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Council Minutes
March 2004
4th March 2004
Core Funding Committee Victims and Survivors
Minutes of Meeting: 4 March 2004
Present: Chris O'Halloran (CHAIR), Jim Campbell, John Clarke, Sarah Todd, Maureen Hetherington, Sheila-Jane Malley, Marie-Héléne Knox, Sheena Funston.
Apologies: John Cousins, Caroline Wilson.
In Attendance: Micháela Mackin, Jacqueline Irwin, Brian Mullan, Joan Clements, Carol Taylor
Minutes from Previous Meeting:
Minutes of last meeting were agreed as a true and accurate record of proceedings. Marie-Héléne Knox proposed. Maureen Hetherington seconded.
2. Matters Arising:
Brian informed committee that as previously discussed the new rules for groups forwarding their projected expenditure before deadline will be in place from April and groups will be informed of all future deadlines.
A query was raised with respect to a small grant request from Omagh Self-Help & Support Group. Micháela informed members that two letters have been issued to date informing group of the deadline for receipt of information in relation to pursuing this grant request. Group have been informed that if no information is received prior to this date the file will be closed. (No information has been received from group to date.)
3. Core Funding Officers Reports:
Brian gave the committee a brief explanation of work over the quarter.
Joan gave the committee an update on the recruitment within the Ely Centre. Joan will continue monthly support visits to the Ely Centre for the next six months and Brian will continue verification visits every quarter. Joan and Brian found it useful to meet with representatives from the group and Ely Centre has agreed that the post of Project Co-ordinator will be advertised. Joan Clements will serve as on observer of the recruitment and selection process.
Sarah Todd expressed concern in relation to the Christmas Gala event supported through the small grants scheme but reserves judgement until the evaluation of this event is completed. It was noted that this application was supported by the Core Funding Committee. An evaluation of the event is currently underway and Joan will present a full report to the committee at its next meeting.
Micháela informed committee of the difficulty with regards to committee relationships with South Down Action for Healing Wounds. Micháela indicated that the Council does not defacto manage other organisations/groups. The Council only intervenes where work that has been funded through the Council is not being done or where there is evidence of the misappropriation of funds. Brian Mullan will be meeting with the group in the next few weeks and will assess the work and spend situation upon verification. Discussion took place on issues relating to divisions and patterns noticed of group difficulty to date. It was suggested that any new groups supported through the Scheme would be met with and issues discussed relating to the employment, recruitment and retention of staff with careful consideration re: the decision to employ staff in relation to how they will impact on the working styles of groups. (It was noted that the Council in its Guidance Notes for the Scheme has a section considering the management of Staff for Self Help groups and Parallel Service Providers.)
4. Victims Conference Update:
The Victims Team are presently drafting workshops and will be issuing the conference programme in the near future. It has been well regarded that groups are having an input into the conference and the opportunity to host workshops.
The available budget is £15,000 and groups have been offered a reduced residential rate.
The subject of 'Suicide Awareness' has recently been integrated into the conference as this is currently a high concern within Northern Ireland. Brian and Joan are currently in talks with various organisations in the hope of presenting a workshop on this topic.
Officers' current workload is heavy with follow-up work to the conference workshops and ongoing support and verification work. The full team has been playing a role in the organisation of this event and is anticipated to be a valuable event.
5. Core Funding Applications:
Each committee member was reminded of the process for decision making of core funding applications.
Committee were informed that a core funding grant application received from NIACRO has now been transferred to the Development Grants Scheme with groups' agreement as this was better suited to their request needs.
NITVT
This did not proceed to scoring as members did not feel essential criteria was met through their application.
Omagh Support and Self Help Group
This group met essential criteria and scored above threshold. Committee agreed to support application.
HURT
This group met essential criteria and scored above threshold. Committee agreed to support application.
Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society
This group met essential criteria and scored above threshold. Committee agreed to support application.
Shopmobility
This did not proceed to scoring as members did not feel essential criteria was met through their application.
