Agenda item

To receive and consider the report of the Deputy Town Clerk.

With the express permission of the Chair the item was moved up the agenda in order for the representative from Home Start Oxford to hear the deliberation in respect of the grant application.

The report included a request from Home Sstart Oxford seeking a grant award of £11,000. Members were supportive of the work they carried out and were therefore in unanimous support of the proposal made by Councillor R Smith, seconded by Councillor J Doughty to award £11,000 as requested. Members were aware of the financial implications of awarding this sum and the impact on the Youth Provisions budget as outlined in the report.

Following the award of the grant Members received and considered the other items in the report of the Deputy Town Clerk (DTC) in respect of Youth Services

The DTC advised that two applications had been received for the Youth Council and that there was lot of interest at the Carnival so hoped this would lead to more.

Arrangements for publishing Summer Holiday Activities was progressing and once released Members were encouraged to share this widely.

Members were disappointed to hear that Assisting Parents of Children Affected by Mental Health (APCAM) youth mental health drop-in sessions had not yet been confirmed for the school holidays. It was felt that if arrangements couldn’t be put in place soon then sufficient notification of the sessions would not be able to be given. Officers were asked to contact APCAM for a response by 18 July and final arrangements would be put in place with the agreement of the Chair and Leader, anticipated required funding being £1,200-£1,500.

Lastly, members considered establishing separate budget lines for the continued support of The Station and Home Start Oxford, both were seen as integral to the Town however, the grant awards, £28,000 and £11,000 respectively, to these two organisations had all but exhausted the Youth Provision budget for 2024/25.

It was suggested that Officers prepare a report for the next meeting of the Committee to consider how to structure this vital grant funding along with the retention of the existing Youth Provision budget. All members were in agreement.

Recommended:

1.      That, the report be noted and,

2.      That, £11,000 be awarded to Home Start Oxford from the Youth Provision Budget (4169/408) and,

3.      That, it be delegated to Officer in association with the Chair and leader to finalise the award of funding to APCAM should arrangements be advised by 18 July 2024 and,

4.      That, up to £1,000 be funded from the Youth Provision budget (4169/408) for grant support to APCAM with any additional funding coming from the discretionary budget fund (4100/407) and,

5.      That, if the £1,000 grant award to APCAM remains unused in 2024/25 then it be rolled over and earmarked for use by APCAM in 2025/26 budget year.

6.      That, a report be prepared by Officers regarding the establishment of separate budget lines for funding of The Station and Home Start Oxford as well as the retention of the existing Youth Provision budget from 2025/26 onwards.