The purpose of this posting is to report how I spent my County Councillor’s Funding Allocation; and to report on other financial help that I was able to obtain for our local community groups in Old Dean, St Paul’s and Camberley Town.
Sources of Funding for Community Groups in 2014 / 15
Every Surrey County Councillor received a Revenue Allocation of £10,000 of Council Tax payers’ money during the year 2014 / 2015, down from £12,900 last year. Each Councillor could allocate this money to appropriate projects largely at their own discretion.
In addition, the 6 County Councillors for Surrey Heath shared a £35,000 capital pool of Council Tax payers’ money. The County Councillors had to agree how to donate these pooled amounts, depending on how they jointly judged the relative merits of the schemes that were put forward.
The guidelines for expenditure were that monies should go to organisations that served Surrey Heath residents and that the schemes should be start-up in nature. The idea is to encourage the development of new or extended services for our residents and not to continue routine annual funding of on-going services.
I described how I used my Allocation for 2013/ 2014 here and for 2012 / 2013 here.
My County Councillor’s Personal Revenue Allocation
The following are the main schemes to which I allocated my £10,000 of revenue:
£750 towards the cost of a new web-site for the charity Just Advocacy which is the organisation which provides the Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) service in West Surrey, including Surrey Heath.
IMCA is a statutory advocacy service created under the Mental Capacity Act (2005) to provide additional safeguards for people who lack the capacity to make certain important decisions and, at the time the decision needs to be made, have no family or friends available and appropriate to support and represent them or to be consulted.
Just Advocacy also provides support for other people who may find it difficult to be heard or speak out for themselves. This may include people with disabilities and older people as well as those with mental health issue
£1,000 for Radio Workshops from Eagle Radio for children at Crawley Ridge and Cordwalles Schools, and for Collingwood College.
£420 to Can Do Volunteering for training for disabled people in the sport of Boccia – seated bowls. Can Do Volunteering, which is part of Scope, is a guide for volunteer managers on how to involve young disabled people as volunteers. This guide is produced by the UK’s two largest disability charities, Leonard Cheshire and Scope, in co-production with young disabled people and with funding from the Russell Commission.
For Cordwalles School: £2,089 for equipment for the children’s hydroponics project ; and £1,050 for football goalposts.
For Pineridge School: £625 for specialised play equipment for the nursery and other very young children.
For the Camberley Community Garden Group, now accommodated in the IGC on Knoll Road: £680 towards the cost of providing Astroturf, seats and an awning for the area behind the pond outside the IGC. The Group is made up of people with learning difficulties. I was honoured to be able to provide money to repair the damage done by vandals to the work of this great Group.
£1,669 for new furnishings for the Connect Counselling charity. Connect Counselling Service is a Christian organisation providing counselling to individuals, couples and families experiencing a range of problems such as anxiety, depression, inability to cope, relationship issue, bereavement and more.
£1,000 towards a Bursary Fund for children leaving Surrey County Council’s care.
£1,000 towards the Heathwatch Community Newsletter delivered by Neighbourhood Watch in Surrey Heath.
Shared Capital Funding
I was delighted to obtain £5,000 towards the cost of repairing a roof at Pineridge School, Old Dean.
Other Capital Funding
St Paul’s Church was successful in obtaining a grant of £12,000 from Surrey County towards the cost of renovating its kitchen and £7,700 from Surrey Heath Borough Council towards upgrading the car-park. I was delighted to be able to support these successful applications.
As well as its use for Church activities, the kitchen is available to the many community groups that meet in the Church building, there being no other community building in St Paul’s Ward.
The Chapmans 