and other means. We will connect urban communities to their local green spaces and restore nature to urban environments.”
This theme focuses on delivering positive outcomes for the community and our natural world. |
(0) Unfortunately limited evidence of consultation or partnership working, difficult for officers to assess and unclear of links to county or national priorities for restoring nature.
(1) Very small geographical remit, village or individual site, service/activities are short-term in focus.
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(2) Evidence of a long-term substantive commitment to restoring the natural word through the organisation’s governance and / or strategic plan.
(3) Evidence of aiming to restore nature over a wide area, Parish wide, collaborative working with relevant NGO’s and partners where others are contributing to success. |
(4) Evidence of large-scale restoration of the natural world - District wide, clearly evidence how they are contributing to County or national targets for restoring the natural world.
(5) Evidence of long-term commitments to the restoration of the natural world and that will have a lasting legacy. |
Action on the climate emergency
“We will help our communities to plan a fair transition to a future that will be defined by climate change.”
This theme focuses on supporting communities to take action on the climate emergency. |
(0) Appears to be offering a limited contribution to addressing Climate Emergency.
(1) Initial research carried out into possible actions that address the Climate Emergency.
Examples include: research into improving the energy efficiency of building; research into promotion of waste minimisation.
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(2) One-off event or activity planned that contributes to Climate Emergency
Examples include: commission an energy audit of premise(s); staff training on climate literacy; signpost to active travel options.
(3) One event, activity or service that contributes to the Climate Emergency implemented per year.
Examples as above but annual.
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(4) One Climate Emergency related event, activities or services as part of routine work of the organisation per year.
Examples include: marketing and campaigns on active travel; set up car sharing scheme; use of local suppliers/plant-based foods for events and activities; commission a service to implement waste minimisation framework.
(5) More than one Climate Emergency related event, activity or service per year are part of routine work of the organisation.
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Improved economic and community well – being
“We will help our community groups to strengthen cohesion, reduce social isolation and tackle areas of deprivation”.
This theme focuses on positive outcomes for the wellbeing of the community as a result of the project activities. |
(0) Unfortunately limited evidence provided on community wellbeing or limited evidence provided to support proposed economic activities/growth, difficult for officers to assess.
(1) Some evidence of community wellbeing examples include using active travel and outdoor activities that benefit physical and mental well-being or some evidence provided showing a need for the proposed economic activity such as surveys showing support for the proposed activities.
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(2) The organisation can demonstrate the well-being benefits physically and mentally in their activities, including use of outdoor space and promotion of active travel or a business plan supporting the proposed economic activity with details of costs and potential income.
(3) As above and The organisation works towards combating loneliness and isolation or has supplied market research to support the business plan.
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(4) The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents. For example, training is offered to support mental wellbeing, or the organisation has supplied a detailed business plan with supporting market research clearly showing how potential income from the economic activity will help support the organisations financial situation going forward.
(5) As above however Training is mandatory to support mental wellbeing, the organisation can show how the economic activity will create employment opportunities in the organisation.
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How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
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(0) There doesn’t appear to be an equality policy/statement in place, or other evidence that services are designed to meet the needs of all users.
(1) An equality policy or statement in place.
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(2) Evidence of implementation of policy/statement through provision of the services via multiple channels.
(3) as above and Evidence of increasing awareness of the service provision, to those in need through a variety of channels.
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(4) Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users (e.g. including priority group/ vulnerable people, at the heart of the improving service design and delivery.
(5) as above and Evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/ or improving areas of deprivation and/or encouraging community cohesion.
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Deductions |
The community grants panel can recommend not funding a service / activity if they believe the service and/or organisation doesn’t meet the criteria or help deliver the council’s Corporate Plan objectives and /or equality objectives. |
NOMAD Youth and Community Project
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Ref |
SRev22-24/ 13 |
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Project name Core costs towards staff salaries and rent including dedicated hours to fundraising and diversifying income streams.
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What the organisation does and how it supports residents Nomad supports children/young people and their parents/carers, particularly those who are marginalized and disadvantaged through economic and/or complex social issues and living in Henley and the surrounding area, including Nettlebed, Stoke Row, Bix, Shiplake, Woodcote and Sonning Common. |
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Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund 1. We
operate under the following 4 elements in order to achieve our
aims:
2. After School & Holiday Programme includes, targeted weekly detached youth work sessions, football project, targeted youth groups, peer group activities, trips out and residentials.
3. Parenting Support – includes, 1:1 and group parenting support/advice programmes, practical support re benefits, budgeting, housing issues and ‘Family Focus’ sessions provides to support for individual parents and their teenager addressing issues of anger, communication, and relationships.
4. Community Activities – includes support for 16+ cohort in or at risk of NEET helping with the transition from school into further education or employment. Foodbank, annual community fun events on local parks and beach trip.
Income diversification and fundraising - increase fundraising events in the following years, host an annual basis fundraising dinner, this proved to be a success, and we are planning on holding this on an annual basis, continuing to raise our profile and encourage the local community to support us financially, develop our presence on social media through Facebook and seek to engage further with key people and businesses in the community through the use of LinkedIn, a dedicated fundraiser who is responsible for grant applications and diversifying our income streams.
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District reach Henley-on-Thames, Sonning Common, Woodcote and Rotherfield
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Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
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2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
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Amount requested for service/activities costs
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£25,000 |
£25,000 |
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2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
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Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£8,083 |
£8,487 |
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Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£50,000 (fundraising and income diversification cost not included) |
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Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£181,599 |
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Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
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£60,526 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No
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Previous funding awarded: 5-year Revenue Grant (2017 – 2022) total award £95,000 Community Safety Partnership annual grant - up to £10,000 Various Councillor Grants, most recent (2021/2022) £1,958 Volunteering Grant (2018/2019) £474 |
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Scoring |
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Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base? A realistic three-year plan that includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. Whilst some over reliance on certain income streams, clear movement towards a more sustainable and balanced funding base, with a realistic plan to reduce budget deficits. |
Score |
3/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 balanced budgets showing both an increase in services/activities and income.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, substantial consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders, including priority groups if the service/activities impact them. |
Score |
5/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion.
More than 501 residents benefit from this service and includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ residents, providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
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Score |
5/5 |
District reach
Good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
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Score |
2/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are targets are specific and achievable with some measurable outcomes for residents.
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Score |
3/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
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Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Strong evidence provided including testimonals from partners.
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Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents.
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Score |
4/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users (e.g. including priority group/ vulnerable people) at the heart of the improving service design and delivery, evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/ or improving areas of deprivation and/or encouraging community cohesion.
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Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officers note the applicant has not included the fundraising and income diversification cost in the total grant amount requested.
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Total score |
34/43 |
Applicant responses |
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Community Need and Consultation
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Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
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NOMAD has been operating in Henley for 25 years
and we know from our own knowledge base and evidenced from the
number of annual interventions we make, that there is a need for
our services. We have developed a strong track record of working
with statutory services, local schools, the Town Council, local
police and other local charities who all make referrals to us
underlining the need for our work.
Our ability to serve the community in this unique and tailored way was demonstrated during the national lockdowns. Nomad saw a 175% increase in demand for food parcels during this period and with the support of the local community were able to respond to this demand. Due to the local and national lockdowns many of our services were paused so our workers were asked to concentrate their work on the foodbank to ensure that we were able to support as many families as possible. As we were delivering parcels we were able to have doorstep conversations with many vulnerable families who were known to us and continue to support them at a distance. We also created a series of lockdown challenges which were designed to be enjoyed as a whole family and created a more positive atmosphere within the home. These were developed as a response to the loneliness and isolation that many of the young people and families experienced during lockdown. These included flapjack making, pancake designing,chubby bunny challenge and many more. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
As part of our management system we have an
advisory board which meets quarterly with us. The board is made up
of a cross section of the community including but not limited to,
former service users, representatives from the local town council,
head teachers from local schools, local business people and
representatives from the local police force. The advisory board
plays an important role in shaping what we do and are an essential
part of developing our strategies going forward. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
We have strong relationships with other local
organisations including but not limited to John Hodges Charitable
Trust, Henley Citizens Advice Bureau, Henley YMCA, Henley
Educational Trust, Henley Churches Together, Community groups and
statutory agencies working with families in Henley and the
surrounding villages. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
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How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
600 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
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NOMAD support a variety of families and young
people from Henley and the surrounding villages. The majority of
these people are disadvantaged by economic circumstances and or
complex social needs. Many of our service users are also
disadvantaged by our location on the edge of the county which makes
it difficult to access services. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
By working with young people and families holistically we are able to reduce the reliance upon statutory services such as Child Social Care. We support the families during Child in Need and Child Protection cases to help them meet their goals and ultimately step down from the need for Social Care involvement. This frees up the social workers who have limited time and resources to work with other families in need. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
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What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
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We are looking to increase the amount we raise
via fundraising and income generating activities (i.e. more paid
schools work). By employing a dedicated worker to facilitate
this we believe that we will increase this year on year. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
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Although Henley is known as wealthy town there
are still pockets of deprivation and many people are disadvantaged
by reason of economic need and or complex social needs. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
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All Nomad workers are expected to act in accordance with the NOMAD Equalities and Diversity Policy and their willingness to do so will be a part of the selection criteria. |
Financial Sustainability
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If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
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NOMAD has a strong track record in seeking and
applying for funding and have met our targets over the last three
years consistently. There is a funding strategy in place which
enables the completion and submission of regular grant
applications, and supports and develops other funding initiatives.
By having a dedicated fundraiser who is responsible for researching
and processing applications and all of the activities described
above, we also have a local business man who volunteers his time to
help us. With these combined, we are confident that we will meet
our targets. The role of the fundraiser is also to build links and
raise the profile of NOMAD in the local in the community which will
in turn increase our funding pool. |
Oxfordshire South & Vale Citizens Advice Bureau
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Ref |
SRev22-24/ 11 |
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Project name Overall running costs for the advice service: advisor training, manager and supervisor salaries, IT running costs and advice centre rent and service charges.
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What the organisation does and how it supports residents We are a local charity and member of the national Citizens Advice network. Our service is free and confidential.
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Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund; -full advice service across the whole district for 5 days a week from the 3 main advice centres: Didcot, Henley and Thame and from outreach projects in RAF Benson and Wallingford.
- continue to work with key organisations in the district so we can provide a better service to clients.
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District reach District-wide reach
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Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
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2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
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Amount requested for service/activities costs
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£119,222 |
£119,222 |
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2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
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Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£13,539 |
£13,539 |
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Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£238,444 |
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Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£632,750 |
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Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts |
£210,895 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
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Previous funding awarded: 5-year Revenue Grant Award (2017-2022) £756,432 South Capital Grant Award (2018/2019) £3,158 Various Councillor Grant Awards, most recent 2019/2020, £3,606 South Emergency Assistance Grant Award (2020) £4,084
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Scoring |
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Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A realistic three-year plan that includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams..
|
Score |
3/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021) 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021
Balanced budgets showing both an increase in services/activities and income, and officers note a growth in unrestricted reserves.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders and Substantial consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders, including priority groups if the service/activities impact them.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 501 residents benefit from the service which includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ residents. Providing services that compliment council services indirectly, will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
5/5 |
District reach
Full district-wide reach with clear evidence submitted to support statement of reach.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets ambitious but still feel achievable. Outcomes for residents are specific and measurable, and an increase in the percentage potential client base benefiting in 2023/2024.
|
Score |
5/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded, for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Strong evidence provided including testimonals from partners.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents and training is mandatory to support mental wellbeing. |
Score |
5/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented with service users. Evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users, whilst delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS N/a |
Total score |
40/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
The need for our service is demonstrated
by: |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
Local people - our clients, they complete a
feedback form after their advice session, and a sample is consulted
several weeks after advice and invited to make free text comments
and recommendations. We always refer to client feedback when
planning our services. We aim to target those communities where
need is greatest and when circumstances allow, involve them in
shaping our service, starting with a series of focus groups. County Council –through links with local
county councillors, contact with social care officers and our close
work with the other three Oxfordshire local Citizens Advice
organisations in the county.
Local charities and community organisations. We have regular contact with a number of local organisations (such as Foodbanks) whose views help shape our service. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
We have a strong and long term relationship with
many local organisations in South Oxfordshire. In about 10% of
cases, we refer people to more specialist providers with whom we
are in contact (Age UK, for example, for advice on care homes or
attendance allowance). |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
4500 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Although we are here for everyone and this is a
key principle of the service, Citizens Advice supports people from
predominantly low income households. Compared to the district
average, the data in our client and community profile shows that
our clients are significantly |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
We are able to help about 80% of clients resolve
their problems 'completely, mostly or partly'. We help 90% to 'find
a way forward'. Survey evidence shows that four in every five
clients who come to us feeling depressed, stressed or anxious
report that their mental and physical health has improved in the
period following our advice. We think this is an important and
under-reported aspect of our work. Our ability to help resolve a
high proportion of people's problems means they are less likely to
need support from the council (and other public agencies), though
sometimes - such as in preventing homelessness - we often need to
engage with the council's housing needs team as part of the process
of supporting the client and finding more sustainable
solution to their problems. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
- We will serve 4,000-5,000 South Oxfordshire
residents each year. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
Helping people to help themselves by resolving
problems with money management, debt, employment, housing and
family relationships that limit their independence and ability to
play an active role in the community. Success will be
measured by % of clients who report that we have helped them
resolve their problems. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
1. Our projects, policies, strategies, services and communication take account of all users. 2.. We aim to increase understanding of the communities we serve, through consultation and engagement. 3. We work towards delivering better outcomes for disadvantaged groups, & encourage community cohesion. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
(a) increase our fundraising by
re-starting our major donors scheme, developing a community crowd
funding / micro funding scheme and applying to the Lottery and
major trusts and foundations. As already noted, we are increasing
the size of our fundraising team to help us do this. |
Millstream Day Centre
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 12 |
|
|
Project name Benson Millstream Centre Development Plan
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Benson Millstream Centre is a volunteer led charity called Millstream Day Centre and provides relief to elderly and disabled people and in particular those living in and around Benson, Ewelme, Berrick Salome, Roke and Preston Crowmarsh by providing day care services and such other services as the trustees may decide from time to time.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund Over the next two years the centre hopes to extend and refurbish its facilities and general running costs to provide services for the elderly.
|
|
|||
District reach Benson and Crowmarsh, Berinsfield and Wallingford
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£15,000 |
£10,000 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification (included in the above figure) |
£9,200 |
£6,310 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested by the applicant over the two years |
£25,000 (fundraising and income diversification cost not included) |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£43,170 (in financial accounts) although applicant stated £69,829 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
|
£14,389 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: Various Councillor Grant Awards, most recent (2021/2022) £1,000 Emergency Assistance Grant Award (2020/2021) £4,400 Capital Grant Award (2017/2018) £17,950
|
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A realistic three-year plan, no evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
Whilst a very small deficit in 2019/2020 it is a balanced budget overall, officers note there is an increase in services/activities.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 51 and up to 500 residents benefit from the service and it is clear this includes some vulnerable/ priority groups and providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are specific and achievable with some measurable outcomes for residents.
|
Score |
3/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awardedfor evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Good evidence provided including testimonal from partner.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation works towards combating loneliness and isolation.
|
Score |
3/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of increasing awareness of the service provision, lacks clarity on implementing consultation feedback.
|
Score |
3/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officers note some of the project costs are not eligible and this will be reflected in any subsequent award offer, terms and conditions or legal agreement, ensuring the applicant is clear on the conditions of the award.
Officers note the applicant has not included the fundraising and income diversification cost in the total grant amount requested.
Officers note whilst the applicant is delivering services which complement the statutory services that are the public sector’s responsibility for delivering, there is no indication that the organisation is providing a service on behalf of a statutory body. Equally, the applicant is not one of the Oxfordshire County Council Community Support Centres.
|
Total score |
26/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
The Centre has 40 vulnerable adults who attend
regular sessions at the Centre and a further 6 who are supported by
the @Home service. On a daily basis we support 25% more customers
than we did before "lockdown". |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
The Centre's Development Plan was produced in
May 2018, it was produced following consultation with customers,
staff, local Councillors, Evergreens Group, local GP's and Age UK.
Although now three years old,the direction of travel is largely the
same with the exception of the @Home service which emerged from the
lockdown support operation. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
Regular contact with Age UK which results in
referrals. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
500 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Customers of the Centre |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
Generally the Trustees objective is helping
customers live independently, ensuring they are well nourished.
Trustees were horrified, when researching the Development Plan, to
learn that a third of older people are malnourished when they enter
hospital.
|
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
A financially stable operation, less reliant on
individual volunteers. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
Impact on local economy - the Centre enables
family members who are carers for our customers to work (often from
home) whilst the Centre is in operation. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
Work of our two consultative groups external "Liaison Committee" and internal "Listening Group" ensure that Centre Management is aware of needs of both customers and the local community. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
The Centre has had some success in the last few
years in attracting grants. It is very difficult to know how to
budget for grants in such a competitive environment, but that is an
area which will need focus in order to achieve, and exceed, figures
shown in our three year plan. |
Oxfordshire Play Association
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 14 |
|
|
Project name Wheatley Junior Youth Club, Didcot / Vauxhall Barracks Playday, Wallingford / RAF Benson Playday, Berinsfield Playday, Wheatley Playday.
|
|
|||
What
the organisation does and how it supports residents
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund Wheatley Junior Youth Club, Didcot / Vauxhall
Barracks Play and Activity Day, Wallingford / RAF Benson Play and
Activity Day, Berinsfield Play and Activity Day,Wheatley Play and
Activity Day.
|
|
|||
District reach Benson and Crowmarsh, Berinsfield, Didcot West, Didcot South, Didcot North East, Wheatley.
