ANNUAL REPORT - HWRCC · 2015. 6. 10. · Anne-Marie Dooner (until 31/03/08) Louise Hartley (until...

ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

Humber & Wolds

Rural Community Council

We’ll work with you to make the difference locally

Page No

About Us 3 - 8 A View from the Chair 9 Chief Executive 10 - 11 Community Development Team 12 - 20 Rural Development Team 21 - 25 Advisory Services Team 26 - 32 Financial Information 33 - 35 Statement of Financial Activities 36 Balance Sheet 37

Contents


About Us

The Humber and Wolds Rural Community Council (HWRCC) is a registered local charity (established 1975), and covers the unitary authority areas of East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire. We are one of 38 Rural Community Councils which, together, cover the whole of England. We work at a strategic level nationally, regionally and locally, with partners in the statutory and voluntary sectors, tackling a range of rural policy issues including the development of key rural services, community enterprises, employment opportunities, rural regeneration and social inclusion. Much of our work involves engagement with local communities, supporting and enabling the determination of locally based and sustainable solutions to people’s needs. Services provided to the rural community include the Village Halls Advisory Service, a range of solutions to accessing rural services, the desk top advisory service for parish and town councils, community development support and grant administration. Projects out in the community cover housing, transport, education, training and the development of a wide range of initiatives designed to regenerate areas of rural deprivation and enhance the quality of life for rural communities. HWRCC also provide the secretariat for the East Riding and Northern Lincolnshire Local Councils Association (ERNLLCA).

We’ll work with you to make the difference locally 3

Sponsors and Funders Acis Housing Chevin Housing City Venture Dept for Education & Skills (DfES) Dept for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) Dept of Work and Pensions (DWP) East Riding of Yorkshire Council European Agricultural Guidance & Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) European Social Fund (ESF) Fresh Start Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber (GOYH) Havelock Housing Headrow Housing

Home Housing Humberside Learning Consortium Kingston upon Hull City Council Leader+ North East Lincolnshire Council North Lincolnshire Council North Yorkshire Council Northern Counties Housing Northern Rail Rural Pathfinder Scarborough Borough Council South Yorkshire Housing Town & Parish Councils Yorkshire Forward Yorkshire Housing Association

The Board of Trustees: Bryan Davis (Chair) Jean Turner (Vice-Chair) David S Walker (Hon Treasurer) Duncan G Anderson Cllr Arthur Bunyan Anthony M Chase Robert A Cooper Harold E Edwards Cllr Doreen Engall Nicholas C Evans Wendy Evans Thomas Glossop Cllr Norman Hall MBE David M Hughes Greta Laughton Cllr David N Rudd Cllr Hilary M Saynor Alastair Scargall Trevor Sheard Margaret Solomon Cllr Allan Smith Elaine Ward Roger Watkins Brian Witty Christopher Worrall Honorary Appointments: Sir Ian Macdonald of Sleat (President) Rita Hudson (Vice-President) Helen Varey (Vice-President)

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS

4 We’ll work with you to make the difference locally

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS

Company Secretary D Nshindano

Registered office 14 Market Place Howden Goole East Riding of Yorkshire DN14 7BJ

Auditors Messrs Townends Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors Carlisle Street Goole East Riding of Yorkshire DN14 5DX Solicitors Alan Robinson Cross Keys House 10 The Market Place Crowle Scunthorpe DN17 4LA

Bankers HSBC Bank plc 16 Market Place HOWDEN Goole DN14 7BN Abbey National plc Abbey National House 301 St Vincent Street Glasgow G2 5NB


