Councillor Nicolson indicated that he had a connection to item 7 of the agenda - Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton & Langbank Local Partnership Budget Monitoring Report –- as he was a member of the Inchinnan Development Trust. However, he indicated that he had applied the objective test and did not consider he had an interest to declare and intimated that it was his intention to remain in the meeting and to take part in any discussion or voting thereon.

Councillor Campbell declared an interest in item 7 of the agenda – Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton & Langbank Local Partnership Budget Monitoring Report - as she was the Chair of the Board of Erskine Arts. However, she indicated that she had applied the objective test and did not consider he had an interest to declare and intimated that it was her intention to remain in the meeting and to take part in any discussion or voting thereon.

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership held on 16 June 2022.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

A McBride, Renfrewshire Engage, provided a summary report relative to the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund 2022/23.

The Local Partnership was advised that the Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund was now in its second year and Engage Renfrewshire had been allocated just over £500,000 to distribute to the third sector for new applicants and also previously awarded projects for adults. A brief overview of the aims, key priorities and target audience of the Fund was provided and 52 projects had been supported across Renfrewshire.  Projects supported in the Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton & Langbank Local Partnership area were EBI Unite, Erskine Arts and Inchinnan Development Trust.  

Information was presented on the impact of the fund generally and individually on organisations.

A McBride indicted that applications for the second year of funding had opened in September and closed at the end of October. It was noted that t successful groups would be notified in early December with payments made in January 2023 and that the Fund was over-subscribed.  

DECIDED: That the content of the presentation be noted.

There was submitted a presentation by John Kennedy, Senior Community Development Manager relative to the Building Communities Approach.

An overview was provided of the four main areas of responsibility and the wide range
of activities undertaken by Communities Learning & Development Section. 

Reference was made to the delivery of universal services, targeted provision, community capacity and connected communities initiatives, generic adult and youth services within the Bargarran area, the Young Scot card and future partnership working with Local Partnerships. It was noted that each local partnership was to be provided with a single point of contact within the Building Communities service to ensure communities and members of the partnership could access Council Services and support easily. These contacts would ensure enquiries and local concerns were resolved or directed to the appropriate Council Service and seek to drive forward work and priorities identified by local partnerships within their area.

DECIDED: That the presentation be noted.

There was submitted a presentation by J Kennedy and N Perratt who provided information on the recruitment session attended by 12 people for the Youth Led Steering Group who had a number of planning session to identify the fund priorities for the Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton & Langbank Local Partnership area.  The role of the Celebrating Renfrewshire Youth-led Steering Group was outlined, as were the main priorities. Twelve applications for funding for this area were received with the total of all application amounting to £31,731.00. 

Applications for funding required to be submitted between 16 September and 9 October 2022 with local young people having the opportunity to determine which local projects were granted funding.  A total of 188 young people from Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton & Langbank area voted. Seven organisations were awarded the full amount and one organisation were awarded partial funding.

Details of those awards made was as follows:- Erskine Arts - £2860.00; Lamont Farm Project - £3,000.00; Paisley Pirates Supporters Club 0 £3,000.00; Renfrewshire Carers Centre - £1,715.00; Renfrew Town Sea Scouts - £3,000.00; Pace Theatre Company - £3,000.00; and Who Cares? Scotland - £3,000.00.  Bungalow Enterprise received partial funding of £713.00.

DECIDED: That the information provided be noted.

S Graham, Chief Executive’s Service, gave a presentation on the Winter Connections Programme, a network of local places where people could connect to others in their community this winter.

The presentation highlighted the purpose of the Winter Connections Fund which would provide assistance to local groups to help cover the additional costs in making venues, activities and sessions available as part of the Winter Connection Programme. The presentation outlined the timeline and next steps for the Programme.

DECIDED: That the content of the presentation be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Strategic Partnership & Inequalities Manager relative to building and strengthening the Local Action Group for the former LEADER rural areas.

The report referred to a collaborative programme being undertaken  between Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and Inverclyde to recruit new members to a strengthened Local Action Group (LAG) for the Greater Renfrewshire and Inverclyde (GRI) rural areas. 

The report indicated that the former European funded LEADER programme stopped in 2020, with the UK withdrawal from the European Community. Between 2014 and 2020 it invested some £1.7m, leveraging £2.8m match funding and generated some £4.5m for the area. The Scottish Government had been interested in how the approach to rural support and intervention might be enhanced and had invited submissions from former LEADER areas for projects to test new approaches to delivering community-led local development and  to identify how Local Action Groups might be strengthened with more diverse representation.

The report indicated that while funds across Scotland for these projects in 2022/23
had been modest (£11m+), they lent credence to future funding being made available by Scottish Government to substitute for LEADER once the 2023/24 Scottish Budget is published in December 2022.

The strengthening of Local Action Groups by inviting applications to join had been interpreted to include people and organisations from the geography of the rural areas (e.g. community development trusts, village associations etc.) and from those whose activities were considered to meet equality, diversity and inclusion criteria.

The role of the strengthened Local Action Group and of the new members recruited for their capacity, interest, commitment and skills, were being defined at present, with each Council, plus e.g. Engage Renfrewshire, participating in a widespread social media recruitment campaign in November. The Partnerships were asked to help publicise the recruitment opportunity.

DECIDED: That it be agreed that Local Partnerships assist in publicising the recruitment opportunity.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton & Langbank Budget Monitoring Report.

The report advised that at the meeting of the Partnership held on 16 June 2022, three projects (FR1075 Inchinnan Development Trust, FR11126 Right2Dance and FR1083 Erskine Arts) were awarded funding that was ringfenced subject to the submission of additional information. This information had been submitted and was detailed in the report.

DECIDED:

(a) That the budget monitoring report 2022/23 be noted; and 

(b) That funding awards previously ringfenced for FR1075, FR1126 and FR1083 be approved.

The following dates were proposed for meetings of the Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton & Langbank Local Partnership during 2023:-

16 February 2023;
11 May 2023;
7 September 2023; and
30 November 2023.

DECIDED: 

That the dates proposed for meetings of the Partnership for 2023 be approved.