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£19,340 |
£21,000 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£2,660 |
£1,000 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£44,000 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021
|
£67,847 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
|
£22,613 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: Various Councillor Grant Awards, most recent (2021-2022) £3,000 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A detailed three-year plan demonstrating a diverse range of secured income streams; includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising, and for diversifying income streams. The funding forecast suggests a reliance on grant funding but no gaps have been identified.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/19 and 2019/2020 show balanced budgets, however the 2020/2021 budget has been negatively affected by COVID19, leading to an overall reduction in services. Whilst there appears to be some depletion of their reserves due to the pandemic, with little explanation in the application, officers can see it is still within the organisation’s reserves parameters.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need; consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 501 residents benefit from the service and includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ residents.
|
Score |
4/5 |
District reach
Good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Outcomes in the target monitoring form are based on delivering the playdays and youth club, rather than the outcomes they will help to achieve. There is no fundraising target (other than to ensure the events happen).
|
Score |
2/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Extensive evidence provided including testimonal from partner organisation.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate the well-being benefits physically and mentally in their activities, including use of outdoor space and works towards combating loneliness and isolation.
|
Score |
3/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
An equality policy or statement in place, the applicant gives some evidence to affirm that the organisation follows the key equality objectives by offering free entrance and free activities for all with no restrictions on access.
|
Score |
1/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Whilst we do not ask Oxfordshire wide organisations to pro rata annual operational costs across the five Oxfordshire districts; the panel may wish to take this into consideration when approving the amount to award.
|
Total score |
25/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
After consulting with our community partners and
Wheatley Parish Council we have identified that there is currently
no provision for an Open Access, Junior Youth Club offered in
Wheatley.
There are no other organisations delivering large scale Community Play Day events which offer both FREE entrance and FREE activities which ensure an inclusion for ALL. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
For Wheatley Junior Youth Club we have identified possible locations after consulting with our local partners; Merry Bells, United Reformed Church, Rugby Club, New Club, Wheatley Park School or the Maple Tree Centre.Should funding be confirmed we will immediately undertake a consultation with the children & young people via the local schools to finalise / confirm project details including location, timings and the type of activities to be offered.
|
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
For Wheatley Junior Youth Club we will work in
close partnership with Wheatley Parish Council and also the early
years network in Southern Oxon which includes staff from SODC in
both the delivery and planning of this project. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
4250 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Our main target group for these projects will be
children, young people and their families. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
Our projects will look to encourage the
following 'Life Skills' / 'Life Choices' which will see less
pressure on services in the future, on an 'Invest to Save'
basis; All of our projects will offer and promote
positive activities and behaviours to children & young people
and increase their social interaction with others (this will be
particularly relevant to Year six children as they prepare to make
the transition to secondary school, and the older children as they
transition to life as a teenager). We will also promote healthy lifestyles, increased levels of physical activity and promote healthy weight management which will all contribute to improved levels of physical and mental wellbeing for the children & young people in attendance. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Wheatley Junior Youth Club - Delivery of a 2
hour Junior Youth Club for 48 weeks of the year over 2 years. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
All of our Playday projects are delivered using
local outdoor spaces which the vast majority of local residents can
access on foot. Key themes running through each event will include
the promotion and provision of improved physical activity,
promotion and provision of positive activities and behaviours,
promotion of healthier lifestyles (including diet) and encouraging
community building. Our project has been running for 12 years now
and each year we have more requests for project delivery / events
than we can deliver. Local communities see the project as an
excellent way to build stronger communities whilst promoting both
physical and mental wellbeing. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
ALL of our projects and events offer both FREE
entrance and FREE activities to ensure an Inclusion for all. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
The shortfall will be raised from other sources such as Oxfordshire County Council / Councillor Priority Fund, Town and Parish Councils, Housing Associations, Armed Forces Funding and other Grants and Trusts. |
Style Acre
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 15 |
|
Project name Ways to Wellness : Inspire
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Style Acre empowers 270 adults with learning disabilities and autism to live life to the full through;
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund
|
|||
District reach District-wide
|
|
||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing |
|
||
|
|||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£19,250 |
£20,000 |
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£4,000 |
£1,000 |
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£44,250 |
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/202 |
£8,949,522 |
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
|
£2,982.875 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
Previous funding awarded: 5-year Revenue Grant Award (2017 – 2022) £76,000 |
|||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A detailed three-year plan demonstrating a diverse range of secured income streams; includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. It is unclear what is restricted and unrestricted funds.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 balanced budgets, officers note an increase in services/activities with a clear explanation for depletion of reserves.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 51 and up to 500 residents benefit from the service and it is clear this includes some vulnerable/ priority groups, providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Whilst district wide reach no clear evidence submitted to support statement of reach.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are specific and achievable with outcomes for residents.
|
Score |
3/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Strong evidence provied provided including testimonals from partners.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents, improves community wellbeing and training is mandatory to support mental wellbeing.
|
Score |
5/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented with service users and evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users, delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/ or improving areas of deprivation and/or encouraging community cohesion.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
N/a
|
Total score |
33/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
The beneficiaries of the project we are seeking funding for are adults with learning disabilities and autism who have been particularly vulnerable during the pandemic, and who often need support to improve their physical health and mental wellbeing and to access wellbeing opportunities. The pandemic has meant many people we support are feeling anxious and less motivated than they normally would be. Longer term effects on the mental and physical wellbeing of the people we support were starting to become apparent. We have been doing everything we can to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on both the physical and mental wellbeing of the people we support, including developing our Ways to Wellness Programme which encourages people to work towards goals to improve their mental health and activity levels. We expanded our Ways to Wellness programme in 2021 thanks to a grant from Oxfordshire County Council Public Health so that adults with learning disabilities and autism can access extra support, activities and advice to improve their mental wellbeing. Our support teams identified the need for wellbeing activities through their daily observations and interactions with people we support and the positive results from earlier projects.
Style Acre has been supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism in Oxfordshire since 1995. We are rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission. Our Ways to Wellness programme is best suited to meeting the health and wellbeing needs of adults with learning disabilities as we can demonstrate a successful track record of developing partnership projects that result in successful, accessible well-being opportunities for people we support, volunteers and employees. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
People we support have shaped the development of the programme through the Ways to Wellness Stars group. As Stars, people gave their views as to what the programme should offer, what the projects monthly activity packs should contain and the design of the wellbeing journals that were produced and which have been distributed across the charity. Our Stars acted as advocates for our wellbeing projects, featuring their participation on social media and telling their peers what they were doing and how it was helping them, to encourage others to join in. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
We have worked in partnership to develop several Ways to Wellness activities to date, partners include Blewbury Tennis Club with whom we have established a weekly accessible tennis session and Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust with whom we have delivered wildlife workshops and Falcon Canoe Club with whom we have just delivered a taster canoeing session. We recognise the value of working with other organisations and have established some productive partnerships through our Ways to Wellness project. As well as continuing our work with Active Oxfordshire and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, we aim to work with other local learning disability providers to promote and open up our sessions to a wider audience. We anticipate that the majority of the wellbeing activities we create will involve joint working. There is also potential for us to share resources such as our activity packs with other organisations such as schools and care homes. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year?
|
350 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
The main beneficiaries of the activities will be adults with learning disabilities and autism, social care employees and volunteers. We currently support 270 adults with learning disabilities and autism across Oxfordshire and over half live in South Oxfordshire. Our person-centred support ranges from 24-hour care for those with complex learning, health and /or physical disabilities to a few hours support per week for those who live more independently. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
By promoting and delivering mental and physical wellbeing activities for adults with learning disabilities and autism, our project complements the work of the District Council's Active Communities team by providing safe, supported opportunities for people to get active. Similarly, our work complements the Move Together initiative which provides personalised support for vulnerable adults to get active. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
The outcomes include that people will report increased wellbeing, we will know if we have achieved this through our regular feedback surveys and through requesting feedback about specific activities. This outcome is based on 90% of the 350 people who benefit reporting increased wellbeing.
|
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
The Ways to Wellness project has been expanded and structured to combat the negative effects of the pandemic on people's wellbeing. It is focussed on promoting wellbeing for adults with learning disabilities who are a community that need additional support to access services. People tell us that our support makes them feel happier, less isolated and more involved in their community. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
This project will directly contribute to the equality objectives to 'support communities to deliver better outcomes for disadvantaged groups and encourage community cohesion'. The primary aim of these wellbeing activities is to deliver better outcomes for adults with learning disabilities and autism and to increase people's involvement in their community. Adults with learning disabilities and autism often need support to access the opportunities that most of us take for granted. Our Ways to Wellness projects will create accessible opportunities based in the community that are designed to lead to healthier, happier lives for vulnerable adults. We will know that we have been successful through feedback forms and case studies from specific activities and from our annual feedback surveys which reports back on things like how people feel our support is helping them to feel more independent, to learn skills and to be involved in their local community. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
We will fundraise to cover the shortfall in funding. We will primarily approach charitable trusts, local groups and individual donors to request support for Ways to Wellness: Inspire. We are fortunate to have a small number of regular trust and individual donors who may agree to support this project, if they do this could meet the majority of the shortfall. The project has been met with great positivity and appreciation from employees, people we support and their families, so an online fundraising appeal is another option to meet any shortfall. |
South Oxfordshire Food and Education Alliance (SOFEA)
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 16 |
|
|
Project name Nourish & Flourish
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents SOFEA is an innovative education and training charity with a strong track record in enabling disadvantaged young people to (re)engage with learning, skills development and work. Each week SOFEA provides 0.7 tonnes of food to 8 CFMs and 2.9 tonnes through 3 Community Larders.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund Using the convening power of food, the Nourish & Flourish programme provides practical skills development, education and information for children, parents and staff about nutrition, cooking skills and lifestyle, helping to reduce the rates of obesity and the financial, social and emotional costs of Type-2 diabetes and other long-term diseases. Bringing together social prescribing and the value of community cooking, the programme will engage parents through the Community Larders, providing advice and guidance for preparing nutritious meals and improving the health and wellbeing of their children and themselves Nourish & Flourish is a health and wellbeing programme that helps pupils and parents to:
1.Improve knowledge of healthy food groups and
diets. |
|
|||
District reach To launch in Didcot and then progress into Berinsfield, Henley-on-Thames, Thame and Wallingford.
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£100,936 |
£86,042 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£24,064 |
£38,958 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£250,000 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£1,070,256 evidenced in accounts (although applicant stated £2,088,594) |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
|
£365,716 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: 5-year Revenue Grant Award (2017 – 2022) £105,000 Containing Outbreak
Management Fund Grant Award (2021) £15,000 DEFRA Grant (2020) £4,850 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
Whilst an ambitious and detailed three-year plan with no gaps in funding predicted, currently a significant portion of annual income is unsecured and it is not clear how income is divided between restricted and unrestricted.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/19 - 2019/2020 balanced budgets, 2020/2021 budget affected by COVID 19 or other factors, overall a significant increase in services/activities. It has a reserves policy, the organisation has required further use of reserves, and a clear explanation has been provided.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 501 residents benefit from the service and includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ resident and providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
5/5 |
District reach
Good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are specific and ambitious with measurable outcomes for residents and an increase in the percentage potential client base benefiting from this new initiative.
|
Score |
5/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Extensive evidence provided including testimonals from partners.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents. Alongside, improving physical health and mental wellbeing.
|
Score |
4/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users and evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/ or improving areas of deprivation and/or encouraging community cohesion.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officers note, should the panel wish to, consideration could be given the funding the first tranche of the scheme in the Didcot area only.
Officers note the applicant has applied to the SODC Capital grant scheme 2021-2022 ‘Refurbishing of commercial kitchen’ Project which will support the Nourish and Flourish project by offering on onsite facility for a cookery school in addition to outreach in community venues.
|
Total score |
35/43 |
Applicant responses |
||
Community Need and Consultation
|
||
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
Nourish & Flourish meets Oxfordshire’s
Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2018-23): |
|
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
Having designed and delivered a number of food
programmes for children, individual adults and families from
vulnerable and disadvantaged communities (“holiday
hunger”, Covid emergency provisions, Community Larders), we
have regular conversations with those receiving food and
“wrap around” services, as well as our partners
throughout the supply system. These help us to evaluate the
effectiveness and value of each programme and identify where we can
improve the services. |
|
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
In addition to our strategic partnership with
FareShare UK and our programme partnership with Didcot Primary Care
Network, Good Food Oxfordshire and Alex Mackay we will look to
collaborate with the 52 primary schools across South Oxfordshire
and the 1,574 Year-5 pupils as well as local community groups
across South Oxfordshire in areas where health inequality is
evident. |
|
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
||
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
2888 |
|
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
We estimate 2,888 beneficiaries as detailed
below: |
|
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
Nourish & Flourish will engage local
children, adults and families, helping to improve their health and
wellbeing through a series of shared experiences and life-long
learning. By helping people to help themselves, the programme will
reduce demands on local statutory health and wellbeing
services. |
|
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
||
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Programme outcomes
Expected benefits including: |
|
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
Allied to SOFEA’s mission statement, the Nourish & Flourish programme addresses key health and wellbeing concerns facing of vulnerable groups, many of whom we support through the Community Larders and our education and employability programmes, as well as through our partnerships with other VCS organisations. |
|
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
Every new service that we introduce is created
in conjunction with the individuals and communities that will
benefit from the service. We appreciate that service users only
fully engage when they feel “invested”, either through
consultation about the service or as a result of their physical
involvement in the delivery of the service (often as a volunteer or
peer support worker). |
|
Financial Sustainability
|
||
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
We anticipate that any shortfall will be met
through other grant funding secured through local and national
trusts and foundations. SOFEA’s ongoing fundraising
activities includes strategic multi-year applications to the
National Lottery Community Fund, Magnox (the Nuclear
Decommissioning Authority’s socio-economic fund) and Youth
Futures Foundation. Having been supported by 62 donors last year,
we are developing campaigns to build on their previous commitment
and engage them with our future plans.
|
|
My Life My Choice (MLMC)
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 17 |
|
|
Project name MLMC in South Oxfordshire
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents We are an independent, multi-award winning user-led charity (including the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2017) with all 15 of our trustees having a learning disability. As well as promoting choice, empowerment and participation, we provide volunteering, training, social and paid work opportunities that combat loneliness & isolation and lead to more fulfilling lives.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund · A contribution towards our overall running costs. · To develop and implement a legacy fundraising scheme. Our South Oxfordshire membership is steadily growing and becoming more and more engaged. We want to continue this trend and a grant from SODC will be of significant help towards this.
|
|
|||
District reach Chalgrove, Chinnor, Didcot West, Didcot South, Didcot North East, Goring, Henley-on-Thames, Sonning Common, Thame, Wallingford, Wheatley.
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£13,774 |
£14,274 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£2,000 |
£1,500 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£31,548 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£322,496 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
|
£107,487 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No
|
|
|
Previous funding awarded: 5-year Revenue Grant Award (2017 – 2022) £21,176
|
|
||
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A realistic three-year plan that includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. Some over reliance on certain income streams. Doesn't appear to be a plan to reduce budget deficits. |
Score |
2/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
Whilst a deficit in 2018/2019 a balanced budget overall, increase in services/activities and officers note some growth in balance carried forward.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need and substantial consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders, including priority groups if the service/activities impact them.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 51 and up to 500 residents will benefit from the service and it is clear this includes some vulnerable/ priority groups, providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Very good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are specific and achievable with measurable outcomes for residents.
|
Score |
3/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Strong evidence provided including testimonals from partners.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents. Alongside improving health and physical wellbeing, with some beneficiaries accessing volunteer and paid work through the charity.
|
Score |
5/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users and evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/or encouraging community cohesion.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
N/a |
Total score |
34/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
Through our membership base, inclusive model of
working, extensive networks, and 23 years of organisational
experience MLMC is well placed to understand the needs of people
with a learning disabilty locally. MLMC serves on many focus
groups, consultations and forums e.g Thames Valley Police Advisory
Group, the local NHS's Integrated Care System (ICS), and
Oxfordshire County Council, which helps to inform our plans and
activities. At the core of how we identify need is our ongoing
engagement (through self-advocacy groups, daily contact, surveys
etc.) with our membership base and then by having the ultimate
decision making body (the trustees) being of, and being annually
elected by, the membership. Above all, we believe that our services/activities are the right ones for our membership because they are choosen by the membership themselves. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
Lived experience informs our work and is
embedded both within the organisation’s governance and
operations. Every MLMC project has beneficiaries leading the way,
supported by staff. The Board of 15 Trustees (all of whom have a
learning disability) make the key decisions for the charity and are
annually elected by the 600+ strong charity membership whom they
represent. Four lead trustees meet weekly with the Charity
Coordinator to ensure regular and direct control over charity
direction and HR. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
MLMC has a considerable record of collaboration
and partnership working. Presently we work with organisations such
as NHS England, Care Quality Commission, Learning Disability
England, Mencap (who have commissioned £25K of consultancy
supprt from us), National Development Team for Inclusion, British
Association of Social Workers, Universities (local and national),
and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
81 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
People with a learning disability will be the
direct and main beneficiaries of our services. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
The range of activities and support that MLMC
offers helps to reduce loneliness and isolation, builds skills and
confidence, educates, empowers individuals, and gives purpose. It
is often challenging to establish a direct link but this work
undoubtedly helps to reduce demand on such provision as day
services, mental & physical health services, police time, and
formal advocacy services commissioned by the local authority (e.g.
