Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2024.

The minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 19 November 2024 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No interests were declared.

To report any urgent action taken under the constitution.

No urgent decisions were reported.

Members of the public are invited to put questions to the Chair on any matters within the powers and duties of the Sub Committee, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice. (Questions must be submitted prior to the commencement of the meeting on the card provided. These are available at the meeting. You can also submit via the council’s website at www.stockport.gov.uk/publicquestions

Members of the public were invited to put questions to the Chair on any matters in the powers or duties of the Sub Committee, subject to the exclusions set out within the Code of Practice.

There were no public questions.

To consider a report of the Assistant Director for Governance.

The report details a number of applications received for funding from the Brookfield Park Shiers Family Trust and asks that the Sub Committee consider and determine the applications in line with the charitable objectives of the Trust.

The Sub Committee is requested to determine the applications for funding from the Brookfield Park Shiers Family Trust.

Officer contact: Charlotte Douglass 0161 474 3235 | charlotte.douglass@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Assistant Director for Governance submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing applications received for funding from the Brookfield Park Shiers Family Trust and recommended that the Sub Committee consider and determine the applications in line with the charitable objectives of the Trust.

Seashell Trust is asking for £4,764 from the Brookfield Park Shiers Family Trust towards the cost of sports equipment and activity costs for Seashell Youth, a new project and youth club provision for young adults with complex disabilities aged 16 – 25 who struggle to access standard youth provision in the local area. Seashell Youth offer a supportive space for young adults with complex disabilities to come together, make friends, access peer support and engage in inclusive sport and wellbeing activities.

A representative of the Assistant Director for Governance submitted an application received on behalf of Seashell Trust (copies of which had been circulated) which sought funding towards the cost of sports equipment and activity costs for Seashell Youth, a new project and youth club provision for young adults with complex disabilities aged 16 – 25 who struggle to access standard youth provision in the local area.

The applicant attended the meeting to speak to the application and respond to questions from the Sub Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         Members noted that this project was a new project and youth club provision for young adults with complex disabilities in the local area. Seashell Youth was expected to offer a supportive space for young adults aged 16 – 25 years old with complex disabilities to come together, make friends, access peer support and engage in inclusive sport and wellbeing activities. Seashell Trust did not currently offer extra-curricular activities which supported this age bracket and, following feedback, felt that a new youth club provision would benefit many local families.

·         The Seashell Youth club would be based on the existing CADs programme that had been operating for 20 years and tailored to suit the 16 to 25-year-old age bracket. The youth club would take place every Saturday afternoon in term time.

·         The activities were also expected to build young adults’ teamwork and leadership skills to support them with employability and/or independent living, in addition to reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation in this age group.

·         It was noted that the amount being applied for was now £2477, less than the original ask. This change related to the applicant’s further scrutiny of the former Urban District for Cheadle and Gatley boundary against the postcode data of anticipated participants to the Seashell Youth club provision. 

·         Other funding sources were also being explored to support the project.

·         Seashell Youth would be open to the community, and not just the students attending Seashell Trust educational provision. It was noted that the majority of participants to the club were expected to be from the local community.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to an application for funding from the Brookfield Park Shiers Family Trust received from Seashell Trust for a grant of £2,477 towards the cost of sports equipment and activity costs for Seashell Youth, a new project and youth club provision for young adults with complex disabilities aged 16 – 25 who struggle to access standard youth provision in the local area. Seashell Youth offer a supportive space for young adults with complex disabilities to come together, make friends, access peer support and engage in inclusive sport and wellbeing activities.

Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur (UK) is asking for £1,150 from the Brookfield Park Shiers Family Trust towards supporting their Spreading Smiles campaign by increasing the frequency and variety of events (4-week period) helping to reduce social isolation in the community. Additional information provided by the applicant is attached at appendix 1.

A representative of the Assistant Director for Governance submitted an application received on behalf of Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur (UK) (copies of which had been circulated) which sought funding towards supporting their Spreading Smiles campaign by increasing the frequency and variety of events (4-week period) helping to reduce social isolation in the community.

Additional information had been provided by the applicant and attached at appendix 1 to the report.

The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         Members noted that the organisation sought £1,150 from the Brookfield Park Shiers Family Trust towards supporting their Spreading Smiles campaign.

·         The application had previously been considered by the Sub Committee at its meeting held on 30 September 2024 and deferred to a future meeting to enable the applicant to provide further information in relation to how many people in Cheadle (the area of benefit) would benefit from the grant. It was further requested that the applicant give consideration as to what was being applied for, as the application at that stage indicated that it was to support ongoing running costs for the project, which was not something that was usually supported by the Trust fund.

·         The Sub Committee considered the additional information that had been provided by the applicant (appendix 1) and noted the new grant amount figure requested.

·         The Sub Committee had several questions about the application and the additional information provided; however, as the applicant was not in attendance at the meeting, it was not possible to secure the additional clarity sought by the Sub Committee.

·         Members queried whether the application was retrospective and whether the organisation had already purchased the equipment, in the light of the request for the Sub Committee to ‘sponsor’ the equipment. Further, whether the organisation sought sponsorship, or whether the project was a new initiative for the mission.

·         The representative of the Assistant Director for Governance clarified that the applicant had been requested to attend the meeting to speak to their application.

·         Members felt that the application should be rejected as there remained a number of outstanding questions in relation to the application, including whether the application was retrospective.

RESOLVED – That the application from Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur (UK) be declined on this occasion on the grounds that, notwithstanding the submission of additional information following the Sub-Committee’s previous deferral of the application, there remained outstanding questions in the relation to the application and matters of clarity that could not readily be resolved at the meeting that meant it would be neither appropriate or prudent to make a grant at this juncture.  

The Sub Committee is requested to consider and agree dates for future meetings of the Brookfield Park Shiers Family Trust Sub Committee.

Proposed future meeting dates for discussion:

·         Thursday 18 September 2025

·         Thursday 20 November 2025

·         Tuesday 24 February 2026

·         Thursday 23 April 2026

Officer contact: Charlotte Douglass 0161 474 3235 | charlotte.douglass@stockport.gov.uk

RESOLVED – That the dates for future meetings of the Brookfield Park Shiers Family Trust Sub Committee be agreed as follows:

·         Thursday 18 September 2025

·         Thursday 20 November 2025

·         Tuesday 24 February 2026

·         Thursday 23 April 2026