Agenda item

Cherry Underwood, Trust Executive at The Renewal Trust

Cherry Underwood, Renewal Trust, gave a presentation on the Area Based Grant for Dales, Mapperley and St Anns during 2016-17 highlighting the following information:

(a)  There are currently 15 Renewal Trust partners and approximately 30 voluntary sector organisations indirectly involved.

(b)  The Renewal Trust is working through a range of areas: employment and skills; community cohesion; children and young people; and community associations.

(c)  In relation to employment and skills, performance is above target on the number of job club sessions held but fewer job fairs have been supported.  Adjustments to resourcing and ways of working will be made if necessary to ensure that targets are delivered.  Action is being taken to address performance issues, for example addressing reluctance by some service users to go to Job Centre Plus.

(d)  The Community Learning Network is based on monies previously allocated to support Communities of Identity.  The Renewal Trust is confident that annual targets will be met but to support this further work is being undertaken to better understand the target audience and how to support them.

(e)  £8000 funding is available for residents grants to help remove the practical barriers to employment, for example interview/ work clothes, travel costs.

(f)  There is a reasonably good spread of venues at which employment and skills support is provided across the wards but suggestions of new/ alternative venues are welcome.

(g)  Work with children and young people involves both universal provision and outreach and targeted work.  ‘Hotspots’ for targeting children and young people are identified through Neighbourhood Action Team meetings and the Young Peoples Panel. Through focused case work the aim is to get young people into universal provision.

(h)  Universal provision for children and young people at Greenway is well attended and there is a growing number of different young people attending.  ‘Switch Up’ at The Sycamore Centre’ is also well attended.

(i)  Holiday activities for children and young people are provided by a range of different providers and there were 35 sessions available.  The availability of ice skating activities was really positive especially because many of the young people live close to the Ice Arena but have never been there.  Many of the holiday sessions were attended by the same young people and the Renewal Trust would like to increase the number of unique young people attending. 

(j)  Holiday provision for children and young people in the October half term holidays was changed to try and build relationships with young people through a day trip to Holme Pierrepont.  96 young people signed up to go and 82 attended and took part in a range of activities.  The feedback was excellent and there are plans to build on it for February half term and with a residential trip at Easter to further develop relationships.  It was disappointing that Switch Up, KK Sports and the Muslim Community Organisation didn’t engage with the idea and promote it to young people who then missed out. 

(k)  Community cohesion work is taking place with the Muslim Community Organisation and Stonebridge City Farm.

(l)  The Renewal Trust was keen not to lose the activity that took place at the Old School Hall and had worked with community groups who previously used the Hall to relocate their sessions.  A vision is being developed for the future of the Hall.

(m)The situation with Mapperley Community Association is challenging and they are currently not being funded until the Renewal Trust can be assured that they have adequate safeguarding and equal opportunities policies in place.

During discussion the following comments were made and additional information provided:

(n)  The Muslim Community Organisation doesn’t have a dedicated youth worker and therefore getting the organisation to commit on a regular basis might be difficult.

(o)  Performance is above target for numbers of people attending job clubs but under target for getting people into employment.  One of the factors affecting getting people into employment is the availability and cost of childcare.  In addition, the transition month between receiving benefits and starting employment can be financially challenging.

(p)  City College no longer provide job clubs in Mapperley ward due to the lack of uptake but there could be scope to work with the College to identify new venues and/or events that they can co-ordinate with.

(q)  It is important that provision for children and young people focuses primarily on the children and young people living in those wards.

(r)  16 residents grants have been given out so far, which is approximately half of the funding available for the year.  Funding is only provided to residents who are referred through partner organisations to ensure that it is used for the right purpose.  It was suggested that there could be scope to promote the availability of residents grants more widely as it might encourage people to engage with the support programmes.

(s)  Data is available on the demographics of those people supported and can be provided.

(t)  The Renewal Trust is confident that it will meet performance targets for getting people into employment by the end of the year but targets for getting people into training may not be met because not all people recognise the value of training and it can be more challenging to get them to take up training opportunities.

RESOLVED to note the update from the Renewal Trust on the Area Based Grant.