Members of Staff

Helen Anglum Head of Community Development (until 12/2/08) Sally Baird Administrative Assistant Alan Barker Head of Advisory Services Geoff Beecroft Project Support Worker Graham Betts Development Officer (until 30/11/07) Joanna Blackburn Advisory Services Coordinator (until18/2/08) Robin Bradshaw Pension Education Worker David Broadmeadow Northern Lincolnshire Rural Housing Enabler Helen Brooks Administrative Assistant (until 24/9/07) Penny Brown Chief Executive (from 3/3/08) Mary Cornwell Chief Executive (until 29/2/08) Brenda Cocliff Office Manager (until12/2/08) Margaret Credland North Lincolnshire Community Transport Coordinator (until 31/3/08) Peter Fairs Local Network Fund Administrator Bill Flanagan Head of Rural Development (until 30/11/07) Carole Foster Community Transport Project Assistant Joanne Greenfield PA to Chief Executive Pat Greenwood Local Network Fund Grants Officer Vanessa Hancock Administrative Assistant (until 19/10/07) Criggy Haas Village Halls Sustainability Officer (until 30/11/07) Linda Hewson Administrative Assistant Peter Hirschfeld LEADER + Development Officer Richard Hudson Sector Build Co-ordinator (from 29/5/07 until 7/3/08) Roger Jones East Riding Rural Housing Enabler Anna Kilkenny Administrative Assistant (from 30/7/07) Margaret Kirk Property Information Officer Mary McGarry Community Empowerment Apprenticeship Scheme Mgr (until 30/11/07) Lesley Mee Maternity cover for ESF Monitoring & Support (until 3/8/07) Dickson Nshindano Head of Finance and Administration Bill Oldridge Pathfinder Community Empowerment Team Leader (until 4/4/08) Gill Pyper Finance Assistant Colin Ransome Finance Officer Jennifer Reeve Community Transport Project Assistant Gareth Roberts Regional Support and Information Officer Gillian Simpson Pension Education Worker Brenda Sims SectorBuild Manager Carol Szakal Senior Community Transport Assistant Chris Tooby Contracts Administrator David Walford Community Rail Development Officer Angela Wilkinson Head of Rural Development (from 1/12/07) Caroline Wegrzyn Contract Administrator (until 30/11/07) Angela Knaggs Cleaner (Driffield) Alma Robinson Cleaner (Howden) Ruth Prince Cleaner (Barton)


19 COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT APPRENTICES during 2007-2008 Steve Appleyard (until 31/8/07) Jackie Ashburner (until 28/2/07) Dee Beckett (until 31/1/07) Steven Blake (until 30/6/07) David Clarke (until 31/10/07) Claire Davidson (until 31/10/07) Joanne Dixon (until 28/02/07) Anne-Marie Dooner (until 31/03/08) Louise Hartley (until 31/10/07) Carole Johnson (until 31/8/07) Caroline Newman (until 31/10/07) Diane Mickleborough (until 31/10/07) David Mills (until 31/10/07) Ortrud Neild Nick Reeson Alaba Saliu (until 31/10/07) Ashley Simpson Claire Williamson (until 31/8/07) Chris Wright (until 31/10/07)

Members of Staff


HWRCC Functional Structure 2007-08

Chief Executive

Community Development

Finance and Administration

Rural Development

Advisory Services

Community Empowerment Apprenticeship Scheme Community Empowerment Pathfinder Delivery Trial Parish Planning Pensions Education Work Grants Schemes Open College Network Secretariat

Financial services & support General admin support Property services IT support Quality Assurance System

Community Transport Coordination Community Rail Development MiBus/MiTown support Voluntary Car Scheme Wheels for Work schemes Affordable Rural Housing

East Riding & Northern Lincolnshire Local Councils Association (ERNLLCA) Community Buildings Community Property Governance Project Hosting services HR development & implementation

Additional areas of responsibility: Deputising for/advising CE in general strategic policy matters, organisational representation & community development policy . Social auditing/Quality Team

Additional areas of responsibility: Deputising for/advising CE in financial, legal policy matters relating to the running of the organisation. HWRCC Company Secretary

Additional areas of responsibility: Deputising for/advising CE in policy matters relating to rural access & community transport. Humber Access to Services Partnership (HASP) Coordinator

Additional areas of responsibility: Deputising for/advising CE on HR policy development & implementation ERNLLCA County Secretary

Policy, Research & Development Regional policy co-ordination (jointly with Yorkshire RCC)

PhD studies (jointly with YRCC & Sheffield Hallam University)

SectorBuild


A View from the Chair…………...