Citizens Advice Bureau), for example. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation |
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Outcomes for our members from South Oxfordshire
will be as follows: |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
By supporting our members to have a 'voice' we
contribute towards broader engagement and increased public
participation. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
"Our projects, policies, strategies, services
and communication take account of all users": |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs? |
The shortfall would be covered by income from the charities general income and, if need be, from reserves. |
Didcot Train Inspiring Young People |
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 18 |
|
|
Project name Support for the safe and positive development of the Young People of Didcot and its immediate surroundings for the benefit of themselves, their families, our community residents and society.
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Didcot TRAIN inspiring young people provides Didcot and the immediate surrrounding’s young people (YP) with support with addressing the multiple challenges they face, which in post pandemic era is increasingly focused upon mental health and resilience, building self-esteem, providing opportunities to gainfully and positively use their time constructively, avoid being drawn into dangerous and risky undertaking's and helping them to recognise and access the full range of choices they have for how they lead their lives.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund We will continue to provide a broad spread of
in person and digital services and activities.
|
|
|||
District reach Didcot South, Didcot West, Didcot North East
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£31,800 |
£31,505 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification
|
£5,700 |
£5,871 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£74,876 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£112,314 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
|
£37,434 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? Yes, adjusted to less than 33.33% of operating costs. Adjusted to £74,868 - total grant amount over the two-year period |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: 5-year Revenue Grant Award (2017–2022) £92,396 Councillor Grant Award (2020/2021) £750 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
Overall a balanced detailed three-year plan demonstrating a diverse range of secured income streams; includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 balanced budgets, officers note some growth in reserves.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, substantial consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders, including priority groups if the service/activities impact them.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 51 and up to 500 residents will benefit from this service and it is clear this includes some vulnerable/ priority groups, providing services that compliment council services, or indirectly, will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets ambitious whilst still feel achievable. Outcomes for residents are specific and measurable, officer notes an increase in the percentage potential client base benefiting, in 2023/2024.
|
Score |
5/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/a - No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Strong evidence provided including testimonals from partners.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents and training is mandatory to support mental wellbeing.
|
Score |
5/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users and evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/ or improving areas of deprivation and/or encouraging community cohesion.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
N/a |
Total score |
36/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
We have a proven track record of contributing to
the reduction of crime and the fear of crime in the community of
Didcot. Our close working relationship with the Police and local
agencies, and long experience working in and for Didcot, means
TRAIN is extremely well-placed to target the kinds of ASB that
particularly concern the local community. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
Our Chairman is a Trustee of Didcot Community
Partnership and a co-opted Board representative of Didcot First and
so regularly engages with other key community stakeholders and
keeps proactively engaged in the affairs of the community. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
Our working relationship with The Abingdon
Bridge is going from strength to strength thanks largely to their
excellent CEO and their open desire to work together. We have
successfully co-designed and delivered the Mental Health and
Wellbeing pilot programme called ‘‘Art in
Mind’’ in St Birinus Secondary School. It consisted of
six weeks of workshops with year eight & nine students. Its aim
is to support young people and their understanding of
self-management and awareness of their mental health and
wellbeing. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
500 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
The different groups of people in our community who benefit from the service/activities we provide include:
-Vulnerable young persons and those persons or organisations not particularly or obviously recognised as vulnerable. -Beneficiaries are such as those exposed to D&A pushing, misuse/abuse, isolated single parents, economically disadvantaged families, brothers and sisters of those we directly support who will be influenced by sibling behaviour, members of the community who will benefit from community projects, educationally disadvantaged such as those expelled from mainstream educational activities and those close to being excluded. -Those who cannot for whatever reason fit into traditional mainstream school disciplines, young people who practice truancy and are then at risk of being criminally exploited. -Those who are displaying boredom because they have nothing meaningful to do, would typically hang around town and cause anti-social nuisance and worse. -Secondary and Primary Schools through our range of activities from 1:1 Mentoring to Group Mentoring to Art Therapy programmes or Head Start programmes for those being prepared to move up to Secondary Schools. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
Our services complement council services as we
provide many activities which can be categorized as proactive and
"early intervention". Historically prior to 2015, services would
have been provided by the council, and since that time period we
have advanced, enhanced and expanded those young people services
that we provide |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
All indications are that the pandemic has had a major impact on our young people and the key area that has been affected is Mental Health.
We are also committed to reducing the ASB incidents as part of our membership in the new Thames Valley Police Violence Reduction Hub and to becoming a key player in that Hub. Issues are being discussed holistically across the wider area and we are focusing on the needs of specific young people, seeking to predict and intercept problems before they happen, sharing best practices, and collaborating; all for the benefit of the young peoples needs by proactive avoidance. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
We will help our young people in the community
to strengthen cohesion, reduce social isolation and tackle areas of
deprivation by the work we do in relation to Mental Health. We will
deliver increases in self esteem, reduced incidents of ASB and
improved well being as a direct result of the project
activities. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
All of our services are free which makes them highly inclusive and accessible with the single exception of our Youth Club/Hangout which is 50p entry fee. Our work is focussed on young people who are vulnerable. We are totally inclusive and practise equality on every level. The only sessions which are not open access, are those where there is a programme selection criteria. In terms of minority we have a BAME group and we have a regular number of young people who identify as LBGTQ+. We also have young men’s and young women’s groups as well to allow certain topics to be raised which could be done in a safe and confidential environment without members of the other sex present. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
We track successful bids against our budget and re-forecast as necessary depending upon the overall success of fundraising against budget and examination of other predicted costs and income. If the underperformance is thought to be significant, we look to increase targeted funding applications. As a last resort we would make operational changes, as illustrated at the start of the pandemic when we furloughed one youth worker and deferred the replacement of our Youth Worker Delivery Manager. |
Oxfordshire Association for the Blind (OAB)
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 19 |
|
|
Project name Community Engagement Project
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Oxfordshire Association for the Blind (OAB) was established in 1877 to provide support and services for blind and partially sighted people living in the county. Our services include: information and advice, equipment demonstration and loan, technology training, counselling, befriending (telephone and in person), social groups and sports, children's activities, awareness raising and campaigning.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund Our services and support for blind and visually impaired people include: information and advice, equipment demonstration, technology training, counselling, befriending, social groups and sporting activities.
The service would include: Creating dedicated information days at local libraries and community centres across the district, once a month.
Setting up and supporting social gatherings in local coffee shops and community centres, providing peer-to-peer support.
Visiting clients within their home, for those who cannot attend a local information day.
Setting up befriending partnerships locally with the support of the volunteer coordinator.
Providing Visual Impairment Awareness Training to local community groups and organisations.
Working with other organisations to ensure joined up support is provided.
To ensure we can sustain this project after
the two-year funding period we would recruit a
Community Fundraiser to work specifically in the
district to maximise income. |
|
|||
District reach District-wide
|
|
|
||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|
||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£26,571 |
£26,799 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£13,235 |
£13,602 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£80,207 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£223,783 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
|
£74,587 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: 5-Year Revenue Grant Award (2017 – 2022) £27,500
|
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A detailed three-year plan demonstrating a diverse range of secured income streams; includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
Each financial year appears to show significant gaps in balancing the budget, officers note some growth in reserves, no indication that services either reduced or increased.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 501 residents benefit from this service and includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ residents, providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
5/5 |
District reach
Whilst full district-wide reach, however, no clear evidence submitted to support statement of reach.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets ambitious whilst still feel achievable. Outcomes for residents are specific and measurable. Officer notes a potential increase in client base in 2023/2024.
|
Score |
5/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Good evidence provided including testimonals from partners.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents, training is mandatory to support mental wellbeing.
|
Score |
5/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users e.g. including priority group/ vulnerable people, at the heart of the improving service design and delivery. Evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/ or improving areas of deprivation and/or encouraging community cohesion.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Whilst we do not ask Oxfordshire wide organisations to pro rata annual operational costs across the five Oxfordshire districts, the panel may wish to take this into consideration when approving the amount to award.
|
Total score |
36/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
According to RNIB data toolkit 2021 there are
23,400 people in Oxfordshire living with sight loss. Approximately
5,380 of these people are living within South Oxfordshire; this
equates to 4% of the general population. In South Oxfordshire we
currently have 555 visually impaired clients and 106 carers/family
members on our database. We regularly support around 50% of these
people each year (this data is taken from our CRM, Charitylog).
Although some of our services can be provided over the telephone,
we still need to provide face-to-face support when demonstrating
equipment, setting up tech, and to ensure we are providing a
personal, local service.
Oxfordshire Association for the Blind (OAB) have been providing services in the county since 1877, originally this was a home teaching service, so we have a long history in the county providing local community-based support. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
In January 2021, we conducted a stakeholder
survey consulting our clients, volunteers, staff, professionals and
supporters. It showed us that 40% of our clients were aware of our
equipment demonstration service and only 29% were aware of our
technology training service. We believe this is because these
services are predominantly provided at our centre and not in the
wider community. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
We currently collaborate with the following
organisations: |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
1076 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Our project is for anyone with a visual impairment living in South Oxfordshire. Visual Impairment is defined as an inability to see well even with glasses or contact lenses. This can range from mild to severe visual impairment. The latest RNIB figures suggest there are 5,380 people in South Oxfordshire living with some form of visual impairment, from mild to severe. We would estimate with a more local presence we would be able to provide services to one fifth of these people. Many of those aged over 75 will also be living with other disabilities and conditions. Visual impairment can affect anyone, regardless of gender, race, sexuality or background. We aim to create a fully inclusive service that is open to all. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
We work very closely with the County Council Visual Impairment Team. Providing a joined-up approach that ensures visually impaired people receive a good service. This can include working together to find the best solution for clients, joint team training and events. For instance, the statutory service does not provide equipment demonstration or technology assistance, or befriending, they look more at mobility and safety within the home. None of our services are duplicated by the local authority.
|
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Service outcomes: |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
Our focus is to improve economic and community
wellbeing.
|
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
OAB is committed to ensuring everyone can access our services. We recognise that disability is a protected characteristic under the equality act and we work hard to fight for equality for visually impaired people. We also recognise that visual impairment can affect anyone and means we will have a diverse client base. We want to ensure our services reflect the diversity of the community around us. In order to know if we have been successful we endeavour to continue building on the feedback we receive from our clients and service users. Our survey in January 2021 has shaped much of the development of our work this year, and will continue to do so. Lived experience is also at the heart of everything we do. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs? |
N/A |
Berinsfield Information and Volunteer Centre |
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 20 |
|
|
Project name Berinsfield Information and Volunteer Centre will continue to provide services to Berinsfield and surrounding area aneact to any new issues that arise.
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Berinsfield Information and Volunteer Centre offers help and advice to residents in Berinsfield and surrounding areas.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund To continue to deliver current support/advice services.
|
|
|||
District reach Benson and Crowmarsh, Berinsfield, Chalgrove, Didcot South, Wallingford.
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing |
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs |
£16,000 |
£16,800 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£800 |
£840 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£34,440 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£32,474 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
|
£10,824 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? Yes, adjusted to less than 33.33% of operating costs.
Adjusted to £21,648 - total grant amount over the two-year period |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: 5-Year Revenue Grant Award (2017 – 2022) £67,452.
|
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
Whilst a realistic three-year plan, it does not include evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams, with no narrative on how the allocated money will be spent and a year-on-year increasing deficit.
|
Score |
1/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/19, 2019/2020 show deficit budgets, but 2020/21 shows an uplift in grants received, some depletion over the last three years with an explanation provided.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Community need and consultation
Some indication of community need with evidence of regular consultation with service users.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 501 residents benefit from the service and includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ residents and providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
5/5 |
District reach
Good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets mainly focused around tracking number of people helped for different services rather than direct outcomes as a result of those services, and no fundraising or internal capacity building targets. Targets do include an increase in the number of potential clients benefiting.
|
Score |
3/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Evidence provided, testimonials provided do not provide information around collaboration or co-production.
|
Score |
1/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation works towards combating loneliness and isolation, with some evidence of improving community wellbeing through organised events and ensuring residents are aware of activities in the village via distribution of village voice magazine.
|
Score |
3/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Equality policy in place and implemented. Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users
|
Score |
4/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
N/a
|
Total score |
25/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
We work in an area which has pockets of
deprivation. Clients with a range of issues, contact us in person,
on the phone or via social media. We work closely with doctors,
housing associations and other services on Berinsfield to identify
the problems our clients face. We work with clients face to face or
on the phone. BIVC identifies new issues by liaising with
other Berinsfield services, outside agencies, word of mouth or via
our feedback sheets.
We are the only advice centre on the village and surrounding rural areas. Our clients find it difficult to access other services in Wallingford and Oxford, as they have no means of transport and no money for the bus services. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
We consult our clients on a face-to-face basis or ask them to complete a satisfaction survey. We work closely with the Berin Centre to identify specific needs and develop a strategy to help our clients. BIVC also works with the doctors, school, church and Parish Council and SODC to address issues such as during the pandemic. SODC uses us to coordinate services such as the voucher scheme, and we provide food and other items to the Aspire homes. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
BIVC works with Berin Centre, Health Centre, Cchurch, School, Youth Club, Wallingford Food Bank, Riverside Counselling, Sainsburys (who provide food for our emergency larder), Parish Council (who replace our emergency gas and electric reserve when used) and other services on the village when required. Our aim is to ensure our clients have a service they can rely on when they get into difficulties with housing, benefits or anything they may need. BIVC and the Berin Centre have developed a leaflet showing the services we both offer. We work with SODC when required, as evidenced during the pandemic and the new voucher scheme. BIVC also manages events on the Village such as the fete to help with isolation and provide a means of inclusion for everyone. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
3000 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
The elderly and isolated people; people within the deprived percentile; one-parent families; low income families; the homeless; ethnic minorities and people with language difficulties, or literacy problems, those with mental or physical disabilities, ex-prisoners and the general population. We offer an inclusive service to all ethnicities, sexual orientation or people who are in difficulty. We do not turn anyone away.
BIVC works with the elderly to help with any problems they may have with understanding forms, online help, arranging appointments, providing a means of inclusion by means of coffee mornings and other events, and generally being a resource when they are in need.
We work closely with SOHA to help with possible homelessness, arrange payment plans and act as a mediator. Some of our clients are illiterate and we read their correspondence and explain when they do not understand.
We work with the Wallingford Food Bank to supply food when required to economically disadvantaged families, and provide emergency supplies from our own stocks when the food bank is closed, our stocks are kindly donated to us from Sainsburys Didcot, and local Churches.
BIVC works with the recently bereaved to help with any paperwork involved or any other issue. We help our clients with Universal Credit problems and as some of them do not have access to a computer we help them to access their work log etc. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
A great many of our clients have difficulty in understanding the forms and requirements necessary when interacting with SODC. BIVC works with them to resolve any issues that may arise due their misunderstanding of what is required. We help them to collate the necessary documents which are needed and if necessary speak to SODC on the phone or face to face on their behalf. BIVC acts as a distribution point for SODC activities such as voucher schemes and the Household Support Fund. During the pandemic, BIVC was part of the SODC COVID-19 Community Hub. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
We aim to be able to provide and improve the service we currently give to our clients and deal with any new issues that may arise, particularly as a result of the Pandemic. Should plans to develop housing on the Village come about, we anticipate that the demand for our services will increase. We will monitor our achievements by use of our database which will provide statistics; we will continue liaising with other services to ensure that any new issues are covered and we will consult our clients by use of feedback forms and face to face discussion. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
We work with other bodies and organisations
within our community to provide cohesion and positive development
to play our part in the decision making for the District by
identifying the needs of the local community to put investment into
the right areas. We collaborate with SOHA to identify the housing
needs of single young people in this area. We use electronically collected statistics on
every client that we have, anecdotal evidence, client surveys,
statements from local services to determine residents' needs. We
also work with other organisations to assess needs and to plan
services that we provide. We anticipate becoming involved with the
Berinsfield Garden Village Scheme in order to contribute to its
development. We can offer leaflet distribution via the Village Voice magazine. Also we make use of social media by uploading information on our BIVC Facebook Page and the Village Spotted Page.
|
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
We have an equality policy which ensures non-discrimination due to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sexual orientation. Our statistics provide evidence that we are completely inclusive and no-one is turned away. Many of our clients come from vulnerable/priority groups and we encourage community cohesion by means of coffee mornings, the Village fete and other activities that occur throughout the year.
|
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
We intend to cover the shortfall by seeking other grants and continuing with our fundraising activities. We intend to run a musical event, Village fete as well as other activities including a BIVC bingo which is very popular. |
The Maple Tree
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 21 |
|
|
Project name Contribution to staff costs to enable us to continue to support children and young families in our community through running high quality play and learning sessions, workshops, outreach activities and one to one support for individual families.
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents The Maple Tree is a community charity providing play-based early learning activities for the under 5s and their parents and carers. We aim to give every local child and family the best start in life and we run sessions for babies and young children with their parents, parenting workshops and courses such as First Aid, one to one advice and support, whole family learning activities and Health Visitor clinics. We currently run sessions every weekday from premises in Wheatley, a weekly outreach session in Forest Hill, and a monthly family fun session on Saturdays. We also offer an online programme of songs, stories and activities for people who may find it challenging to attend in person.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund The funding will enable us to continue to promote early learning through a range of play-based activities and parent support, both at our premises in Wheatley and at other nearby villages.
The funding will contribute to staff salaries to support income generation and promotion of the centre to strengthen our income streams. The funding will enable us to provide administrative support for our fundraising and to promote fundraising events in our village and in the wider community.
