Mid and East Antrim community grants process will need to be reviewed, councillors told

Speaking at a meeting of the local government authority’s Corporate Resources, Policy and Governance Committee at a meeting on Monday evening, Laureen Donnan, interim director of Corporate Services, said: “We will run one more scheme for people to apply, then that is resources used for this financial year.

“It is one of the things we need to bring back as part of rates-setting for next year to view the scheme as a whole and whether or not it needs to be altered in any way.”

A budget of £410,000 was approved through rates setting for the 2023/24 financial year. The council is facing a financial shortfall of £7.2m.

A report presented to the Corporate Resources, Policy and Governance Committee said: “To date, there have been 313 successful applications to the Grant Support Scheme for projects and events taking place in 2023/24 with a total of £384,576 awarded.”

Meanwhile, funding approved during September and October included the sum of £2,500 to Castlemara Community Association in Carrickfergus for Love Lane youth outreach through the 2023/24 Policing and Community Safety Partnership grant scheme which opened on September 1.

Love Lane has been identified as an area in the town that experiences anti-social behaviour. Love Lane youth outreach has been run by volunteers during the past two years. The project was initiated in response to PSNI calls for engagement following reports of “hundreds” of young people congregating in the area.

Provide Pizzas

Castlemara Community Association responded by opening a portable building on Saturday evenings to provide pizzas and soft drinks to young people, a report to Mid and East Antrim councillors said.

The project is supported by the PSNI, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, YMCA detached youth workers and Communities in Transition. In addition to the outreach, a graffiti workshop is to be offered to 20 teenagers in the area.

A report to the council committee also indicated the 2023/24 Community Festivals Fund opened on August 4 for festivals taking place in Mid and East Antrim before March 31. A budget of £53,400 has been designated to this fund with half of this sum awarded by the Department for Communities. To date, there have been ten successful applications to the scheme with £15,839 awarded.

Larne Community Care Centre in Antiville has been awarded almost £2,000 for a community Christmas festival. The organisers said: “We hope that the event will enhance community relations by bringing people of all backgrounds together to enjoy the festival and also help to create a sense of belonging in our community.

“This festival was well-supported by the community of Larne in previous years and we hope we can continue to unite them again this year.”

Braid DUP Alderman William McCaughey commented: “It is good to see some money retained for community festivals.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter