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Council Minutes
February 2007
15th February 2007
Community Initiatives Committee
Thursday 15th February 2007
CRC Belfast
Present: Mr Michael Wardlow (Chair), Dr David Stevens, Ms Eileen Gallagher, Ms Libby Keys, Mr Barney Devine, Ms Maura Muldoon
Observers: Ms Jane Corderoy (arrived at 2.30pm)
In Attendance: Dr Duncan Morrow, Ms Jacqueline Irwin, Ms Micháela Mackin, Mr Paul Jordan, Ms Roisin Montague,
Ms Naomi Doak (Minute Taker)
| 1.Apologies |
Drew Haire
| 2. Minutes of Previous Meeting |
Agreed
| 3.Matters Arising |
Ms Montague informed the committee that Democratic Dialogue is no longer core funded and will be incorporated into the Institute of Conflict Research. (Members may do publications throughout the year for namesake.)
| 4.Programme Reports |
| 4.1 Funding and Development (Paper CIC15/12/17/002A refers:) |
Mr. Jordan confirmed that verifications and reports were ongoing. Additional money had been made available in January from CRU and 13 out of 25 projects had been funded. The CRCD Grant Scheme for 07/08 re-opened for applications on 12th February 2007. To date 10 applications have been added to the system in preparation for funding for projects taking place in the next financial year. A letter for CR week has been issued and responses have been good.
Mr. Wardlow asked whether there was anything to suggest that OFMDFM would contribute more money.
Ms. Irwin suggested funding was only offered as a last resort and that more pragmatic interim arrangements were needed so that groups do not suffer.
Ms. Mackin stated that it had been suggested CRC would be dealing with funding for minority ethnic groups. Ms. Mackin expressed concern that an assumption had been made that the task of funding such groups had been passed to CRC without the budget for such work having increased.
Ms Irwin suggested that CRC talk to such groups that make contact with them and make these visible to CRU and the Race Equality Unit.
Mr Jordan stated that there was interest in Research Awards. The 10-12 applications that CRC received in the past were indicative of the numbers that were expected. There would be a 1½ hour meeting to ratify decisions for £10,000-£15,000 awards.
Committee noted with disappointment the absence of a representative from the OFMDFM from the start of the CIC meeting. Committee were informed that CRU had apologised for not attending, due to the required attendance at the OFMDFM annual staff conference. CRC staff had informed CRU that this was the main CFP decision making meeting of the calendar year and it was important to have representation from CRU in attendance. It was explained to Committee that representatives from CRU would attend the meeting immediately after the conference.
| 4.2 Core Funding (Paper CIC15/02/07/002B refers:) |
Ms Montague stated that the practitioners forum on Bonfires has been well attended. The next forum will take place on 8th March at Armagh College and will be on murals and memorials. This will be co-ordinated with the Policy Department of CRC.
Mr Wardlow asked how the Good Relations evaluations had been received. Ms Montague stated that there had been some grammatical errors which were cleared up upon final reports.
Ms Irwin stated that CRU had raised concerns about the evaluators going beyond their brief however this was resolved.
Mr Wardlow stated that there was huge confusion in terms of the matrix of funding. Not only is there the question of who does what but a strong protectionist attitude also exists.
| 5. Joint CIC/EU Seminar – verbal update from Chair |
Mr Wardlow stated that this had been very useful as each had learned a lot about the other committee, including shared pressures. There was agreement to meet more often.
Issues had been raised about the possibility of a single application form. Questions about sustainability and where things could be more appropriately placed were also raised. Small grants play a huge role in terms of leverage, especially where the issue of race is concerned. There is also a need for a joined-up approach in the sector. There are a number of key areas we need to be supporting such as race and victims. The issue of changing the name from Core Funding to Contribution towards costs was also raised.
Ms Irwin added that the staff group who put together the programme were meeting together on 21st February to put together an action plan to deliver these ideas.
Mr Devine asked what the outcome of the Peace III negotiations will be for CRC. Dr Morrow stated that the answer to this was speculative at this time.
Issues Papers
Mr Wardlow stated that proposals with departmental overlap might sit better elsewhere. If something should sit elsewhere there should be a clarification of policy.
Dr Stevens stated that the programme was in the process of transition and we need to be clear about the timetable. It was not appropriate to embark on new policy directions until the road is clear. CRU should be at the meeting to provide guidance on these issues.
Dr Morrow stated that the conversation could be raised now and again when CRU staff arrived at the meeting. There are strategic issues about resources and who is going to fund these issues. How are interdepartmental issues to be resolved? Decisions need to be made.
Ms Irwin stated that there was a need to move from passive to active. There were two structural gaps. Firstly we should facilitate a meeting of independent funders on a regular basis. Secondly we need to know what central and local government are going to do.
| 6. Evaluation Programme 2007/2008 (Paper CIC15/02/07003 refers:) |
Members were asked to allocate funding from the programme for the evaluation process. This process is to be completed internally, there will be approximately 22 groups coming to the end of their funding cycle in the year 2007/2008 who will require evaluation. Following discussion members agreed on a budget of £40,000.