We would also like to make a short video to promote the Centre to a wider audience, with a tour of the centre and testimonies from families, to encourage new supporters to the ‘Friends of The Maple Tree’ scheme. This will also be used to inform potential funders.
|
|
|||
District reach Benson and Crowmarsh, Berinsfield, Chalgrove, Chinnor, Forest Hill and Holton, Garsington and Horspath, Henley-on-Thames, Sandford and The Wittenhams, Thame, Wallingford, Wheatley
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community well being
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£10,000 |
£10,000 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£2,850 |
£2,910 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£25,760 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£59,265 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts |
£19,753 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No
|
|
|
Previous funding awarded: Remobilisation Grant Award (2021) £3,975 Various Councillor Grant Awards, most recent (2020/2021) £1,000 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A detailed three-year plan demonstrating a diverse range of secured income streams; includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 balanced budgets, 2020/2021 increase in income, due to Covid-19 a reduction in services in 2020/2021.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 501 residents benefit from the service and includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ residents.
|
Score |
4/5 |
District reach
Very good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are mostly internally focussed which includes some measurable outcomes for residents.
|
Score |
2/5 |
An additional one pointcan be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Good evidence provided.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation works towards combating loneliness and isolation.
|
Score |
4/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users (e.g. including priority group/ vulnerable people (at the heart of the improving service design and delivery). Evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/ or improving areas of deprivation and/or encouraging community cohesion.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officers note whilst the applicant is delivering services which complement the statutory services that are the public sector’s responsibility for delivering, there is no indication that the organisation is providing a service on behalf of a statutory body. Equally, the applicant is not one of the Oxfordshire County Council children and family centres. |
Total score |
33/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
There is a huge amount of publicly available research showing that providing children with an early start to physical, cognitive and emotional development by supporting them and their families during their formative years is vital for their future growth and development. Our area is served well with good primary and secondary schools and attracts a large number of families with babies and pre-school children. We sometimes use external reports to identify need. Our reach area also includes small, rural villages which are in the top 20% nationally for geographical isolation (Loneliness and isolation report, OCF, 2021) and in which families are often isolated by lack of public transport and opportunities to meet other parents. The area that we serve contains two of the LSOAs among the most disadvantaged in South Oxfordshire (Oxfordshire Insight IMD), Haseley Brook and Forest Hill with Holton. Both have areas with a high proportion of families who are income deprived and have difficulty accessing services. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
We routinely ask for and receive feedback from the families who use the Centre and our staff compile evaluation forms for the sessions they run, based on the numbers of families attending and comments they make during the sessions. As well as informal discussions, we also periodically conduct more formal surveys. Recently, we conducted surveys about how we might improve our outdoor space and whether families would attend sessions on a Saturday, and these have influenced the plans we are making. For example, as a result, we now run a Family Fun session once a month on a Saturday, with specific themes, such as "space" and "community helpers" and these are very popular every month.
We have also just set up a parent liaison group, consisting of a group of staff, trustees and parents who regularly attend the Centre. The parent liaison group will meet quarterly to discuss and share ideas. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
One of our trustees has set up and leads a networking group with representatives from other early years settings in our village, including two nurseries and a primary school. The aim is to identify ways of working together to support local families and children as they transition from to nursery and school. We work with our local Health Visitors, who provide a weekly clinic on our premises, where parents can have their babies weighed and ask for support or advice on parenting matters and babies' development. We have a connection with the NHS Social Prescribers who are based in our GP surgery.
Our Centre manager attends regular meetings with representatives from other children's centres in Oxfordshire. We exchange feedback and suggestions about best practice and how we can improve. During the Covid-19 lockdowns we partnered with two other local centres to run an online zoom group for new parents of babies born during lockdown, who had not had normal access to vital statutory services. We offered advice and an opportunity for the families to begin to build social networks. The group drew families from across Oxfordshire. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
501 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Our main beneficiaries are families with
children under 5 in Wheatley and surrounding villages. Although we
deliver our services mainly from premises in the wards of Wheatley
and Forest Hill & Holton, we run one off sessions in other
areas and we also serve residents from other wards, who are able to
travel to our premises, and also through our online services.
We are open to all families with children in the 0-5 age group and
their parents and carers, and also offer activities for older
siblings during school holidays. We are able to provide
individual support for children with educational and developmental
needs who attend our open access sessions. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
We are providing a service that SODC does not provide itself at the moment. However, the work that we do complements the council services in the ways that we contribute to the Corporate Plan, as set out in this application by improving quality of life for residents and strengthening the wellbeing of the community. We are very mindful of the council's initiatives regarding tackling climate change and our responsibility to protect the environment is one of the objectives on our strategic plan. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
The funding will contribute towards staff
salaries, to enable our staff to continue to run high quality,
focussed play and learning experiences for young families.
This will help young parents feel supported and able to support
their children's learning and developmental needs as they grow,
whilst also making connections, contributing significantly to
confidence, resilience and mental health and wellbeing.
Participating in our sessions will help babies and young children
to be better equipped to manage in daily life and to be ready for
nursery and school. Being able to attend a group locally will help
parents in rural locations to meet other parents, make friends and
build support networks and help them feel part of their community.
All the above will act as a preventative safety net, intervening
early and reducing the risks to children's safety, health and
wellbeing. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
We support the health and wellbeing of families
through our general programme and also through one to one and group
support and offering opportunities for online and face to face
consultations, information sharing, guidance and the mutual support
of parents and carers. We believe that the Centre provides an
invaluable service to the whole community, giving children a
foundation for future physical and emotional development at the
earliest possible age, by supporting them and their families during
their first, formative year, when families can be vulnerable.
|
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
Our sessions are open to anyone with children aged 0-5 and we make every effort to be inclusive and to encourage less confident and socially isolated families to attend. We evaluate our programme of activities on an ongoing basis, both with numbers of people regularly attending and feedback and comments from families and we use this to take account of particular needs amongst our users. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
Over the past four years since the charity was incorporated, we have developed a broad range of funding streams as the most prudent way to achieve our target income and we will continue to raise funds from all of these. |
Chiltern Centre Ltd
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 22 |
|
|
Project name Salary funding
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents The Chiltern Centre is a disability centre in Henley-on-Thames offering a range of service, including respite care to young people (aged 16 – 30) with learning disabilities (often alongside physical disabilities and/or complex medical needs) and their families across South Oxfordshire.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund To support service delivery, contribute towards the costs of a team leader salary and fund a part time community fundraiser.
|
|
|||
District reach Henley-on-Thames, Wallingford, Sonning Common
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£11,520 |
£14,787 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£11,480 |
£12,433 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£50,220 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£582,648 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts. |
£194,196 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: 5-Year Revenue Grant Award (2017 – 2022) £122,000 Councillor Grant Award (2020/2021) £400 Capital Grant Award (2018/2019) £7,967 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
Whilst a three-year plan has been submitted and includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams, it is noted that the SODC grant being applied for is not included in their financial forecast, which unfortunately leaves gaps in funding for all three years, reducing by Year 3.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
Two of the last three years have seen a financial impact due to COVID and the irregularity of voluntary income. Officers note there is a clear reserves policy,with no depletion in reserves over the last three years in spite of the difficulties faced.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Community need and consultation
There is a strong and clear indication of community need, consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
Service/activity is directly supporting up to 50 vulnerable residents and / or priority groups.
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are specific and achievable with measurable outcomes for residents.
|
Score |
3/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Strong evidence provided.
|
Score |
1/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents and improves physical and mental wellbeing amongst young people with disabilities and their families.
|
Score |
4/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users. Evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/ or improving areas of deprivation and/or encouraging community cohesion.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
N/A
|
Total score |
27/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Ned and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
Cross referencing South Oxfordshire population
(Office for National Statistcis) of 143,782 with the prevalence of
adults with learning disabilities of 3.46% and 16/30 year olds
accounting for 18.53% of the population (Statistcal data) suggests
a population of young adults with learning disabilities of 922
within South Oxfordshire. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
The Chiltern Centre works in close partnership
with all agencies responsible for health and wellbeing including
social service, education providers (e.g. Henley College and ASDAN)
and healthcare in both the statutory and voluntary sectors.
Services are planned and delivered in liaison and discussion with
them. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
The Chiltern Centre works in partnership with a
number of other charities to provide specialist services: |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
9 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
The Chiltern Centre supports young people (aged 16 – 30) and their families. All these young people have learning disabilities with associated communication and behavioural difficulties. Many have additional complex medical needs including: sensory impairments, mobility issues, epilepsy, complex feeing needs, continence and long-term health issues such as cerebral palsy. Many of the young people require at least 1:1 care, some 2:1 and some even 3:1. The physical and emotional demands of caring for a disabled child can be very challenging, often putting significant strain on family life. Our specialist short break services, helps reduce the pressures that can cause significant stress within the family and, in some cases cause family breakdown. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
The Chiltern Centre provides short break and day support to young adults with disabilities and complex health needs. Without our support they would require significant alternative support from the local authority. We often work in partnership with other providers within Oxfordshire as part of bespoke packages of care. Our provision enables the people we support to continue to live at home with their families and therefore not require alternative provision e.g. supported living. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Care provision outcomes: |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
The Chiltern Centre supports the priority of
improved economic and community wellbeing. The support offered by
the Chiltern centre focused on both the physical and mental
wellbeing of all the young people with disabilities for whom care
is provided. In addition by providing opportunities for social interaction with their peer group e.g. through Buddies youth group the Chiltern Centre combats loneliness and isolation.
The Chiltern Centre monitors the impact of care through oberservations at sessions and consutation with young people, their families and the professionals and organisations we work in partnership with. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
The Chiltern Centre has an equality policy and the ethos of the centre is built around providing opportunities where young people (aged 16 – 30) with learning disabilities (often alongside physical disabilities and/or complex medical needs) can flourish. At the heart of care is ensuring the promotion of choice and control of their lives enabling young people to be part of the wider community and encouraging personal development. Respect for everyone is at the heart of our values and our approach is inclusive to ensure everyone feels valued and empowered to reach their potential. This approach extends not only to the young people we support, but to those who work at the centre and those with whom we work in partnership with. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
Applications to alternative funding providers
will be made to ensure a shortfall is covered. |
Riverside Counselling Service |
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 24 |
|
|
Project name Community Well-Being in South Oxfordshire and Income diversification.
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Riverside supports adults and young people from the age of 12 years across South Oxfordshire who face challenges with their mental health and emotional well-being. We provide counselling on a one-to-one basis alongside a variety of therapeutic groups, workshops, community training and courses for professionals.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund Funding will support Clinical Management expenditure including the appointment of a Young Persons Clinical Lead.
Cover on-going running costs such as room hire, IT costs, office costs and administration support.
Expand mental health training to both professionals, community groups and the wider public, through the appointment of a Clinical Training Co-ordinator.
|
|
|||
District reach Benson and Crowmarsh, Berinsfield, Cholsey, Didcot West, Didcot North East, Didcot South, Haseley Brook, Henley-On-Thames, Kidmore End and Whitchurch, Sonning Common, Wallingford, Watlington, Woodcote and Rotherfield.
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£64,905 |
£66,805 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£23,000 |
£23,300 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£131,710 (fundraising and income diversification cost not included) |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£263,714 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts |
£87,895 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: 5-Year Revenue Grant Award (2017 – 2022) £78,000 |
||||
Various Councillor Grant Awards, most recent (2020/2021) £9,645 Additional Restrictions Grant Award (2020) £2,000
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A detailed three-year plan demonstrating a diverse range of secured income streams; includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 balanced budgets showing both an increase in services/activities and income and officers note some growth in reserves.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, officers can see evidence of regular consultation with service users.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 501 residents benefit from the service and includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ residents, providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
5/5 |
District reach
Very good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets ambitious whilst still feel achievable. Outcomes for residents are specific and measurable, an increase in the percentage potential client base benefiting, in 2023/2024.
|
Score |
5/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/a - No national organisation has applied. |
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Strong evidence provided including testimonials.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents, training is mandatory to support mental wellbeing.
|
Score |
5/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users (e.g. including priority group/ vulnerable people) at the heart of the improving service design and delivery, evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/ or improving areas of deprivation.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officers note the applicant has not included the fundraising and income diversification cost in the total grant amount requested.
Officers recommend including as a condition of any grant award some interaction with and partnership working with The Abingdon Bridge who are offering similar services in the same geographical area as Riverside Counselling Service.
|
Total score |
38/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
We saw our highest ever number of monthly enquires in May 2021 following the 3rd lockdown. A total of 60 people contacted the service (43 adults and 17 young people). The average number of monthly enquires pre-pandemic was 38 (28 adults and 10 young people). In the first two weeks of November the numbers show that enquiries are again reaching even higher levels. We are working with more returning clients – issues that would have been manageable have become overwhelming again.
We have seen an increase in the number of young
people who self-harm and eating issues seem more prevalent. For
many the return to school has been difficult. This is reflected by
the high numbers of enquires from young people when schools
returned after lockdown in September 2020 and again this
year. People from deprived areas are at a real disadvantage and are still struggling the most. Being in close proximity for extended periods of time in cramped conditions has affected family relationships. There has been a rise in the number of women who have suffered mental and physical abuse approaching Riverside. Many individuals are seeing exacerbations in chronic physical health conditions and the resultant impact upon mental health when usual sources of support stopped. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
As a service we involve clients to ensure the
design and delivery of our activities meet their needs. The nature
of 1:1 counselling and the guidelines of the BCAP means that there
are some limitations to this. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
We will continue to work particularly closely
with local GPs and other community-based health professionals. In
March 2020 we informed them of changes to our service delivery
during Covid and continue to liaise with them on a regular basis.
We have led on-line talks in conjunction with local GP surgeries.
We recognise there is potential to offer more talks on a wide range
of mental health issues. Riverside has provided mental health training to volunteers from the Berinsfield Information and Volunteer Centre (BIVC) and are currently supporting Turning Point in Didcot. We are currently in discussions with Greener Henley to facilitate a discussion group that focuses on eco-anxiety. We recognise the need to develop this aspect and one of the key roles of the Community Support Co-ordinator is to liaise with community groups, offer support and develop new partnerships and explore joint working opportunities. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
520 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
We are currently supporting clients from the age of 12 to 84. Most clients are female and between the ages of 25 and 44 years. Latest data shows 27% of clients are under the age of 25 (including 17% between 12-18 years).
Riverside works with people from Didcot and Berinsfield who face different challenges and needs with higher levels of socio-economic deprivation and inter-generational difficulties making them more vulnerable to mental health issues. We work with families from these areas who have experienced domestic violence, and suicide which has a huge impact on their mental health, psychological and emotional well-being. Despite these significant mental health needs there has often been a reluctance to seek support. In response we set up our Drop In Clinic in Berinsfield. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
Good mental health is a key influence on
employability. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities? |
Counselling sessions, Drop In Services, Support
Groups, |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
Riversides’ services and activities supported by this funding will help to improve community wellbeing. Our extensive monitoring through CORE Scores, surveys, client feedback and case studies will demonstrate the impact of our work. Funding will support the provision of therapy groups. Evidence shows that group therapy is clinically effective in improving mental health in many ways. Groups not only help to ease the sense of isolation but also gives the opportunity to re-engage with people and develop social skills. This grant will enable us to reach further into the community through training both professional counsellors, those working in other community organisations and the wider public. The professional training this grant will support is important for the long-term benefit of the community as it ensures therapists are delivering the highest quality support whether in an NHS, private or community organisation. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
Riverside supports adults and young people across South Oxfordshire and have an Equal Opportunities Policy that is reviewed annually by the management committee and trustees. We record age, gender, relationship status, religion, sexuality, disabilities, ethnicity and postcodes. The data is constantly reviewed and we adapt our services to meet the different needs of different groups and communities, especially in those vulnerable groups from areas such as Berinsfield. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
We will review our fundraising plan and grant funding pipeline and ensure that we have reached out and engaged with existing and previous funders across the community and from charitable trusts and foundations. We will research additional grants to support our work. It will take time to generate this additional income which will impact on service capacity. Reserves can be used to cover some of the shortfall. |
The Berin Centre
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 28 |
|
|
Project name Core costs
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents The Berin Centre offers drop-in sessions, parenting programmes, healthy cooking workshops, employment support, targeted courses such as First Aid and Food Hygiene, and provide a weekly base for the Health Visitor clinic. Riverside Counselling use the premises to deliver counselling and we’re partners in the Growing Minds school-readiness project. We also run a weekly Community Larder.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund Funding towards core costs, developing new provision and additional staff. Contribute to the costs of exploring the feasibility of establishing a Community Cafe social enterprise in Berinsfield.
We would like to hire a Community Outreach Worker to identify and connect with other groups in the community and to encourage more cohesion and inclusion of faith and cultural groups by celebrating different festivals. We’re exploring the possibility of developing provision for children aged over 5 years old as we’ve identified a gap in this area in the village.
|
|
|||
District reach Berinsfield
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£14,870 |
£20,870 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£10,633 |
£4,633 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£51,006 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£67,346 evidenced in accounts (although applicant stated £76,510) |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts |
£22,446 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? Yes, adjusted to less than 33.33% of operating costs. Adjusted to £44,892 - total grant amount over the two-year period |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: Councillor Grant Scheme Award (2021/2022) £1,000 Emergency Assistance Grant Award (2020-2021) £2,025 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
The three-year plan includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. However, no year-on-year growth is predicted, nor information for how income streams are broken down.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
Overall balanced budgets over three years (with small deficit in 2018/19), with an increase in activities during the pandemic. Officers note some increase in balance carried forward.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Community need and consultation
There is a strong and clear indication of community need and substantial consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders, including priority groups if the service/activities impact them.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 51 and up to 500 residents benefit from this service and it is clear this includes some vulnerable/ priority groups (low-income families and economically disadvantaged households).
