Prior to the commencement of the meeting, the Chair intimated that this meeting of the Local Partnership would be recorded and that the recording would be available to watch on the Council's YouTube channel. 

Cllr McGurk and K Wilson-Scott (Kairos Women +).

There were no declarations of interest or transparency statements intimated prior to commencement of the meeting.

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of this Local Partnership held on 27 November 2024.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the funds allocated by this Local Partnership in 2024/25 and the current budget position.

The report reminded members that Paisley East Local Partnership provided funding to community groups to undertake projects. This funding was allocated from the General Grant Fund and through a Participatory Budgeting exercise known as Celebrating Renfrewshire. An update on Local Partnership funding, and a table setting out the funds allocated in 2024/25 by Paisley East Local Partnership and the current budget position was provided as Appendix 1 of the report.  It was noted that following the decision to allocate funding to Mountain Ash Club and Oldhall Scout Group the required documentation to enable payment of these grants had not been submitted despite numerous requests and that, as a consequence, a sum of £2,932 had been returned to the Paisley East Local Partnership budget.  The Partnerships Planning and Development Manager advised that the figure detailed in the report was incorrect. It was proposed that the unallocated balance of the 2024/25 budget be reallocated, as detailed in paragraph 1.4 of report, to a number of projects which had previously been awarded funding, had not been awarded all of the funding that they had applied for and were based in the Paisley East area. Reference having been made to the impact within the local  partnership area resulting from the reduction in funding received by ROAR Connections for Life Councillor Adam, seconded by Councillor Clark moved that £2,932 be awarded to ROAR Connections for Life to facilitate the continued provision of activities by Ralston Tea Group. 

The report also provided an update on the Local Partnership Development Programme and highlighted the schedule for 2025/26 local partnership funding.  Appendix 2 of the report detailed the previously agreed Paisley East Local priorities.

DECIDED: That the reallocation of £2,932 of Paisley East Local Partnership 2024/25 funding to ROAR Connections for Life to facilitate the continued provision of activities by Ralston Tea Group be approved and that otherwise the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive in connection with the proposed process and options relating to the Paisley East Local Partnership Grant Awards 2025/26.

The report advised that the Paisley East Local Partnership had in previous years received a greater value of applications for funding than it had available to award. As a result, Paisley East Local Partnership members had previously discussed the desirability of agreeing a methodology to apply, in principle, to applications received. In addition, Paisley East Local Partnership had previously agreed a number of priorities for the area. The agreed priorities were outlined in an Appendix to the report.  The proposed process for considering funding applications to Local Partnerships was outlined within the report All applications required to indicate which of the local priorities the application met. The local priorities were used as an initial assessment of the extent to which applications met, partially met or did not meet the needs of Paisley East. It was highlighted that applications received would be grouped for presentation into a number of tables detailing applications for activities taking place within the Local Partnership boundary that met local priorities; applications for activities taking place elsewhere in Renfrewshire, but which met the local priorities; applications that only partially met or did not meet local priorities; and applications that were ineligible for Local Partnership funding. When the total value of applications exceeded the budget available, the Chair would develop a proposal as a methodology for making grant awards. These proposals would be considered by the Local Partnership at the meeting and amended as appropriate. Potential options that could be taken into account as principles to apply when developing the Chair’s funding proposals for Paisley East Local Partnership in 2025/26 were outlined within the report. These options were not exhaustive nor mutually exclusive and included fully funding projects applying for an allocation below a specified sum; refusing  applications where it was not felt the application was of significant benefit to the local partnership area or the applicants had not supplied feedback from previous awards; implementation of a cap in the value of awards given; award of a pro rata/percentage of the application funding sought; and/or referring applications to other potential funding streams. 

During discussion it was proposed and agreed that the outcome of the initial assessment, by officers, of the extent applications for funding met the local partnership priorities be indicated by use of a colour coding or a numbering system.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the process and options detailed in the report for awarding Local Partnership funding be noted and;

(b) That, subject to the total value of applications received, the following principles be agreed and applied when considering funding applications for Paisley East Local Partnership in May 2025:

(i) That small applications (up to £1,000) be awarded the total amount sought;

(ii) That no cap, other than the £5,000 limit, be placed on the value of awards made;

(iii) That applications from groups located within the Paisley East Local Partnership area and meeting local priorities be prioritised;

(iv) That applications be weighted by the number of local priorities met;

(v) That percentage awards (pro-rata) be made where appropriate;

(vi)That applications be refused where it was felt that the application was not of significant benefit to the area or applicants had failed to provide feedback on previous grant award; and

(vi) That where a proposed project had a closer fit with criteria for funding streams other than the Local Partnership awards the application be referred to a more appropriate funding stream and was not funded from the Local Partnership budget.

DECIDED: It was noted that the next meeting of the Paisley East Local Partnership was scheduled to be held in Renfrewshire House at 6pm on 7 May 2025 and it was highlighted that there was no facility to participate in the proceedings remotely.