Grants for voluntary
groups
Find out more about our existing
grants programme and the planned changes to our service with the
introduction of project commissioning.
Existing main grants
programmes
Taking the
Local Area Agreement priorities as a core requirement of
funding, the funding programme has supported many initiatives
across the borough:
The council developed this three-year funding programme under the
banner 'Building Communities in Partnership' and replaced the
former Grants Programmes with Commissioning. As a result a number
of not-for-profit organisations were funded to provide the
following services:
- Older People's Health Activity Networks
- Community Activities, Mediation and Recycling
- Volunteering Opportunities
- Civic Pride Volunteer Champions
- Arts - Theatre, Music, Dance, Combined Arts and Literature
- Building an Inclusive Community
- Positive Activities for Young People
- Open Access Play
- Play Days
- Transitional Play
The current programme runs from April 2008 to March 2011 with
annual review of each dependent on provider performance, changing
council priorities and availability of finance.
The Commissioning process involved the following steps:
- Bids submitted - in response to service
specifications, and checked for eligibility
- Bids assessed - by panels against a number of
core and service-specific criteria, and funding recommendations
made
- Decision time - taken on all bids and
strongest offered contracts and funding
- Outputs and outcomes finalised - for all
funded projects
- Close monitoring - of Service Providers
against these targets and performance indicators
Grants to Commissioning Evaluation
During 2008/09, an independent evaluation of the
council's Grants to Commissioning process was completed and the
'Pointers to Better Outcomes (pdf)' report
was produced. The council reviewed the recommendations within
the report and produced a
Response (pdf).
Many of the recommendations were accepted and will be incorporated
as the Council begins the process of preparing for any further
commissioning that may arise for the period after April 2011.
The council hopes these pieces of work will be a step in the right
direction towards strengthening the relationship with the Third
Sector (Voluntary, Community and Faith organisations) in Newham and
will contribute to the
Newham
Compact's vision of mutual trust and respect between the
sectors.
Consultation Event for Round Two of the Grants to
Commissioning process
On Wednesday 27 January 2010, Leisure Services (formerly Culture
& Community) co-ordinated an open meeting for the Third Sector
at the Stratford Old Town Hall.
The priorities of the Sustainable Community Strategy were outlined,
as the Council's key corporate guidelines which will inform future
commissioning.
Workshop discussions took place on community needs and priorities
from participants. This will assist the Council in reviewing the
service areas which could potentially be included in the next round
of commissioning co-ordinated by the Leisure Service.