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Limited reach across the district - Berinsfield only.
|
Score |
1/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are mostly internally focussed and mainly focused around tracking attendance for different services rather than direct outcomes. It is noted targets do include an increase in the number of potential clients benefiting.
|
Score |
3/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Good evidence provided including testimonials from partners.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents. Strengthening community cohesion wellbeing through planning and attending events and activities. Alongside hosting courses to improve mental health needs in the village
|
Score |
5/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of implementation of policy/statement through provision of the services via multiple channels. The policy is implemented, with service users at the heart of the improving service design and delivery. Evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/ or improving areas of deprivation and/or encouraging community cohesion.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
N/a
|
Total score |
31/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
Berinsfield is home to a thriving and close-knit community, but also an area of significant deprivation. Generally, income is limited within the Village, usually due to low-paying jobs as opposed to unemployment, with 26% of children living in low income households; this compares to 12% county-wide. This combines with very low levels of academic achievement, with just 50% of adults in the Village having attained one GCSE or more. Overall, Berinsfield sits in the most deprived 10% in the country. In our work with parents and early years, we see patterns of low aspiration and poverty play out over generations of families, but we also see a real willingness to engage and an incredibly strong sense of community. We draw upon local Insight data and other local and national reports such as the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. We then check the data trends against what we're seeing first hand; - we monitor the number of families referred to us by social services or health visitors, the number of families accessing our Community Larder, and of those, how many are using our discretionary membership as they can't afford the membership fee. We are regularly engaging our beneficiaries directly to find out more about their needs and circumstances, and we share anonymous information with local partners to identify local trends. We work hard to involve beneficiaries in identifying their own needs, and co-producing with us the solutions, as we believe that they are the experts in their own experience. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
- Surveys on facebook and on paper to inform
needs analysis about service gaps. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
- Working with multiple partners to secure
funding for, plan, and deliver the Active Reach physical activity
project. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
300 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Isolated young families, economically disadvantaged/low income families/children in poverty, educationally discdvantaged, ollder people, people with mental health problems, Children with SEN, geographically isolated. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
We work closely with the local food bank to help
vulnerable families to progress out of food bank reliance and into
Community Larder membership. We offer a discretionary (free)
membership for those who are unable to cover the £3.50 weekly
fee for the larder, and we use this to help members transition into
sustainable food access. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
- The relaunch of at least 2 of our
groups/activities (eg: Little Green Fingers and Themed Thursdays),
increasing our reach and impact with local families. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
Berinsfield experiences high levels of deprivation, but also sits in an area of affluence from some of the surrounding villages. This can create a difficult dynamic between villages in this rural area. We also have large numbers of older people who live alone, and families and residents without access to their own vehicle, making transport and isolation real challenges.
|
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
We have a robust Equality Policy in place and we
take our responsibilities around this area seriously. This runs
through from advertising to staff to direct delivery of our
services. We've worked hard to make sure our building is accessible
and this has enabled us to host a group for children with profound
disabilities and sensory needs, as well as a range of mobility at
our Community Larder. We're therefore passionate about helping residents to feel a sense of ownership over the organisation, and are working towards them feeling able to be active participants, rather than just recipients. We work closely with community members to understand their perceptions of our service, and are responsive to feedback and input. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
We have a proven track record of successful fundraising activities, combining a balance of grants from Trusts and Foundations and developing positive relationships with donors providing multi-year pledges. We're looking to further diversify our income, in part through a potential social enterprise as previously stated. We're currently drafting a new fundraising strategy which looks to balance further our range of income streams. |
Makespace Oxford |
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 32 |
|
|
Project name Increasing inclusive employment in South Oxfordshire MiO |
|
|
||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Makespace Oxford repurposes Oxfordshire's once empty and underused buildings. We revive and transform them into affordable, community-driven workspaces for local purpose-led organisations to thrive. |
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund · Core costs to offer business development support for social enterprises, makers and community groups starting out in new spaces. Helping with set up costs, responding to their unique needs and circumstances, and setting them up for financial independence, to include subsidised rent.
· Investment in business and peer support to foster a sense of community in their spaces, enable skill-sharing, inclusion, connection through Community and Business Development Co-ordinators. |
|
|||
District reach Cholsey, Didcot West and Didcot North East |
|
|
||
Corporate Plan priority Improving economic and community wellbeing |
|
|
||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs (2022/2023, 2023/2024)
|
£60,000 |
£30,000 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification (2022/2023, 2023/2024)
|
£1,000 |
£1,000 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£92,000 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021
|
£287,707 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021
|
£95,893 |
Has the grant amount adjusted? No
|
|
|
Previous funding awarded: n/a
|
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
Applicant has used their own template (rather than the one provided) which covers the required three-year period with balanced budgets and narrative. There is a nominal amount allocated to fundraising as a contribution to salaries for developing and managing fundraising bids. Only one income line for years two and three under 'Meanwhile In Oxfordshire rent and other income'
|
Score |
3/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
Applicants company accounts only show movement in assets rather than clear income and expenditure lines. Overall over the three years it appears that budgets are balanced. They have not yet developed a reserves policy. Applicant states they were heavily impacted by COVID-19, when their buildings closed and residents struggled to pay their rents.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Community need and consultation
Some indication of community need with some consultation. More detail needed to expand on how regular consultation would be carried out and future community engagement, there is a commitment to do this. Officers would like to see further research or data to back up the statement of need, and of the 51 organisations, how many are private businesses (if any) and not-for-profit organisations. Evidence has been provided including a number of partner organisations, showing collaboration in the development of their plans.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 51 and up to 500 residents and it is clear this includes some vulnerable/ priority groups and providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council by offering targeted business development.
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Not all submitted targets are specific and some duplication in targets, such as the number of 'purpose-led' organisations.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Add an additional one point if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded, in addition to the above score banding, for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Clear evidence provided with testimonials from partners.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation has submitted a detailed budget but no market research to support this plan.
|
Score |
2/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Clear statement of intent but evidence needed of implementation of policy/statement and further detail on how the applicant will promote and encourage access for underrepresented organisations to prioritise those who support disadvantaged communities.
|
Score |
1/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officers note concern that the organisation does not currently hold the lease for one of the properties referenced in the application. Alongside concerns that profit based businesses who are not eligible for this grant scheme may also benefit from subsidised rent.
To mitigate against this risk, officers recommend three specific conditions are attached on any grant award: · only VCS organisations benefit from the subsidised rent scheme · award to be released following confirmation of lease agreements and /or ownership of three South Oxfordshire based properties · evidence is provided for any subsequent lease agreements.
|
Total score |
20/43 |
|
|
|
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
Whilst the buildings themselves are in two areas
of the district the organisations, the customers and clients they
would serve would come from across all districts in South
Oxfordshire. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
Initial consultations were held with a small
group of residents in the Didcot area in July. However, within the
next few months, Makespace Oxford will be carrying out a public
engagement briefing (delivered by Transition by Design) to
understand how the building serves both the occupiers' needs and
can play a part in the fabric of the local town and
community-connecting buildings, which are just out of the town
centre, with the residents of Didcot as well as the social housing
which backs on to the property. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
Makespace Oxford works in partnership and collaborates with many other organisations under MiO including Oxford City Council, OxLEP, and the five district councils, but also many others. Key partners include: |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
500 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Please note: 500 is an estimate of those most
directly benefiting and doesn't include indirect beneficiaries (eg
customers, clients, wider community) |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
'Meanwhile in Oxfordshire', delivered by Makespace, is a county wide programme. South Oxfordshire District Council is a key partner in the delivery of this programme. One of the limitations of the MiO programme is that, due to the nature of restricted capital spend funding, none of it is available to support the many community groups, not-for-profit organisations, and charities who struggle to afford rent, even when that rent is already heavily subsidised by Makespace (below 40-80% market value). Through the revenue grant, Makespace would be able to support more of these local purpose-led organisations, while also being able to connect organisations to local communities and offer targeted business development. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Revenue support would allow multiple occupancy
buildings to fund a total of 16-20 organisations at any one time to
enable more purpose-led businesses to be able to afford rent. This
could be tiered over the two years to allow for a more gradual
decline in revenue support, increasing the orgnaisations rental
projections over two years. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
Makespace aims to fill empty buildings with
thriving communities and tackle economic inequalities in South
Oxfordshire by prioritising under served organisations, building
community cohesion and mutual support. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
We want to enable more marginalised communities
and organisations to be included and to access space by expanding
our offer to ensure meanwhile spaces are as financially and
socially inclusive as possible, for both resident organisations and
the beneficiaries and public they serve. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
We would have to offer spaces to those that could afford to pay the below market rents, business rates and service charges from the outset i.e. established businesses and organisations that are not from underserved communities. |
The Chinnor Village Centre
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 33 |
|
|
Project name Create a centre of excellence; re-establishing and growing day care attendance capacity and room hire fill-rate.
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Established in 1993, the Chinnor Village Centre offers a place and space for the use of the local community; focused on the provision of care, company, security and friendship. The centre provides a day care service, a stroke club and a dementia café.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund We offer day care services for the elderly, disabled and vulnerable in our community through the provision of Stroke, Friendship and Dementia clubs. We cannot cover the cost of our day care services and cafe without substantial additional funding either through fundraising or grants.
Our website/social media will see the introduction of new functionality to facilitate room hire booking, membership subscriptions/donations and general marketing. New efforts are needed to drive membership subscriptions (depleted during the pandemic), to re-establish a 200 club (a lottery draw) and to grow and develop new/additional fundraising activities.
|
|
|||
District reach Chinnor
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£60,917 |
£64,190 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£3,990 |
£3,990 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£125,000 (fundraising and income diversification cost not included) |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£115,104 evidenced in accounts (although applicant stated £182,687) |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
|
£38,365 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? Yes, adjusted to less than 33.33% of operating costs.
Adjusted to £25,768 - total grant amount over the two-year period |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: Councillor Grant Scheme Award (2021/2022) £5,000 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A three-year plan, not balanced, that includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. Some over reliance on certain income streams which might impact service delivery.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/19, 2019/2020 balanced budgets 2020/2021 budget negatively affected by COVID 19 or other factors, leading to an overall reduction in services. Reserves currently healthy.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Community need and consultation
Some indication of community need with consultation limited to existing service users only.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
Service/activity is directly supporting up to 50 vulnerable residents and / or priority groups.
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Limited reach across the district - one ward.
|
Score |
1/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are mostly internally focussed and lack detail.
|
Score |
2/5 |
An additional one point if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
N/A – no evidence provided – though suggests a desire to work with partners
|
Score |
0/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation works towards reducing isolation and combating loneliness.
|
Score |
3/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of implementation of policy/statement through provision of the services via multiple channels and evidence of increasing awareness of the service provision provision of services through multiple channels.
|
Score |
3/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officers note the applicant has not included the fundraising and income diversification cost in the total grant amount requested.
Officers note some of the project costs are not eligible and this will be reflected in any award offer, terms and conditions or legal agreement, ensuring the applicant is clear on the conditions of the award.
Officers note whilst the applicant is delivering services which complement the statutory services that are the public sector’s responsibility for delivering, there is no indication that the organisation is providing a service on behalf of a statutory body. Equally, the applicant is not one of the Oxfordshire County Council Community Support Centres. |
Total score |
19/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
The day care we provide is the only day care service available in Chinnor. There is a growing population in the area which will place a further strain on the services and the investment needed to keep the Day Care services running. With the Friendship Club run by the centre, there is an opportunity for clients to get out during the day and meet with likeminded people. They also receive a delicious hot meal and have the advantage of being picked up by a minibus, which includes the provision for wheelchairs if they live in the local area. Entertainment is laid on and all this adds to providing a package that provides stimulation, companionship and fun in a familiar and comfortable environment. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery? |
Ongoing consultation is gained from our clients who are encouraged to provide regular feedback and our constitution demands a number of public meetings each year; one every four months and an annual AGM. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
The charity's investment in social care staff includes the management skills and experience to work with organisations in the local/regional community. The brief is to search out likeminded organisations (social and health care) sharing and promoting our services ensuring that organisations are made aware that the Chinnor Village Centre as a place to go for elderly and vulnerable people and in so doing contribute to reducing loneliness and isolation. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
250 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
The Chinnor Village Centre typically
receives: |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
The services and activities provided contribute to a reduction in individual and community loneliness and isolation. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
-Over the period of the plan:
|
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
The Chinnor Village Centre provides a space and a place; somewhere for the local community to go. The Coffee Shop, Room Hire (local business or vocational) and the various clubs for the elderly and vulnerable contribute significantly to reducing isolation and loneliness in the local community, and as a result the general and economic wellbeing of people in the area. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
We are committed to: |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs? |
Promote donations, more fundraising activities and grant funding via non-local authority sources. |
Community First Oxfordshire
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 37 |
|
|
Project name Community development actions and training with SODC communities on climate action and community infrastructure activities.
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Community First Oxfordshire (CFO) is a community development charity working with communities across the county to strengthen community infrastructure and resilience.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund Helping parish/ town councils to take steps to create a holistic climate action plan including an initial mapping exercise to map out current activity. Core development services, especially advice and guidance service for community halls, shops and community transport including additional climate action work.
Community development training particularly
the asset based community development workshops, which will have a
bolt on climate action theme. Diversifying our income has been a major focus for CFO for the last few years. We plan to continue this through partnership working with parishes on Neighbourhood Plans and town planning support, plus community development consultancy.
Proactively promoting membership to CFO over the next two years.
|
|
|||
District reach District – wide
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Action on the climate emergency
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£21,000 |
£18,500 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£1,000 |
£1,500 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£42,000 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£334,106 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts |
£111,357 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: 5-Year Revenue Grant Award (2017 – 2022) £92,250 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A detailed three-year plan demonstrating a diverse range of secured income streams; includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
Overall a balanced budget over the last three financial years but officer note projected deficit in 2021/22.Officer notes a ddepletion in reserves expected in the future with clear explanation provided.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, substantial consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders, including priority groups if the service/activities impact them.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 501 residents benefit from the service and includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ residents and providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
5/5 |
District reach
Whilst full district-wide reach, however, no clear evidence submitted to support statement of reach.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets ambitious whilst still feel achievable. Outcomes for residents are specific and measurable.
|
Score |
4/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Strong evidence provided.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
More than one Climate Emergency related event, activity or service per year are part of routine work of the organisation.
|
Score |
5/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users (e.g. including priority group/ vulnerable people, at the heart of the improving service design and delivery)
|
Score |
4/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officers note some of the project costs are not eligible and this will be reflected in any subsequent award offer, terms and conditions or legal agreement, ensuring the applicant is clear on the conditions of the award.
|
Total score |
36/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
First, we have listened to our members and
volunteers through focus groups and network meetings who have told
us that new development affecting their communities, transport and
climate change/ the environment are the three top concerns and
challenges for living well in Oxfordshire. This was also repeated
in the Rural Service Report, which CFO published in August
2020. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
We regularly consult with stakeholders and
members on the services we provide because our services are shaped
by communities and with our partners. It is therefore critical that
we regularly ask for feedback and proactively seek wider views from
the community representatives through our network meetings, online
surveys and conversations. The Rural Services Survey and CFO focus
groups where other means to engage with community representatives
on the things that matter. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
As mentioned before, we believe the best
services and activities are partnership-based ones.
We have agreed to work in partnership with Friends of the Earth Oxfordshire who will offer training with CFO to parishes in South Oxfordshire to help them work out and follow up with climate action plans. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
1380 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
It is important to note that CFO - like many
local infrastructure organisations - support the volunteers who run
local services, actions and mutual aid groups to help support all
people living in the area. For instance, we support the 40 car
schemes and GNS so that they can help the elderly and vulnerable to
live independently at home in SO communities. Therefore, we
indirectly support many vulnerable people in SO by directly
assisting the volunteers who the run the schemes. 2. community building committees (80 community buildings with an average 6 committee members) = 480 volunteers 3. Communities with community shops (there are 6 community shops with an estimated 25 volunteers = 150 volunteers) or those thinking about starting a community enterprise will benefit. 4. Parish and town councils will receive direct support from CFO to help them develop and take forward asset-based climate action plans – we will work with at least 10 parishes each year (10 groups with an average 10 volunteers) = 100 volunteers 5. Community members and individuals attending community development training each year = 50 volunteers. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
Via regular updates and discussion with SODC
officers, we make sure that the services and activities that we
support compliment - and where possible enhance- those of SODC. For
instance, many vulnerable, elderly people in SODC rely on community
transport schemes and GNS to help them live at home independently.
We work with the GNS Hub and SODC to make sure we are supporting
the volunteers who run these schemes to be as up to date with
safeguarding practices etc so that they can give their time
effectively to the people that need the services. This is the same
for community halls and shops – the latter of which was an
immensely important hub for the vulnerable during COVID
lockdowns. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
1.
To support parish councils to work in collaboration and develop
short and long term climate action plans for the whole community to
act on. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
We are confident that we can help promote the climate emergency activities and information generated from the Council to the hyper-local level. Our aim with SO communities that we work with is to create a collaborative and comprehensive action plan and road map, which includes a minimum of four climate action training events – this feeds into the district work and utilises the existing and exciting sustainable community group examples in the county. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
CFO takes equity, equality, diversity, and
inclusion (EEDI) very seriously. We have an EEDI policy and EEDI
action plan with short and long term objectives for the
organisation, and we also have a EEDI sub-group to regularly
monitor the positive changes we are making to the way we work and
how we communicate. We regularly review what we are doing with the
EEDI trainers that we commissioned in early 2020 to train all of
our staff and trustees on unconscious bias. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
We are confident if we obtain SODC funding that
we can source match funding from other funders, and this is what we
will be proactively seeking. |
Earth Trust |
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 39 |
|
|
Project name Delivery, management and diversification of our volunteer network; engaging hundreds of residents in and around their communities to access and take part in activities.
