Report of Executive Member for Community, Leisure and Culture, Councillor Mark Robinson.

The Executive Member for Community, Leisure and Culture presented the report to Members.  He said in order to engage with as many residents as possible in the forthcoming celebrations it was proposed that the Council offered a £30,000 celebratory grant scheme that would facilitate community events held in commemoration and celebration for both the VE and VJ day 75^th Anniversary celebrations.

He went on to ask Members that the recommendation be extended to include two other significant events during 2020; the 80^th Anniversary of Dunkirk and of the Battle of Britain.  These would be included within the same proposed budgetary figure of £30,000.  Members agreed the recommendation should include the two additional events.

Reasons for Recommendations

1.     Breckland Council has a historic alliance with the armed forces, as well as a strong track record of facilitating such commemorative activity within its communities in the recent past.  The grant scheme will build on those which have gone before it and maximise the amount of Breckland residents able to participate in the national celebrations.

2.     The NCF are experts in grant management and administration and would provide both a better service to the community, and better value for money, through the ability to signpost groups to a wider number of available grant schemes.

3.     The decision would allow current council resources to be better focussed on more proactive and preventative work with local communities and partner agencies, in particular around the health and social care agenda, rather than administration of the grants scheme.

Options

1.     Approve the recommended VE and VJ Day Celebratory Grant Scheme.

2.     Approve the recommended VE and VJ Day Celebratory Grant scheme as outlined within the report and recruit a 0.25fte Communities Officer resource to manage and administer the scheme internally at a cost of £8,652.

3.     Do nothing.

RESOLVED:

1.     That a £30,000 VE and VJ Day celebratory grant scheme for community events to commemorate the 75^th Anniversary of the end of World War II; the 80^th Anniversary of Dunkirk and Battle of Britain, in 2020 be approved,

2.     The VE and VJ Day, and the Dunkirk and Battle of Britain celebratory grant scheme be administered by the Norfolk Community Foundation (NCF).