Committee agreed with staff recommendation to review the evaluation programme in order to better manage the workload. Committee also agreed to a small sub-committee being set up, if necessary.
| 7. Applications for Core Funding |
| 7.2 Applications declined on basis of criteria (Paper CIC15/02/07/003 refers) |
Committee had reviewed the applications and agreed to decline the following groups on the basis of criteria:
06/0683 Dungiven Community Resource Centre
06/0723 The Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation
06/0748 Ligoniel Improvement Association
06/0761 Ligoniel Family Centre
06/0749 NI-TECA
06/0755 ArtsEkta
06/0751 Inter Estate Partnership/Ulster Scots Development Trust
06/0752 Solas NI
06/0756 Stadium Community and Youth Projects
06/0758 Conflict Trauma Resource Centre
06/0760 Greysteel Community Association
06/0762 Harryville Ulster Scots
06/0765 One Vision Community Trust
06/0764 Women’s Information Group
| 7.2 Continuation Funding: Proposed 2007/2008 budgets for existing contracts (Paper CIC15/02/07/005) |
Members were asked to consider continuation of funding for groups in their second or third year of contracts. Once all funding decisions were made the committee agreed to give all groups with the exception of Tinderbox Theatre Company an inflationary increase.
06/0866 Centre for Contemporary Christianity in Ireland
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008 and agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £41,237.00
06/0867 Institute for Conflict Research
Committee considered the budget for the year 2007/2008 and agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £30,928.00
Michael Wardlow left the room – a quorum was maintained.
06/0868 Mediation Northern Ireland
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase. The group projected a high deficit for next years budget and requested that CRC would provide a contribution of 10% to this deficit. The Committee agreed to review this at the end of the meeting when all application decisions were made.
Amount: £120,103.00
Michael Wardlow returned.
06/0869 174 Trust
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £33,959.00
06/0870 Ashton Community Trust
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £30,928.00
06/0871 Community Dialogue
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £51,546.00
06/0872 Downtown Women’s Group
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £19,588.00
06/0873 Forthspring Inter Community Group
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £21,134.00
06/0874 Holywell Trust
Committee considered the budget for the year 2007/2008 and agreed that Holywell Trust failed to achieve full spend under the administrators salary and have a continuous under-spend in running costs. The committee agreed to continue funding at a reduced level of £35, 282 with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £36,373.00
06/0875 LINC Resource Centre
Committee considered the budget for the year 2007/2008. The LINC were allocated £922.00 last year as a one off payment for office set up and equipment costs. The new agreed figure takes into consideration this reduction as well as an inflationary increase.
Amount: £29,977.00
06/0876 St Columb’s Park House Reconciliation Centre
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £25,773.00
06/0877 The Beat Initiative
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £15,464.00
06/0878 The Fermanagh Trust
Committee considered the budget for the year 2007/2008 and agreed that The Fermanagh Trust have consistently failed to achieve a full spend under the administrators salary heading and suggested a reduction of £1,300.00 to reflect this. The group also received an inflationary increase.
Amount: £29,588.00
06/0879 Ulster People’s College
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £21,433.00
06/0880 Ballynafeigh Community Development Association
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £28,866.00
06/0881 Belfast Interface Project
Committee considered the budget for the year 2007/2008 and agreed that Belfast Interface Project did not achieve full spend on 2 salaries due to pension issues and have a continuous reduction under-spend on travel. It was therefore decided to reduce funding by £2,063.00 to £54,517.00 and subsequently give an inflationary increase.
Amount: £56,203.00
06/0882 Community Relations Forum
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £31,732.00
06/0883 Partisan Productions
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £16,495.00
06/0884 Sole Purpose Productions
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £9,021.00
06/0885 Suffolk/Lenadoon Interface Group (SLIG)
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £12,371.00
06/0886 The Junction: Towards Understanding and Healing
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £47,866.00
06/0887 The Nerve Centre
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £16,701.00
06/0888 The Ulster Society
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £36,082.00
06/0889 TIDES Training
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase.
Amount: £34,536.00
06/0890 Trademark
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008. It was agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary increase. The group projected a high deficit for next years budget and requested that CRC provided funding towards this. The Committee agreed to review this at the end of the meeting when all application decisions were made.
Amount: £33,356.00
Committee considered the budget submitted for the year 2007/2008 and agreed to continue funding with an inflationary increase.
| 7.3 Applications for 2007/2008 |
06/0682 Corrymeela
Committee considered the organisation’s application materials and continued discussion from December’s meeting and agreed to continue to fund at the current level with an inflationary increase for 2 years.
