To receive any apologies for absence

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Mrs Bateson.

To receive any declarations of interest

No declarations of interest were noted.

To consider the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 14^th July.

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, July 14^th were agreed as a true and accurate record.

To view and consider the above report.

The Head of Governance, Partnerships, Performance and Policy told the Panel that a number of Members had already committed their funds to a project, or have carried forward amounts from the previous financial year. He said that Officers were continuing to monitor and record Members’ commitments.

It was noted that, as of August 1^st, a total of 19 Members have so far spent some or all of their funds. The Head of Governance, Partnerships, Performance and Policy told the Panel that this was a reasonable start, as only a quarter of the 2016/17 financial year had elapsed. However he added that Members who had so far not committed any money should be encouraged to allocate their funds.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services arrived at the meeting at 5.07pm.

The Chairman said that reminders should be sent out to Members who have not committed any funds to encourage them to identify a project to allocate money to. He added that the same thing should be done to Members who had carried over money from last year.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Members noted the progress of the implementation of the Members’ Budget.

To view and consider the above report.

The Head of Governance, Partnerships, Performance and Policy told Members that it was being proposed to revise the timetable of meetings, so that the Panel would meet less frequently and therefore be able to assign money to a greater number of good causes each time. He said that four voting rounds, with £9,000 available each time, had been proposed by the Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities. He said that this was currently being considered by Officers, subject to feedback from the Sub Committee.

The Cabinet Member for Planning queried why certain good causes were not applying for funding from the scheme. The Chairman suggested that the Council could write to good causes to let them know about what funding is available to them. The Head of Governance, Partnerships, Performance and Policy said that the Neighbourhood Participatory Budget Scheme has been promoted previously, and said he would check with Officers to see what was being done at the present time.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services asked whether the database of good causes that was set up for the Big Society Panel was still being maintained. The Head of Governance, Partnerships, Performance and Policy said he would clarify this with Officers.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services noted that some of the applications being considered by the Panel had requested match funding. The Head of Governance, Partnerships, Performance and Policy said that the Panel had the option of not providing any match funding.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services asked if it would be possible for an appendix to be included in future reports, to remind Members which schemes had been allocated funds over the previous two years. Members agreed to this suggestion.

Members were asked to vote for which of the applicants should be allocated funding.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That:

·         £2,000 be awarded to the Windsor Horse Rangers

·         £2,000 be awarded to the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service

·         £2,000 be awarded to the Family Friends in Windsor & Maidenhead

·         No match funding be awarded