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Earth Trust supports the residents of South Oxfordshire by providing free access to our greenspaces 365 days/year. We also provide training, education and engagement opportunities for all ages.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund The funding will rebuild, support and expand Earth Trust’s core volunteering offer to residents across the region. Earth Trust is seeking funding to underpin the infrastructure, staffing (a Volunteer Officer, who coordinates and directly mobilises the network) and marketing required to run our Volunteer network and to support the work needed to further train and diversify skill sets for those volunteers who directly support fundraising and income generation activities.
This funding will enable us to diversify our Volunteer Network and through the work of volunteers involved in profile-raising, venue hire and fundraising, it will also enable us to increase our fundraising income.
|
|
|||
District reach Benson and Crowmarsh, Cholsey, Didcot West, Didcot South, Didcot North East, Wallingford |
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Increased economic and community wellbeing |
|
|
||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs (2022/2023, 2023/2024)
|
£31,282 |
£32,220 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification (2022/2023, 2023/2024)
|
£9,295 |
£9,574 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£90,624 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021
|
£1,424,040 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021
|
£474,632 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? Yes Yes, adjusted to total amount requested for year 1 and year 2 Adjusted to £82,371 - total grant amount over the two-year period |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: Remobilisation
Grant Award (2021) £3,975
|
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A realistic three-year plan that includes some evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams with a realistic plan to reduce budget deficits, if planned infrastructure development is successful.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 balanced budgets showing an increase in income.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 51 and up to 500 residents and it is clear this includes some vulnerable/ priority groups, providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are specific and achievable with measurable outcomes for residents.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Add an additional one point if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A - No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded, in addition to the above score banding, for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Good evidence provided, no testimonials provided.
|
Score |
1/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents, training is mandatory to support mental wellbeing.
|
Score |
5/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/ or improving areas of deprivation and/or encouraging community cohesion.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officer’s note the Earth Trust has a contract with the council (until 30/9/2022) at a value £43,836 for the ‘Custodianship and Volunteer Management of Countryside Sites’. Officers are comfortable that in view of the recommended score this application has received which results in a reduction of potential funding, it mitigates against the potential in double funding.
In addition, whilst we do not ask Oxfordshire wide organisations to pro rata annual operational costs across the Oxfordshire districts, the panel may wish to take this into consideration when approving the amount to award. |
Total score |
32/43 |
|
|
|
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
The extensive public support and engagement with our Volunteer Programme over many years is clear evidence of it meeting a local need. The Trust’s volunteer network has existed for almost 15 years and grown organically from the enthusiasm and dedication of local residents in the Wallingford, Didcot and Abingdon districts. At the end of Summer 2021, we had a waiting list of almost 100 new volunteers, who had registered an interest in getting involved. In discussion with other community groups and voluntary services, we have started to identify opportunities and gaps for engaging more volunteers, from different social groups and backgrounds locally, especially with a more urban base; we are keen to proactively work with these groups to engage them in volunteering at the Trust’s managed community reserves, thus fulfilling an un-tapped need locally that has been notified to us by others.
We are also the largest ‘free to access’ green space in south Oxfordshire, with additional presence in Didcot, Wallingford and Abingdon via the community reserves we manage on behalf of SODC. This combination gives us a significant footprint across the region and capabilities that other local-based organisations are not able to provide. One or two national organisations exist along similar lines, but either aren’t present delivering in this region (e.g. Groundwork) or have a more narrow field of opportunities to get involved (e.g. Wildlife Trusts whose focus is on wildlife, as opposed to the wide range of land-based and multi-faceted skills offered by Earth Trust). |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
Earth Trust works hand in hand with all our
volunteers, similar to our staff, whereby a constant feedback loop
operates between staff and volunteers to shape what we do, how we
deliver it and exchanging knowledge and learning freely. Indeed, in
some cases, our volunteers become the driving force and knowledge
base for us as an organisation to shape and deliver actions and the
make-up of volunteer activities. During the pandemic lockdowns we
were prompted to be as imaginative as possible to continue this
degree of consultation and feedback, but managed this through
online meetings, weekly newsletter communications, personally
ringing the majority of volunteers and finding ways to involve and
engage them in broader Trust work and development, including acting
as our eyes and ears ‘on the ground’. Further to
this, we have recently developed a model of ‘lead’
volunteers who directly help to shape and lead the content of the
work their groups deliver; we support them to lead and fact-find,
then co-develop next steps with them.
We have good links with local running groups, Didcot Runners and Harwell Harriers, who have approached us for volunteering opportunities to help rebuild their communities after the pandemic. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
We already have well established links with a
range of local community groups, District Council teams and
corporates who help to refer, shape and deliver the volunteering
network with us.
We also collaborate and seek joint-working with many local interest groups, as diverse as the Town and Parish Councils, local running/walking clubs and ‘green gyms’, the girl guides and food enthusiast groups. We are currently delivering a funded programme that collaborates with Oxfordshire Mind and links us to local GP surgeries, mental health and other referral services; this is an early exploration for us into green social prescribing models that have a huge local relevance and potential, and can be co-designed and led by our volunteer network. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
300 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Currently, we provide support directly to a network of approximately 120 active volunteers, a significantly larger online community of ‘registered volunteers’ and a waiting list of an additional 100, which this funding would help to unlock; the profile of these volunteers is broad, but many are 60+ years and more than 50% are male. Our aim is to recruit an increasingly diverse range of volunteers by providing a greater range of roles including the elderly, Isolated people, and those living alone, young families, individuals with disabilities, people seeking mental wellbeing. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
The network reaches out to, engages and
mobilises hundreds of people across the District, who might
otherwise be more sedentary, isolated, disconnected, or engaged
with the climate, biodiversity and health crises that face
us. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation |
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Outcomes from delivery of the Network C. Delivery of up to 14,000 hours of voluntary activity across the financial year. D. Maintained and improved quality of greenspaces within Earth Trust’s ownership. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
Improved Community Wellbeing: Our volunteer network engages several hundred (up to 300 in total) local residents in direct physical action. For the majority of those who deliver land management, this ranges from physical management of grasslands, woodland, gardening and wetland areas, maintenance of our built infrastructure, walking activities such as wardening and litter picking, all of which involve significant cardiovascular and neuromuscular activity. In addition, the broad range of activities we offer enable individuals to choose the degree of social engagement they feel comfortable with; for example lone working volunteers report to us the benefits of physically engaging in outdoor activities within their own area of control and capabilities. Similarly, larger working groups (up to 20) provide regular feedback on the social and mental impacts of coming together to share experiences, delivering action as a community and a sense of purpose in working for the Trust. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
•Internal policies/approaches to equality
and diversity •We provide significant alternative engagement tools and opportunities online, to support remote engagement •We have designed and deliver programmes targeted at engaging and supporting communities including low income households, socially isolated and those with mental health difficulties •We offer and deliver heavily subsidised ticket prices for additional activities aimed at young families and urban populations (e.g. school holiday activities that are run at cost to the Trust) which was supported through fundraising. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
There is a shortfall of £24,142.02 across the two year period. Earth Trust will endeavour to close this shortfall through some of our core grant fund applications from local long-term supporters. In addition, the resulting uplift in fundraising activity may contribute to closing this gap longer-term. |
The Thomley Hall Centre Limited |
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 40 |
|
|
Project name Core funding for Thomley’s activities and services for South Oxfordshire residents and funding to enable Thomley to further diversify its activities, fundraising channels and income generation programmes.
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Thomley provides play, leisure and learning opportunities for people of all abilities and disabilities at our spacious indoor and outdoor facility.
|
|
|||
Brief description the
service/activities this grant will fund 1.For disabled early years visitors; play, leisure and physical activities.
2.For disabled children, play, leisure and physical activities and purposeful life skills and group activities.
3.For disabled young people and adults, activities as above and National Open College Network- and Ofsted-accredited life skills training (ACHIEVE). For those whom living independently and/or securing work may not yet be a realistic aspiration, we provide purposeful activities that build upon their learning capabilities such as cooking classes, basic housekeeping and gardening.
4.We help parents, carers and families to better cope with their caring role and support the parents, carers and families of disabled people by offering them short breaks from their caring role whilst visiting Thomley.
5.We deliver practical workshops delivered by experts in the field of autism and hold regular Family Days (where programming is specifically designed for whole-family participation) as well as several special events throughout the year.
6.We provide opportunities for disabled and non-disabled people to come together.
7.Mapping exisiting provision for disabled people, identifying gapsd and encouraging partnership working.
8.We are diversifying our income streams by developing new, revenue-generating programmes that simultaneously increase our impact. |
|
|||
District reach District – wide
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£32,968 |
£32,999 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£2,032 |
£2,001 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£70,000 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£475,263 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts |
£158,405 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: 5 - Year Revenue Grant Award (2017 – 2022) £120,500 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A detailed three-year plan demonstrating a diverse range of secured income streams; includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. There is a healthy balance of both restricted and unrestricted funds.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
Whilst year 2 (YE 31 Dec 2019) had a small operating deficit, the overall financial trend is positive over the period 2018-2020. A clear reserves policy with no depletion of reserves over the last 3 years. Only a marginal reduction in services/activities due to COVID -19.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 501 residents benefit from this service and includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ residents and providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council
|
Score |
5/5 |
District reach
Whilst full district-wide reach no clear evidence submitted to support statement of reach.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets ambitious whilst still feel achievable. Outcomes for residents are specific and measurable and an increase in the percentage potential client base benefiting, in 2023/2024.
|
Score |
5/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A - No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Strong evidence provided including testimonals from partners. |
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents, In addition, this funding will be used to support their ACHIEVE Life Skills programme which helps disabled young people build the skills they need to live more independently and gain employment.
|
Score |
5/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of implementing their equality policy and increasing awareness of the service through a variety of channels. Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users and evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
N/a
|
Total score |
38/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
Evidence: 92% of parents said their children did
not have the same opportunities to play as their non-disabled
peers; 81% reported difficulties accessing local play
opportunities. ‘Making the Case for Play’, Sense. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
We communicate with our service users on a daily basis in a range of ways e.g. face to face, social media etc. Feedback is gathered by our Activity Coordinators and Play Workers who then review it during end-of-day debrief sessions where the information is used to plan new activities and tailor existing ones to better meet the needs of our disabled and non-disabled visitors. We also conduct annual and seasonal surveys in which we ask our visitors (and their parents, carers and non-disabled siblings) about their past year at Thomley to help us measure the impact we are having and to ask about future developments, programmes and activities they would like to see.
We also regularly participate in Oxfordshire Youth’s events (where we sit on their information sharing panel) and recently completed a survey for and provided additional information to Oxfordshire Health, Education and Social Care Joint Commissioning, who are also (similar to the work being undertaken by Buckinghamshire Council) mapping out existing provision of support for children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health and identifying gaps. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
We have a significant partnership with New
Meaning. They operate New Meaning Training, a not-for-profit
company with years of experience helping disadvantaged and disabled
young people (Not in Education, Employment or Training, NEET) build
life and work skills leading to employment and independence. In
2019, they began leasing a disused barn at Thomley to use in their
Construction Skills and Work Experience programme and in 2020
converted the barn into a Carpentry Workshop. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
6000 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
For early years visitors, the outcomes we focus
on are building confidence, learning new skills and gaining social
experiences.
We help parents and carers become more resilient and to be better equipped in their caring roles by providing opportunities for short breaks, ensuring they get practical support and advice that addresses their needs, creating time and space for them to expand and consolidate their support networks, and improving their overall wellbeing. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
We are equipped to accommodate most disabilities
and as a result we are one of the few places that disabled people
from Oxfordshire can come and know they will be welcomed and have
their needs met. This reduces the likelihood that our visitors will
need support from the Council to access physical activities that
are matched to their needs and abilities. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Our play and leisure activities are tailored to
meet the complex needs of disabled people.
|
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
We are requesting funding for daily physical indoor and outdoor activities for disabled people. These activities are adapted as necessary to ensure that everyone can participate, regardless of their ability or disability. They include sports (such as football, rugby, tennis, archery, hockey, and more); a mini-gym; fitness activities; and active games. Disabled people are also known to be at risk of loneliness and isolation. By providing them with a wide range of play, recreation and learning opportunities, we reduce their risk of isolation and loneliness, and help them get opportunities to develop social skills and from new friendships. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
1. Our projects, policies, strategies, services
and communication take account of all users. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
One of our strategic objectives is to develop
our site to its best potential which will include creating new
revenue-generating services (both charitable and commercial) that
will reduce our dependency on grants. We are confident that we will
be successful, but are prepared to act quickly if these new income
streams are not established as forecast and/or do not fully realise
their projected income. |
Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire |
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 45 |
|
|
Project name Hospice at Home in South Oxfordshire
|
|
|
||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents The Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire supports people aged 18 and over who are living with life-limiting conditions such as cancer, heart failure and lung disease. We combine specialist medical care for managing pain and other symptoms, with emotional, practical and spiritual support.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund We are seeking funding towards the salary of a
Hospice at Home Registered nurse.
|
|
|||
District reach Benson and Crowmarsh, Berinsfield, Chalgrove, Cholsey, Didcot West, Didcot South, Didcot North East, Goring, Henley-on-Thames, Kidmore End and Whitchurch, Sonning Common, Wallingford, Watlington, Woodcote and Rotherfield
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs |
£50,000 |
£50,000 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£5,000 |
£5,000 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£110,000 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021
|
£115,316,000 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts |
£38,434,823 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: Additional Restrictions Grant Award (2020) £2,000 Various Councillor Grant Awards, most recent (2021/2022) £4,027 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A three-year plan not balanced that includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. Whilst some over reliance on certain income streams, these are secured/highly likely income streams.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 balanced budgets– taken over the three years, with reason given for unbalanced budget in 20/21, has a reserves policy.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
Up to 50 residents, which appears to include vulnerable/ priority groups.
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Very good geographical reach, across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are mostly internally focused, no fundraising or income diversification targets. Targets are specific and achievable with measurable outcomes for residents.
|
Score |
3/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- is a national organisation.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Good evidence provided, no testimonials from partners.
|
Score |
1/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents. |
Score |
4/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users (e.g. including priority group/ vulnerable people) at the heart of the improving service design and delivery.
|
Score |
4/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
N/a
|
Total score |
28/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
Based on data obtained from the Marie Curie
Atlas, we estimate that the number of people in the area in need of
home based palliative care is now approaching 1,500 a year. This
figure is expected to continue to grow in the coming years due to
anticipated growth in the local population, an aging population and
advancements in life extending medical treatments.
Since its launch in April 2018 our Hospice at Home nurses based at our South Oxfordshire Palliative Care Hub have provided care for an average of 500 patients a year with 97% of these achieving their preferred place of death. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
We have designed this service off the back of conversations and consultations with the CCG and NHS Oxfordshire. We wanted to provide care in the most effective way that met both patient need, and filled gaps in local care provision. We carried out a survey that found that 81% of patients would prefer to be cared for at home. Previously we were finding that we were not receiving enough referrals to make an inpatient unit viable, so the decision was made to commit to a fully home based care provision. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
We are working in partnership with Oxfordshire
CCG as well as local organisations to deliver a cost-effective,
streamline service. The Hospice at Home team collaborate very
closely with local services to ensure a seamless continuity of
patient care. Our aim in all we do is to work in partnership to
ensure gaps in care are filled. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
500 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire supports people 18 and over who have an end of life diagnosis. Included in this group are the elderly, individuals with disabilities or comorbidities, and those with impairments. However, as our services are available to everyone in the area our patients could come from any of the groups listed. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
One of the key goals of hospice care in the
community is ensuring that unplanned hospital admissions or doctor
visits are reduced. Our nurses and doctors are able to provide
support that means our patients are well cared for and any issues
they are having, whether that is pain management or illness
progression can be caught and dealt with early. It also means that
our patients are able to pick their preferred place of death and
plans can be made accordingly, indeed 96% of our patients achieve
their preferred place of death. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Increasing the number of people who die in their
preferred place of care and reducing the number of people in die in
hospital. From April 2018 – March 2019, 93% of Sue Ryder
patients achieved their preferred place of death. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
The main way that our service contributes to
this aspect of the corporate plan is that it can greatly reduce
loneliness and isolation in our patients and their families.
Without a dedicated hospice and home service in the area, many
people feel trapped in a cycle of hospital or hospice trips in
their last weeks and days, while their family may feel like a carer
instead of a spending quality time with their loved ones. Feedback
we've received from patients and families consistently mentions how
much the nurse's visits improve their mental wellbeing, allowing
them to focus on spending time doing what they want to do instead
of worrying about their illness. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
Sue Ryder has an equality policy in place and all decisions we make as an organisation are influenced by it. Unfortunately for a variety of reasons many groups do not to engage with hospice care as a whole, which can lead to a lack of diversity in our patients. In an effort to address this, Sue Ryder has created a new role in our organisation, the purpose of which will be to engage with communities of all kinds to understand this reticence. The role will be in place for the next 12 months, after this we will begin adapting our services where needed to ensure that we are fully accessible to all. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
Each quarter we invoice NHS Oxfordshire the cost to run the service, and with the shortfall being made up with fundraised income. As this is an ongoing service, fundraising is ongoing. We have a fundraising team based locally who work with the community to secure funding, as well as national teams that secure funding through avenues such as national events, major donors or trusts. Also as part of Sue Ryder's strategy to provide more care for more people, we have plans in place to double our fundraised income over the next five years. |
Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 46 |
|
|
Project name Home-visiting and Family Support Services throughout the South Oxfordshire District Council Area.
