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08 March 2006

MINUTES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL ON 8^thMarch 2006 AT CRC OFFICES, 6 MURRAY STREET, BELFAST

(CONFIRMED)

01 PRESENT:

Dr David Stevens (Chair), Colin Neilands, Pauline Morgan, Paul Smyth, Maggie Bryson.

02 APOLOGIES

Colin Craig, Dr Cathy Gormley Heenan, Maria Bannon.

03 IN ATTENDANCE:

Jim Dennison, Jacqueline Irwin, Claudine Walls and Eileen Deacon.

04 GENERAL BUSINESS

Members were welcomed and apologies noted.

05 MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

Pauline Morgan reported that CRU had issue with the wording of the Minutes of the 25 November 2005 meeting. Committee agreed to accept the Minutes of the meeting as a factual record of proceedings and it was agreed CRU and CRC discuss this issue and report back to Committee at a later date.

Committee agreed the Minutes of the meetings on 7 and 8 December 2005 and noted that Paul Smyth had declared conflict of interest regarding St Columb’s Park House.

Minutes of 26^th January 2006 were agreed.

06 UNSPENT GRANT AID

Jim Dennison informed Committee that approximately £300k will be decommitted from unspent Peace II grant aid. Jim presented an options appraisal for the reallocation of these monies. After discussion, Committee agreed that it would be appropriate to revisit those projects which scored 67 in the assessment process with a view to awarding grant aid to 2 or 3 of these projects in the future.

07 REOPENING FOR MEASURE 2:1

Jim Dennison suggested an opening date for the re-opening of Measures 2.1. Committee agreed that the Measure re-open for applications for project funding on 14 March 2006 and close on 11 April 2006. Research and Outward and Forward Looking Region will open end May/early June.

08 REALLOCATION REQUESTS

01/0407/001480 – COOKSTOWN LOCAL STRATEGY PARTNERSHIP

Maggie Bryson expressed a concern of interest and left the room
Members were given a synopsis of the request for a reallocation of grant aid. Due to an under-spend in the group’s Measure 2:1 award due to the project experiencing difficulties in recruiting a worker who didn’t come into post until mid-April 2003. The reallocation of grant aid was requested to extend the project until June 2006 (an extension of 10 months which includes the original extension of 8 months until end April in line wit the Worker’s Contract). The Group are requesting the reallocation of grant aid from underspent months (until end June 2006). In line with the uplift in the salary budget heading the group are also asking to use budget underspends to uplift the Administration (by £1,962.00) and Management Fee (by £1,211.00) budget headings in Line with the provision to carry out project activities forward until end June 06. Budget Headings which are currently underspent include Travel, Rent/Heat/Light, Tutor Fees, Publicity and Small Grants (total underspend of £11,545.00). Members discussed both proposals from the group and agreed reallocation requests.

01/0388/001426 – UPPER SPRINGFIELD DEVEVELOPMENT TRUST

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members were given a synopsis of the request for a reallocation of grant aid. Members were advised that the project had recruitment difficulties at the start of the Project which means there was a slight underspend against the salary budget heading (from Sept 02-March 03) and for this reason the group are requesting an extension to the project until end March 06 and an uplift of the salary budget using budget underspends (from Heat/Light, recruitment, Materials) of c£3,370. The Group are also seeking approval to use budget underspends (from Heat/Light, Recruitment, materials) of c £2,500.00 to create Belfast Community Sports Development Network (BCSDN) website. The group is also seeking a further c £2,500 from Budget underspends to uplift the Facilitation budget heading so as to support the costs or residential/planning day. Members discussed all proposals from the group and agreed reallocation requests for Extension/Salary Uplift and the Website but not the reallocation request for the Residential/Planning Days.

01/0408/001812 – NATIONAL COUNCIL OF YMCA/YMCA IRELAND

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members were given a synopsis of the request for a reallocation of grant aid. Members were advised that the project had recruitment difficulties, due to these difficulties the group are requesting a 6 month extension to the project from the end of December 2005 until 30^th June 2006. The project has a balance remaining against their award offer of c£32,953.00 claimed up to and including December 2005). They are proposing to use budget underspends against the Heat/Light, Office Costs, Residential/Training, International Learning and Equipment budget heading to uplift the Rent, Salary (x1 f/t and 1 p/t), Travel and Materials/Accreditation budget headings to the project forward until end of June 2006. Members discussed the proposal from the group and agreed reallocation requests.

01/0328/001894 – THE NERVE CENTRE

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members were given a synopsis of the request for a reallocation of grant aid. The group are requesting a 3 month extension to the project (until end June 06) in order to “complete the production of the final resource, carry out the final evaluation and provide a launch for the new resource”. The group are seeking to reallocate £8,000 using budget underspends (Monitor/Evaluation Consultant - £7,000, Software update - £500 and Salaries £500) in order to carry the project through to is revised completion date of June 20006. They are requesting that the Tutor Cost- Resource Training sub-budget heading be uplifted by £5,500 and the Books/Pamphlets/Research Materials be uplifted by £2,500. The uplifted budget will cover a contribution towards the salary costs (50%) of Sarah Laurence, who is involved in the delivery of the resource as part of the projects CR Strategy (Training Delivery). Members discussed the proposal from the group agreed to the reallocation request but wish to see an evaluation report.

05/0614/030457 – CLIFTONVILLE COMMUNITY REGENERATION FORUM

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members were given a synopsis of the request for a reallocation of grant aid. Members were informed that funding of £200k from the Peace II Extension was awarded to the project managed by Cliftonville Community Regeneration Forum, delivered in partnership with Ashton Community Trust and Ardoyne Focus Group. Applicants’ original proposal was budgeted at £249k. Committee made the decision in December to award up £200k. After much discussion and investigation of project options the applicants cannot make this project work within the £200,000.00 budget line as it would significantly impinge on the nature and quality of the work. The least amount of grant aid required to make this project not only feasible but also to fulfil aims and objectives is £230k. The Collective projects (Cliftonville, Ardoyne and Aston) have substantial underspends due to difficulties in the life of the projects, they are seeking to use the £30,000 underspends to be transferred to the Letter of Offer of Cliftonville Community Regeneration Forum. Members discussed the proposal whilst Committee had sympathy with the request, they could not find a mechanism which would allow this uplift via existing slippage. Committee has agreed that the £200k remain in place and have asked that the group flex the timescales of the project to meet the grant aid available.

09 CAPITAL BUILD UPDATE

Pauline Morgan informed Committee that 12 Economical Appraisals have already been completed with 2 more to be received. Tare Counselling which was reinstated after a Review have been visited by CRU. Pauline informed Committee that in December Artability has substantially changed since December costing implications mean economic appraisals irrelevant. Pauline also advised Committee that FAIR and Colaghty House were still under review and asked Jim to check CRU’s scoring matrix. Jim agreed to this.

On an Operational Level, Jacqueline Irwin noted that a timetable of 3-wekly meetings has been set up between CRC and CRU, some of which have been cancelled. Jacqueline stressed that it is critical that CRC and CRU need to have 3 weekly meetings to keep communication lines opened.

10 ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Dates for the next meeting was agreed for Friday 30^th March at 10.30 am in CRC Belfast Office. It was also agreed to have meetings on the following dates 14 June 2006 at 10.30am and 4^th July 2006 at 10.30am.
Staff and members were thanked for their contribution.