Amount: £128 866
Eileen Gallagher left the room – a quorum was maintained.
06/07/05 Groundwork NI
Committee considered the organisation’s application materials and continued discussion from December’s meeting and agreed to continue to fund at an increased level with an additional inflationary increase for 1 year with the possible extension of a third.
Amount: £28 191
06/0693 InterAction
Committee considered the application materials and continued discussion from December’s meeting and agreed to fund at a reduced level but with an inflationary increase for 1 year with a possible extension to 2.
Amount: £55 155
06/0706 Intercomm
Committee considered the organisation’s application materials and continued discussion from December’s meeting and agreed to continue to fund at the current level with an inflationary increase for 1 year.
Amount: £23 627
06/0704 Irish School of Ecumenics
Committee considered the application materials and continued discussion from December’s meeting and agreed to fund at a reduced level but with an inflationary increase for 1 year.
Amount: £36,082.00
Eileen Gallagher returned.
06/0699 Kilcranny House
Committee considered the organisation’s application materials and continued discussion from December’s meeting and agreed to continue to fund at an increased level with an additional inflationary increase for 2 years with the possible extension of a third.
Amount: £26,804.00
06/0696 PAKT (Lurgan)
Committee considered the application materials and continued discussion from December’s meeting and agreed to continue to fund at the current level with an inflationary increase for 2 years with the possible extension of a third.
Amount: £24,292.00
06/0695 Peace and Reconciliation Group (PRG)
Committee considered the application materials and continued discussion from December’s meeting and agreed to continue funding at the current level with an inflationary rate for 1 year on the condition that future applications should be clearly interconnected with the work of The Junction and The Holywell Trust.
Amount: £86,773.00
Libby Keys left the room – a quorum was maintained.
06/0701 Rural Community Network
Committee considered the application materials and continued discussion from December’s meeting and agreed to continue funding at a reduced level with an inflationary rate for 2 years with the possible extension of a third.
Amount: £40,407.00
Libby Keys returned.
06/0703 Workers Education Association
Committee considered the application materials and continued discussion from December’s meeting and agreed to continue funding at an increased level with an inflationary rate for 2 years with the possible extension of a third.
Amount: £45,642.00
Michael Wardlow left the room – a quorum was maintained.
06/0750 NI Council for Integrated Education (NICIE)
Committee discussed the application materials and agreed that although the group scored highly there is already a designated fund within the Department of Education for CR work.
Amount: NIL
Michael Wardlow returned.
06/0753 NIPPA – The Early Years Organisation
Committee discussed the application materials and agreed that although the group scored highly there is already a designated fund within the Department of Education for CR work.
Amount: NIL
06/0766 Derry and Raphoe Action
Committee discussed the application materials and agreed that the work carried out by this group continued to mainly focus on single identity issues and did not meet with the aims and objectives of the Core Funding Programme to warrant support at this time.
Amount: NIL
06/0754 Tinderbox Theatre Company
Committee discussed the application materials for this organisation. Funding was granted for one year subject to the possibility of future collaborative work with Sole Purpose and Partisan Productions
Amount: £17,632.00
06/0760 Armagh Confederation of Voluntary Groups
Committee discussed the application materials and agreed that the organisation was more focused on Community Development issues rather than Community Relations and therefore did not believe that it warranted support at this time.
Amount: £NIL
Michael Wardlow left the room
Special Requests – Mediation Northern Ireland and Trademark:
Having considered all applications, Committee agreed in principle to increase support towards Trademark and Mediation NI’s running costs only but only from any potential in-contract savings that the CFP might have. In this instance both Trademark and Mediation NI would be required to furnish CRC with a business case which would outline how they plan to fully address their shortfall/deficit.
Re: MNI - The Committee agreed to set aside £11,000 to assist MNI. This would only be made available to the group in Quarter 4 pending a business case.
Michael Wardlow returned.
Re: Trademark - The Committee agreed to set aside £15,000, to be made available in Quarter 4 pending a business case.
Dr Morrow stated that demands on Core Funding continue to exceed supply. It was the decision of the Committee to turn down bids which overlapped with areas which could be funded by other organisations, for example, the Department of Education. The Good Relations Panel should establish a sub-committee with other funding groups to see how we can fund for A Shared Future.
Michael Wardlow returned.
| 8. AOB |
Mr Wardlow pointed out that Jane Leonard has resigned from the committee and was concerned about membership.
Dr Morrow stated that by the 9th May meeting the Committee should have a full complement of members.
Dr Morrow thanked the Committee for their valuable and active participation. Dr Morrow stated that the Committee made Council feel safe where their decision making was concerned.
Dr Morrow thanked Ms Montague for her hard work on the grant applications and also Ms Mackin and Ms Irwin for overseeing that work.
| 9. Date of next meeting |
CIC meeting 9th May, Dungannon
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