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire is a voluntary organisation committed to promoting the welfare of families who have at least one child under the age of five. We provide emotional and practical support to families with our trained home-visiting volunteers, parent and baby groups and expert support, helping them through their most challenging times.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire is well
established in the area, and has supported vulnerable
familiescontinuously for 32 years. The grant will;
1. Continue home-visiting support and our various family groups including our First Babies Group for first-time parents from birth to 15 months, and expectant parents. 2. Continue to train our volunteers. 3. Diversify funding streams by more co-operative working and joint funding bids
|
|
|||
District reach Benson and Crowmarsh, Berinsfield, Chalgrove, Chinnor, Cholsey, Didcot West, Didcot South, Didcot North East, Goring, Henley-on-Thames, Kidmore End and Whitchurch, Sonning Common, Thame, Wallingford, Watlington, Wheatly, Woodcote and Rotherfield
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£31,227 |
£32,571 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£2,910 |
£2,968 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£63,798 (fundraising and income diversification cost not included) |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£124,275 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
|
£41,421 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: 5-Year Revenue
Grant Award (2017 – 2022) £72,890 Discretionary Grant Award (2020) £10,000 Councillor Grant Award (2019/2020) £295 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A three-year plan that includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. Clear movement towards a more sustainable funding base.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
Whilst a deficit in 2019/20 overall balanced accounts. Officers note some growth in reserves for 2020/21 but an anticipated deficit budget for 2021/2022 which will result in depletion of reserves, a clear explanation has been provided.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Community need and consultation
Some indication of community need and evidence of regular consultation with service users.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 51 and up to 500 residents benefit from the service and it is clear this includes some vulnerable/ priority groups. Providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Very good geographical reach, across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are specific and achievable with measurable outcomes for residents.
|
Score |
3/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Good evidence provided
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents. Alongside improving wellbeing and mental health of service users.
|
Score |
4/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of customer satisfaction data implemented, with service users (e.g. including priority group/ vulnerable people,) at the heart of the improving service design and delivery.
|
Score |
4/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officers recommend including as a condition of any grant award additional evidence of partnership working and development.
Officers note the applicant has not included the fundraising and income diversification cost in the total grant amount requested.
|
Total score |
30/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire is well
established in the area, and has supported vulnerable families
continuously for 32 years. Families are referred to us by other
professional bodies (with the family’s consent) or they may
self-refer in order to receive support from one of our trained
home-visiting volunteers, Family Support Worker or at one of our
groups. This system of self-referral means that any
family who thinks they need help, can approach us to request
support. We’ve developed strong relationships with
Health Visitors, Social Sorkers, Mental Health Services and
Educational Professionals across the area, who provide a stream of
referred cases.More recently, Social Prescribers have been
referring families for our support. Closure of many Childrens' Centres, and reduced
funding for the remainder, has meant they ended their home-visiting
services. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
The families we support are consulted both prior
to support being provided, regularly through the service provision
and through feedback, via SurveyMonkey questionnaires. Support is reviewed and the family's progress
assessed at regular intervals, which allows us to track
improvement.
|
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
We collaborate, continuously, in service
provision with our referrers - Health Visitors, Social Workers,
Mental Health Services, Educational Professionals and Social
Prescribers. There is constant 2-way feedback, to provide the best
possible services to the families in the area. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
400 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Our work is designed to support vulnerable families who have at least one child under the age of five.
|
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
Increasingly, the resources of statutory services are focused on the most ‘high risk’ families and we work closely with them to provide as much support as we can. Although our work does not replace that of Health Visitors, Social Workers or other statutory services, we are able to complement what they do, and provide support for families who fall below thresholds for their intervention. Any support we can give will help reduce the need for the families to contact other services - volunteers can help with signposting to the most appropriate services which they are having difficulty in reaching or engaging with, such as Health, Community, Services, Housing and Education. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Recruiting the maximum volunteers possible to
support families in the District. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
We have a wealth of experience in offering
support to parents to help develop improved support networks and
family relationships, and ultimately help improve the outcomes for
their children.
|
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
We have an Equality, Fairness and Diversity
Policy & Procedure.
We recruit volunteers from as broad a range of
backgrounds as possible. Our internal systems monitor family needs and we welcome feedback from the families, volunteers, referrals and other community groups so that we can tailor our services to the local need.
|
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
If we are unsuccessful in any of out funding bids, and in order to increase our services to meet unmet demand:
|
Be Free Young Carers |
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 47 |
|
|
Project name Brighter Future for Young Carers
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Be Free Young Carers is a local Oxfordshire charity, based in Didcot, that works with young carers aged 8 to 17 across te South Oxfordshire and Vale area.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund
Core services of respite activities, bespoke 121 emotional support, training in first aid, nutrition and cookery and volunteer befriending service.
These funds would be used to allow our South Oxfordshire Support Worker to liaise with the schools and local GP’s to support and identify young carers.
Part of the funds would be used to fund our Befriender and Volunteer Coordinator to recruit and train new volunteers for our most vulnerable young carers, giving them access to a trained befriender programme for up to six months.
It will help increase our fundraising streams, building on our corporate support, while also demonstrating the impact of our work to funders and supporters through the development of a promotional and impact video.
|
|
|||
District reach District-wide
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£17,084 |
£17,432 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£1,500 |
£1,500 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£37,516 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£167,806 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts |
£55,929 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: 5-Year Revenue Grant Award (2017 – 2022) £101,983 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
Whilst the narrative does identify how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams, the organisation has provided a limited plan which doesn’t cover the required three-year period (only 2022/23 income forecast is included). The organisational budget gives a two year breakdown which provides more detail, this does not cover 2024/2025.
|
Score |
1/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 balanced budgets showing both an increase in services/activities and income and officers note some growth in reserves.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Community need and consultation
Whilst the organisation has provided strong and clear indication of community need, there is limited evidence provided on the regularity of consultation with the community/other stakeholders.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 501 residents benefit from this service and includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ residents. Whilst the organisation takes referrals from the council, more detail is needed on how their services complement council services with clear examples.
|
Score |
4/5 |
District reach
Whilst full district-wide reach no clear evidence submitted to support statement of reach.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are specific and achievable with some measurable outcomes for residents but more benchmarked data required to score more for officers to be convinced that the three targets are ambitious. An increase in clients benefiting in 2023/24 is acknowledged.
|
Score |
3/5 |
An additional one point if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Strong evidence provided. A further point could have been scored with the addition of partner testimonials.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents. The mental wellbeing of young carers is a key element of the organisation’s programmes.
|
Score |
4/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
An equality policy or statement is in place. The applicant has not answered the question as required but has ticked the box to confirm they have an equality policy.
|
Score |
1/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
N/a
|
Total score |
27/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
We know from the 2011 Census, that there are at least 12,000 young carers in Oxfordshire and 1,400 in the South and Vale area. This has increased and the pandemic has helped young carers become more identifiable due to homeschooling. The digital poverty highlighted during the pandemic has seen more young carers become identified by Schools, Social Services and GPs. Our referrals have increased drastically and we are currently having to put our referrals on hold to deal with the back log. We are having more and more referrals come from outside our area, and from under eight years old. We are the only specialist charity in Oxfordshire that support young carers and advocate for them.
|
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
We are a user led service, young carers are at the heart of everything we do. Our service is split in two age categorise 8-12 for our younger young carers and 13-17 year old for our old youths. This is in response to feedback from our older young carers who, when they reach secondary school age, they require a different service. With our young carers aged 8-12 years old, we are dependent on feedback via their parents and at any event we put on, be it 121 emotional support or a respite activity. We also capture their own feedback at these events, whether they have enjoyed them, what do they want or need in the future.
|
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
Our activities in South Oxfordshie are carried
out by The Space Store in Didcot, Mrs Bun the Baker, Yoga with Emma
based in Harwell, The Earth Trust. We also encourage our 13+ groups
to meet for their ‘hangouts’ locally at venues such as
Casper’s and Costa in Didcot. We are also involved with a
collaboration with Oxford Playhouse in a young carers theatre
production that will tour schools in March next year, this will
also include St Birinus, DGS and Aureus.
|
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
600 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Young carers aged between 8-17 years old, their families will benefit from their time spent with us. These families are often from economically disadvantaged background, they have either a parent or sibling with a disability, mental health concerns, illness, drug or alcohol abuse. Young carers are isolated and their mental health is often low, both of these have been exacerbated with the pandemic. 33% of Young Carers have special needs themselves and are less likely to gain good grades at school due to their caring responsibilities. Young Cares age 16-18 are twice as likely to become NEET. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
We work with the council and often take referrals from them, as although young carers can get access to their support, we offer more in depth approach for our young carers. Our services go beyond what is currently being offered by the council and we compliment the services. Our services very much deal with the stresses of being a young carer, however we promote preventative activities to allow the young carers to cope with their caring role. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Funding our Support Worker and partially our befriending service will result in less referrals of young carers to council services. It will also enable young carers to get the respite and support that they need. We expect by working with our young carers and schools, to see improvement in the attendance, for young carers to be able to manage the school work load. This takes the stress off young carers, parents and school teachers, we all work together in the best interest of the young carer. Due to the strain on council waiting lists for mental health services, we will be relieving some of this pressure through our mental wellbeing services. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
We strongly believe that our project will improve the economic and community wellbeing. All our activities will benefit the local economy. We invest our funds through activities that are run by local businesses, supporting the local business community is part of our ethos. Knowing that we are there for the community's local young carers, supporting them and helping them with the effects of the pandemic on their mental health, has already had an impact on the community's wellbeing and we will build on this ripple effect. We have built resilience during the pandemic and an increase in our registrations have seen the number of our client base increase - we will continue to build on this momentum and whilst the target we set will be challenging, we know we are capable of achieving this. With these funds we will have a positive impact on the community, the families and young carers. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
We work hard to reduce the isolation and loneliness of our young carers, that occurs due to their role. Our activities encourage them to make friends and engage with their peers. Our ‘Young Carer’ buddy system, pairs our young carers up with similar families so that they are able to build a network of support. Engaging with our young carers via virtual events, especially during lockdown, has helped relieve the loneliness felt by our young carers. Our laptop campaign further enhanced their ability to keep in touch with friends and family, while also giving them the same technology as their school peers. Our ‘Mindfulness Movement’ programme sees us support their mental wellbeing, alongside the befriending service. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
If there is a shortfall in funding and we look to fill this gap by approaching our funders from Trusts and other grant providers to gain their support in covering these costs. Over the last 18 months we have built great relationships with funders such as The National Lottery, Uk Youth, and we are confident that funders like these, will continue to support our work in Oxfordshire. We have a robust Fundraising Strategy in place for the next five years, we are also looking to take on a new fundraiser in January to develop our corporate partnerships further. |
River Thame Conservation Trust |
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 49 |
|
|
Project name Getting to the bottom of the problem with the Thame: A collaboration between researchers and citizen scientists to understand pollution in the catchments rivers and tributaries.
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents The River Thame Conservation Trust is a grassroots charity that operates in Oxfordshire. We aim to work with local people in rural and urban parts of our catchment – volunteers, farmers and landowners – to improve biodiversity of the River Thame and its tributaries, to improve public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the river catchment and its wildlife.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund The project aims to empower a network of over
100 citizen scientists to help build a defensible characterisation
of point and diffuse pollution on the River Thame network
(geographically located in a large area of SODC), and enable
focused action to improve the situation. This in turn will not only
increase knowledge amongst the citizen scientists and their
communities, but ultimately lead improvements in water quality,
biodiversity and water management in the region, and improve
connection with nature and recreation opportunities which will
impact the health and wellbeing of the wider community.
|
|
|||
District reach Berinsfield, Chalgrove, Chinnor, Forest Hill and Holton, Garsington and Horspath, Haseley Brook, Sandford and The Wittenhams, Thame, Watlington, Wheatley
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority To protect and restore our natural world
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£71,174 |
£58,994 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£1 |
£1 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£125,000 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£354,798 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts |
£118,254 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? Yes, pro rata adjustment as service delivery beyond South Oxfordshire. Adjusted to £76,224 over the two-year period. |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: Councillor Grant Award (2020/2021) £2,013 |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A three-year plan that includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. However, this lacks detail and does not appear to support fundraising costs as stated in the application of £1 per year. Some over reliance on certain income streams, deficits in funding each year with no clear movement to reduce.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
Each financial year appears to show significant gaps in balancing the budget.
|
Score |
0/5 |
Community need and consultation
Some indication of community need with consultation limited to existing service users only.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 501 residents benefit from the service and providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
5/5 |
District reach
Good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are mostly internally focussed with includes some measurable outcomes for residents but no fundraising or income diversification targets.
|
Score |
2/5 |
An additional one point if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Evidence provided, no testimonals from partners supplied.
|
Score |
1/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
Evidence of large-scale, district wide, clearly evidence how they are contributing to County or national targets for restoring the natural world.
|
Score |
4/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Whilst the organisation has an equal opportunities policy - officers are unable to ascertain evidence of implementation beyond the narrative that they select their volunteers fairly, encouraging opportunities for vulnerable/priority groups.
|
Score |
2/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officer note, as per the grant scheme policy statutory services that are the responsibility of the council or another public sector’s responsibility for delivering are not eligible to the scheme. Whilst water quality is the responsibility of the Environment Agency, the Environment Agency does not have a statutory duty to the water monitoring level proposed in the project. Officer note, submitted project costs not pro rata, the grant amount has been revised accordingly.
Officer note, only £1 per year income and diversification, this is concerning, officers recommend a condition of any grant offer would be to agree a percentage of the overall award be allocated to accordingly in line with the scheme requirements. |
Total score |
21/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
The project covers the whole of the River Thame
catchment and its 20 water bodies, all of which are classified as
‘Fail’ under the Water Framework Directive for chemical
status. The Thame catchment is a small sub-catchment in the Thames
River Basin and has 32 Sewage Treatment Work (STW) inputs, an
unknown number of private septic tanks, point sources from other
industries and a broad distribution of diffuse sources of pollution
throughout the catchment (e.g. agriculture, road runoff). |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
TW and select volunteer groups (Wheatley) have being consulted in planning of this activity / service. TW and the EA will be informed of all planning activities on the project and results will be shared with TW and EA, plus relevant landowners / farmers in the region. Consents will be applied for from the EA for gauge installation, but this has already been discussed with the catchment coordinator. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
RTCT will use existing networks of volunteers and expand this reach to a wider geographic area using social media and other lines of communication with partners including Wild Oxfordshire and TVERC. We are already collaborating on the planning of the project with CEH and Thames Water, as well as local environment groups and landowners.
|
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
6000 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Approximately 120 citizen scientists will
directly benefit from the project. The material and information
which they will convey to the wider communities can be estimated to
be of positive benefit to at least 50 people per citizen scientist,
reaching up to an estimated total of 6000 people. This is only the
knowledge share information, which will lead to health and
wellbeing benefits relating to knowledge of detrimental water
quality and sources of pollution in the catchment, and
identification of cleaner green and blue spaces for local residents
to enjoy. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
Improvements to biodiversity and water quality complements council services by means of improving wellbeing and connection with nature in the district. The project will support decision making for communities in their day to day lives, provides capacity building around environmental knowledge, which informs the action on climate and nature. It will improve knowledge around how local residents themselves as well as key industries and stakeholders can affect water quality and therefore contribute to the sustainability of existing sewerage infrastructure. It will inform local people of the impact the waste management, wastewater management and land management can have on the water environment and improve knowledge of safe recreational spaces. It will also set a path for improvement of water quality for the benefit of all for recreation, including swimming, kayaking, paddling, dog walking. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
•
Benefits to water environment: This will enable better targeted
habitat interventions and use of resources to benefit the water
environment. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
The project will support the councils objective
of restoring our natural world in both biodiverse and bio-depleted
areas (i.e. the River Thame and its sub catchments, as already
demonstrated) through nature recovery networks and other means
(through monitoring, understanding and developing improvement
strategies). We will provide an opportunity for large numbers of
the communities, including urban communities, to their local green
spaces and help target where nature can be restored to urban
environments. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
The fundamental objective of the project is to improve water quality across the catchment. It is a fundamental right for all (i.e. equal opportunities) for all residents to be able to access and enjoy green and blue spaces across the district. In addition, RTCT operates in line with its equal opportunities policy and selection of volunteers will be on an equal opportunities basis, including and encouraging opportunities for vulnerable/ priority groups. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
In parallel with this application, we are
applying for funding from Thames Water and from community grant
funds in the local area. |
The Abingdon Bridge |
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 50 |
|
|
Project name The South Oxfordshire (SO) Counselling and Wellbing Hub - Counselling and Mental Health support for 13-25 year olds living in South Oxfordshire.
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents The Abingdon Bridge is an Oxfordshire registered charity (CIO) which supports young people aged 13-25 in challenging circumstances. Our services are free for young people to access. We offer; 1 to 1 counselling, healthy lifestyles support groups, 1 to 1 wellbeing support, educational workshops (in the community and local schools).
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund Our aim is to have a small professional counselling team based in Didcot supporting young people from across South Oxfordshire offering a professional counselling service, followed by an appropriate timely intervention.This will be a free service for young people to use.