Columba Community
This group met essential criteria and scored above threshold. Committee agreed to support application.
RUC GC Families Association
This group met essential criteria and scored above threshold. Committee agreed to support application.
Solas
This did not proceed to scoring as members did not feel essential criteria was met through their application.
Note: Those applications which scored above threshold were awarded as per officers recommendations.
6. Special Requests to Committee
Nova
Following on from a previous meeting in relation to allocation of funds where Nova made a formal request for variance, Brian and Joan met with Nova to discuss the allocation of funding to various supported positions. The last quarter payment was released pending committee approval of formal request. As per request the Officer recommended for consistency of approach to be followed and this was agreed. Nova request granted.
Contact Youth
Group requested to use their underspend to increase salary costs. This was rejected by committee due to possible inconsistency relating to contributions to salary provision.
South West Community Victims Initiative
Committee agreed that the request to change the approach to pursue research for their small grant aid proposal is not what was originally supported and was therefore rejected by committee.
Insurance Request
Three groups: Cunamh, Lifeways and West Tyrone Voice requested an increase in insurance allocation.
The committee are aware that insurance rates have risen within the last year. It was agreed to fund the increases in insurance to remain consistent with previous requests. The issue was raised in respect of funding insurance requests if not requested in the groups original application form. Micháela Mackin stated we are unable to fund a group without insurance and committee agreed that this cost heading should be supported.
Rent Request 1
Joan presented paper regarding a request from MAST. Marie-Héléne indicated that in her work with CFNI she is intending to meet Mast in near future. Concern was expressed that if supported other groups may wish to change premises.
Micháela recommended that group is directed for seeding support development through our small grant scheme. Committee agreed that this request could be supported through the small grant scheme.
Decision: Request rejected: direct group to Small Grants Scheme.
Rent Request 2
South Down Action for Healing Wounds request for additional funding in order to change premises was also rejected by the committee.
Decision: Request rejected.
Rent Request 3
FODDD were not awarded rent however group applied for rent in their original application form.
Decision: Request supported - agreed to support rent.
7. Small Grant Application Requests
Lenadoon Community Counselling Project.
Paper was presented to committee and Brian, in his recommendation, stated this was a very worthwhile project and met essential criteria number one of the grant scheme.
Decision: Agreed to support.
CRUSE
This paper was emailed to the committee. Brian informed the committee that he considered this project to meet the criteria for the Small Grant Scheme.
Decision: Agreed to support.
8. Year One Underspend
With respect to this paper Committee asked Officers to calculate the exact figures of how much has been allocated to groups and remaining underspend for the full year. It was agreed that this would be actioned and tabled for the next committee meeting.
Action: Officers to table at next meeting.
It was noted that the Victims Liaison Unit and Victims Unit will not be claiming back any funding allocated to the Scheme, i.e. the full £3million is available for groups.
Options included offering a contribution towards pensions to Core Funded groups. Committee agreed that it would not be possible to backdate contributions towards pensions to cover Year 1, however, if affordable we should allocate underspend towards Year 2.
Action: Exact costings will be emailed to the committee prior to next meeting – if affordable groups would be given a contribution towards Year 2.
Committee agreed that following this process further options may be necessary in order to commit any outstanding underspend. Officers will present other possible means of distribution at the next committee meeting.
9. Strategic Planning
Jacqueline indicated that the Committee had been presented a second draft following on from Councils strategic plan. The current status of the plan is at Draft and Confidential stage. The plan is available for consultation/comments from committee members and is planned to go back to Council on 26 March. Jacqueline indicated that feedback should be given to any member of the victims team or directly to herself prior to 24 March 2004. The committee agreed to have feedback emailed to them.
10. AOB
It was noted due to the substantial workload of the Victims + Survivors Team over the next couple of weeks minutes may not be available until 1 week in advance of the next committee meeting. Apologies to this end were given in advance.
11. Date of next meeting:
27 May 2004 at the Councils' Belfast Office from 1pm – 3.30pm
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