We do however appreciate that we need to diversify and generate further support over the next two years to ensure that our offer is sustainable. We aim to do this by demonstrating the impact and outcomes our service will have on the lives of young people living in SO.
We will create an impact report and present this to the local business community to see if they would subsidise and sponsor local young people to get the counselling support that they so desperately need.
We will invest in developing our website to make it more simple for people to make a donations via your homepage or to set up a direct debit.
Our Ambassadors are also planning to make another short film to shwcase our work and send to potential funders.
Seeking and sourcing other potential funders.
|
|
|||
District reach Benson and Crowmarsh, Berinsfield, Chalgrove, Cholsey, Didcot West, Didcot South, Didcot North East, Goring, Thame, Wallingford
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£58,501 |
£58,501 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£1,499 |
£1,499 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£120,000 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£223,220 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
|
£74,332 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: N/A |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A three-year plan, not balanced, does not include evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. Officer notes this is addressed in the project breakdown costs and the narrative. Some over-reliance on certain income streams.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
Whilst a deficit in 2018/19, overall balanced accounts, an increase in services/activities and income.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, substantial consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders, including priority groups if the service/activities impact them.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 51 and up to 500 residents will benefit from this service and it is clear this includes some vulnerable/ priority groups, providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets ambitious whilst still feel achievable. Outcomes for residents are specific and measurable.
|
Score |
4/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities
Significant evidence of partnership working collaboration and co-production.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation can demonstrate that it reduces loneliness and isolation amongst our most vulnerable residents. Training is offered to support mental wellbeing through the provision of wellbeing packs and 1:1 counselling.
|
Score |
5/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence that the service is designed to meets the needs of all users and delivering better outcomes for vulnerable/priority groups and/ or improving areas of deprivation and/or encouraging community cohesion.
|
Score |
5/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officers recommend including as a condition of any grant award some interaction with and partnership working with Riverside Counselling Service who are offering similar services in the same geographical area as The Abingdon Bridge.
|
Total score |
33/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
We currently receive around six referrals per
week from young people living in South Oxfordshire (SO). This is in
addition to the 41 young people from the SO who are currently on
our waiting list for support. It is very clear there is a huge need
for further mental health support to be based in the SO. 3. Young people learning to be witnessed again – they have spent a year on social media or locked on their phones, many have forgotten how to communicate, many have increased anxiety about leaving the house and being seen by peers again. 4. Risky behaviours – we have seen a huge increase in referrals in young people who have been self-harming by cutting, or misusing drugs and alcohol to “cope”. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
We are very much client led. Part of our ethos
is to hear the voices of local young people. We have a regular
client focus meetings to look at client feedback, data and
statistics. We have consulted with the local schools, SOHA and our partners through the CSP. Its evident there is a huge need for more additional mental health support across SO. This project will enhance the work of our partners offer and avoid duplication as we will be the only charity delivering counselling and tier 2/3 support. We have also have several exploratory sessions with Didcot TRAIN to ensure we can work together to provide an holistic model. We have also consulted with CAMHS and the local primary care network where both have highlighted a huge need for increased provision across SO for more mental health support. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
To increase impact and relevance TAB continually
works to build and maintain effective partnerships with the
organisations most likely to be engaging with vulnerable and
struggling young people; schools (especially in target areas),
charities, police, social services/youth offending teams, CAMHS, GP
surgeries, CSP, youth clubs and churches. We are often approached
by these services when they are seeking advice or support with
young people in regards to their wellbeing. We have regular
meetings with our local partners to ensure there is no duplication
and explore opportunities to work in partnerships. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
360 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
TAB will support the most vulnerable disengaged
young people, those who cannot access private counselling or mental
health support. Our current clients who are waiting for support
from SO suffer from a range of disadvantages. Commonly one or more
of: -
|
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
Our main aim is to improve individual and community wellbeing. We know that improved well-being raises confidence, self-esteem, and self -worth. We want to equip young people with the emotional resilience to overcome life challenges. We want them to have the skills to regulate themselves so they’re better able to manage their emotions and any external factors that might challenge them in life. We have worked with many young people who were involved in risky behaviours, at risk of criminality, involved with antisocial behaviour, and not being able to hold down a job. We have seen the difference that counselling can have on their emotional well-being. We know that when a young person is able to manage their own regulation they are then able to positively contribute to their community. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Outcome (1) Young people show increased
resilience and are less likely to participate in risky
behaviours. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
Our work addresses the “Improve Economic
and CommunityWellbeing priority”. We will be providing a
service for young people which does not exist in South Oxfordshire
on this scale. We shall work in partnership with Didcot
Train, local GP surgeries and local schools. We also offer training to support mental
wellbeing amongst young people through our provision of wellbeing
packs and 1:1 counselling. Greater community cohesion is achieved by young people feeling less anxious; less isolated; less stressed, less depressed and less suicidal. The impact is enormous – not only on the individual but also on family life. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
We ensure all staff are trained and promote
equality for all. You will see that our policy reflects deep
thinking and consideration when it comes to equality for all.
|
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs? |
Any shortfall would be met from other unrestricted donations. |
Thame Players Theatre Company
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 51 |
|
||
Project name Increasing skills capability via training and technical recruitment and increasing marketing to develop additional audiences.
|
|
||||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Thame Players is an amateur theatre group that aims to provide a high-quality, wide-ranging and accessible entertainment programme for the people of Thame and local area.
|
|
||||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund Increasing skills capability via training and technical recruitment and increasing marketing to develop additional audiences;
2.increase the marketing of shows by producing promotional leaflets (to include design, origination and print costs) delivered to an estimated 7,000 households and reach a potential 20,000 people. 3.Build up a training programme using professional trainers and/ or training courses which would increase the theatre’s volunteer skill base in all aspects of running the theatre.
|
|
||||
District reach Chalgrove, Chinnor, Forest Hill and Holton, Garsington and Horspath, Haseley Brook, Thame, Watlington, and Wheatley |
|
||||
Corporate Plan priority Improved economic and community wellbeing |
|
||||
|
|||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
||
Amount requested for service/activities costs |
£10,000 |
£8,000 |
|
||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
||
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£9,000 |
£9,000 |
|
||
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£36,000 |
|
|||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£57,260 |
|
|||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts |
£19,084 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
||
Previous funding awarded: Various Councillor Grant Awards - most recent (2020/2021) £3,000 Volunteering Grant Award (2018/2019) £736 |
|||||
|
|||||
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A realistic three-year plan that includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising through the production and distribution of publicity materials. Some over reliance on certain income streams and small gaps in funding. No clear movement towards a more sustainable and balanced funding base as year three expenditure exceeds income.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
Each financial year appears to show significant gaps in balancing the budget. Officers note due to the Pandemic the Players Theatre was closed from March 2020 unitl July 2021.
|
Score |
0/5 |
Community need and consultation
Some indication of community need with consultation limited to existing service users only. Feedback is received from audiences but not demonstrated through a formal, regular process.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 501 residents benefit from the service and includes a large proportion of ‘vulnerable’ residents.
|
Score |
4/5 |
District reach
Good geographical reach across the district as defined by the number of wards represented against similar population size.
|
Score |
3/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are mostly internally focussed.
|
Score |
2/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Evidence of partnership working with Thame organisations. Testimonials from partners audience members and other customers who have hired the venue or benefitted from their productions.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
The organisation has contributes to residents' well-being through promotion of the arts, and brings together audiences to help combat loneliness and isolation through shared experiences.
|
Score |
2/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Thame Players has demonstrated that their performances are available/accessible to all, and are aiming to widen access through increased promotion and shows. No further score possible with limited evidence.
|
Score |
2/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
N/a
|
Total score |
19/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
The Players Theatre is the only dedicated live performing theatre serving residents of Thame and neighbouring areas within a radius of 10 miles (the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury is the nearest alternative), and specifically residents within the OX9, OX44, OX39 and OX49 postcode areas. New house - building in the area in recent years has increased the catchment to around 20,000 residents.
The geographical reach of the Players Theatre extends predominantly to Thame and to other areas within a ten-mile radius of Thame. There is no other live entertainment venue in this area, the nearest being the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury, with other theatres farther away in central Oxford and in High Wycombe. Although these theatres offer a broad range of entertainment, their ticket prices are all higher than the more affordably priced shows at the Players Theatre (typically between £8-£18), and they involve travelling greater distances with associated parking issues. The theatre in Thame is therefore more accessible, especially for low-income groups, the retired and elderly who do not wish or are unable to travel far, and to those who live in rural locations. Therefore, it makes sense to be able to increase the availability and variety of shows to more fully embrace the local demographic and catchment area. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
Audience surveys have been undertaken over the last 10 years which show that there is a need for affordable live entertainment in the local area, and we have received feedback from audience members which indicate how well our shows are received (uploaded with this document). In addition, we maintain liaison with stakeholders and partners within the local community, including local councils, charities, business users and others who wish to support and/ or hire the theatre for their own activities. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
Collaboration with other service providers is essential in order for us to be able to deliver the activities we are requesting funding for and we have developed or are developing such connections. These include businesses such as design and marketing companies: awemous is a local business who have been assisting us with a rebranding exercise that will drive our continuing appeal to audiences today and tomorrow, and their report will be considered at the next committee meeting. They have also designed a new leaflet which focuses on attracting volunteers to the theatre. We have links with a local door-to-door delivery specialist who can help us with marketing to households in our ten-mile catchment area. We are also developing contacts with theatre-related organisations (including suppliers of technical equipment) who might help us with recruitment of a technical manager, and with training bodies/ specialist trainers who could provide training in various skills required to run the theatre. We are working with Thame Town Council, 21st Century Thame and thame.net, who are jointly spearheading a campaign with events aimed at generating volunteers for local groups, and have already had some expressions of interest. We also work with Thame Museum and have held a joint Open Day with them, and continue to look at ways of cooperating to our mutual advantage, especially in gaining volunteer recruits. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
7000 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
Families (our pantomime is looked forward to
every year and generally sells out) |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
SODC has provided valuable infrastructure support via grant-funding over time, which has enabled the theatre to be more resilient as a building and to keep up to date with changing technology. Enhancing the building and its facilities is very important and creates the foundation for the cultural services that the theatre provides to the community. However, the funding we are currently seeking enables us to complement this support by boosting the theatre’s offering in a different way – this is through enhancing people resources. With the grant assistance we hope to be awarded, we anticipate that the theatre will become more robust as an organisation and, as a result of this, be able to deliver more shows that meet a greater requirement for cultural events. The grant will also help us attract new audiences by undertaking targeted marketing activities. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
Technical skill base – we will have
recruited a contract-based technical manager who will drive our
management of the technical operations that underpin every show the
theatre puts on. He or she will coordinate the operation of all the
technical support shows need and will ensure volunteers are
suitably trained so that they can manage technical operations, at
the same time growing our technical capability so that shows are
not in jeopardy due to the lack of sufficiently skilled
personnel. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
Positive outcomes will include improved community wellbeing, following a period of lockdown, during which communities had no access to live entertainment, and isolation, particularly amongst the elderly, had serious effects in wellbeing and mental health. With the additional resources, we are seeking to increase our visiting shows by 50%, and to increase audience numbers by 15%. All of these initiatives will contribute to the wellbeing of SODC residents and to the wellbeing of our society from an economic perspective. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
We believe that our proposals will take account
of the needs of all theatre users – existing and future
– as well as the needs of those seeking to support their
community through arts-related activities. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs?
|
If there is a shortfall in funding these activities, we would seek to meet these in three ways; by drawing on our own funds; by applying to other grant-funding organisations, e.g. The Theatres Trust, Foyle Foundation and others, with whom we have been successful in the past; and by obtaining funding from sponsors (a new potential sponsorship arrangement is currently under discussion). Depending on the success and sums raised from our grant applications and the sponsorship arrangement (if agreed), we would look to contribute around 10% of our own funds towards the new activities. |
Wild Oxfordshire
|
Ref |
SRev22-24/ 52 |
|
|
Project name Community Ecology Project
|
|
|||
What the organisation does and how it supports residents Wild Oxfordshire is a local charity which provides a co-ordinated and strategic approach to nature conservation in Oxfordshire. Through providing support and encouraging individuals, communities and organisations to work together, Wild Oxfordshire is the catalyst for solutions that benefit people and wildlife within our rich and vibrant county.
|
|
|||
Brief description the service/activities this grant will fund We will inspire and empower communities to
connect with their natural spaces, foster local understanding of
biodiversity and natural capital, and train volunteers on how to
protect and enhance their green and blue infrastructure for future
generations.
|
|
|||
District reach District–wide
|
|
|||
Corporate Plan priority To protect and restore our natural world
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for service/activities costs
|
£10,000 |
£10,000 |
|
|
|
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
|
|
Amount requested for fundraising and income diversification |
£10,000 |
£1 |
|
|
Total grant amount requested over the two years |
£30,000 |
|
||
Total operating costs over the most recent complete financial year 2020/2021 |
£361,145 |
|
||
Percentage of annual operational costs based on 2020/2021 accounts
|
£120,369 |
Has the grant amount been adjusted? No |
|
|
Previous funding awarded: N/A |
||||
|
Scoring |
||
Do they have a balanced three-year financial/fundraising plan covering 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 with evidence of a diverse funding base?
A realistic three-year plan that includes evidence of how a proportion of the revenue grant award will be ringfenced for fundraising and for diversifying income streams. Some over reliance on certain income streams and small gaps in funding, this is unlikely to impact service delivery.
|
Score |
2/5 |
Has the organisation achieved a balanced budget over the last three financial years AND a level of reserves that is sufficient to meet the needs of the organisation? (2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021)
2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 balanced budgets showing both an increase in services/activities and income and officers note some growth in reserves.
|
Score |
5/5 |
Community need and consultation
Strong and clear indication of community need, consultation is regularly carried out with the community/other stakeholders.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Direct community benefit and inclusion
More than 51 and up to 500 residents benefit from the service and it is clear this includes some vulnerable/ priority groups, providing services that compliment council services or indirectly will reduce the likelihood of needing support from the council.
|
Score |
3/5 |
District reach
Whilst full district-wide reach, however, no clear evidence submitted to support statement of reach.
|
Score |
4/5 |
Are the targets reasonable and outcome driven?
Targets are specific and achievable with measurable outcomes for residents, no clear fundraising or income diversification targets.
|
Score |
3/5 |
An additional one point can be added if a local organisation is delivering the same service/activities as a national organisation.
N/A- No national organisation has applied.
|
Score |
0/1 |
An additional one/ two discretionary points can be awarded, for evidence of relevant partnership working, collaboration in and co-production of the service/activities.
Strong evidence provided including testimonals from partners.
|
Score |
2/2 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of our Corporate Plan priorities?
Evidence of aiming to restore nature over a wide area, Parish wide, collaborative working with relevant NGO’s and partners where others are contributing to success.
|
Score |
3/5 |
How will the organisation/ service help us to meet one or more of the council’s equality objectives?
Evidence of increasing awareness of the service provision, to those in need through a variety of channels.
|
Score |
3/5 |
DEDUCTIONS, CONCERNS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Officer note only £1-year 2 fundraising and income generation. As the overall request for this element of funding is a third, officers recommend a specific condition relating to the organisation advising how the fund would be split across the two years, before the first payment is released. |
Total score |
29/43 |
Applicant responses |
|
Community Need and Consultation
|
|
Tell us about the local need for the service/activities and how you identified this need.
|
Oxfordshire’s environmental assets are
under huge pressure - we need our environment to help us combat
climate change and to nurture our health and wellbeing. Decades of
agricultural intensification and the expansion of towns and
infrastructure has impacted the county particularly hard. |
How have you consulted in service/activity planning and are service users involved in ongoing delivery?
|
Wild Oxfordshire have 20 years experience working with a now well-established and thriving network of community groups and volunteers across the county that are motivated to plan and deliver nature conservation at grassroots level. Wild Oxfordshire has been co-leading the set up of the Local Nature Partnership and stakeholder engagement in preparation for the forthcoming Nature Recovery Strategy. |
Let us know how you will work in partnership /collaborate with others.
|
We are trusted by and have a strong relationship with our partner organisations, as well as all our local authorities, statutory bodies and charities. This enables us to work in a very collaborative and inclusive way. Wild Oxfordshire also specialises in communications for nature conservation, so are uniquely well-placed to share learning from this project through our network and beyond. |
Community Benefit and Inclusion
|
|
How many people will benefit from the service/activities on average per year? |
200 |
Tell us who will directly benefit from your service/activities?
|
We support and encourage environmental
organisations, volunteers, and landowners to work together, by
sharing information and good practice, influencing decision-makers
and initiating new projects. We work in partnership with over 60
organisations and constantly build new partnerships with other
sectors to broaden the diversity of our engagement and community
support. |
Tell us how the service/activities that you are requesting funding for complements council services, and/or indirectly reduces the likelihood of needing support from the council |
By enabling local voluntary groups to better conserve and enhance their local environment, we are improving the local environment across Oxfordshire. Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of an improved natural environment on people's health and wellbeing. |
Outcomes, Targets, Monitoring and Evaluation
|
|
What outcomes are you expecting as a direct result of the service/activities?
|
1) More people positively engaged in effectively
conserving and enhancing nature. |
How will the service/activities positively contribute to our corporate plan priorities?
|
Our activities will help the Council meet its
commitment to protect and restore the natural world. |
How will your service/activities contribute to our equality objectives?
|
Funding from local authorities enables us to
provide our services free of charge and open to all
residents. |
Financial Sustainability
|
|
If there is a shortfall in funding how will you cover the service/activities costs? |
If we do not succeed in raising sufficient funds then we will reduce services and costs by reducing staff. |