The past year has seen HWRCC working across a wide range of activities with considerable levels of success and again partnership working has been a key characteristic. It is sad therefore, that the organisation has had to spend a considerable amount of time during the 4th quarter going through a major staff redundancy consultation owing to significant loss of funding, and funding opportunities, from April 2008. By the time this report is published HWRCC will have lost many talented people together with their collective expertise. We are not alone – all of the 38 RCCs that form the Rural Community Action Network (RCAN) across England have been affected to a greater, or lesser, extent. Clearly the Governments “mainstreaming” agenda has disadvantaged rural communities. On the positive side HWRCC has been able to carry some unfunded core services into 2008/09, but this cannot be maintained indefinitely. Regional working has become ever more important and I am pleased to report that HWRCC and YRCC continue to develop and strengthen regional capacity and influence. This was clearly demonstrated in York, in March 2008, when the 80:20 Rural Futures conference was able to attract highly influential speakers, including the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP. The conference was tasked with examining whether government policy can create and maintain strong, safe and prosperous rural communities. It was a major success and a credit to all RCC staff across the region. I am sure that the conference will have an effect on rural policy – but when, and by how much, we may never know. The year sadly saw the departure of Stephen Fox, Regional Co-ordinator, in January 2008 and Mary Cornwell, CE HWRCC, in February 2008. Both made major contributions to the work of the RCCs locally, regionally and nationally. I also, through this report, re-iterate our welcome to Penny Brown who took over the role of CE at HWRCC in March 2008. I am sure that you will share with me and wish her every success in the role. This is my final annual report as Chairman of HWRCC as I will complete my second three-year term of office at the AGM in September 2008. The role has been challenging yet enjoyable and I must say “thank you” to all those who have assisted, supported and offered advice and guidance. ….and finally, thank you to all who have worked for, or worked with, HWRCC during 2007/08, for your continuing commitment to the interests and well-being of our rural communities.

Bryan Davis Chairman HWRCC


Chief Executive


It has been a turbulent year for HWRCC. The organisation witnessed the natural end of significantly sized project funding and changes to the arrangements of the Defra income. The consequent reduction in staff and related service delivery resulted in a worrying

and disruptive year for the organisation, particularly in the latter stages. However, the test of any organisation is its ability to adapt to change. As the financial year approached, The Board of Trustees, together with the management and staff, made some strong decisions. As the events of the subsequent financial year has evidenced, those decisions were prudent, informed and well timed. I was fortunate to be appointed as Chief Executive and commenced at the tail end of the financial year. We have asked my predecessor Mary Cornwell to say a few words as the departing CE during this financial year period: “Despite the constant concerns and stresses over funding, and the twists and turns of political focus, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at HWRCC and have had the pleasure of working with talented and committed staff and trustees who have worked 100% and more for the benefit of rural communities. I would like to wish everyone at HWRCC all the best for the future, I will continue to follow the organisation’s activities with interest and I’m sure you will continue to provide high quality services to the rural communities of the Humber. I particularly want to wish Penny Brown every success in what is a challenging but very rewarding role. I shall always remember my time at HWRCC with great fondness”. Following the end of the financial year, many staff assisted me in the process of compiling monitoring reports in relation to contract delivery. This process highlighted to me the volume, breadth and richness of the activities undertaken by the organisations staff and volunteers. Whilst the reporting often details “outputs” and “outcomes” achieved against targets set, the true value of the work undertaken is the tangible strengthening of communities, primarily in the rural areas. This Annual Report will, I hope, give you a flavour of the range of work undertaken. The organisation was not alone in its feelings of uncertainty as all 38 of the RCCs discussed the changes to the Defra contracting at the ACRE conference in Warwick. The Action for Communities in Rural England (ACRE) Chief Exec and staff team worked productively with all the RCCs to navigate through the changes and build robust working plans. The “80/20 Rural Vision” conference was an event jointly arranged and facilitated by ourselves and Yorkshire RCC. The conference was of excellent quality attracting high level attendees and speakers. The conference was a superb showcase event for the two RCCs and was highly praised by the attendees. The conference generated lively in-depth discussion and subsequently generated a full-page Yorkshire Post article, detailing the conference.


Chief Executive In conjunction with Yorkshire RCC, the organisation has been fortunate to benefit from regionally focussed rural policy insight and influencing activities. As Regional Co-ordinator Stephen Fox facilitated a valuable, joint RCC regional voice to agencies and bodies including Government Office Y&H, Regional Assembly and Yorkshire Forward. The joint regional RCC activities were greatly enhanced by the PHD student Chris Elton’s work on rural policy development and implementation. Chris, who was in his third year of study with Sheffield Hallam University, greatly complimented the RCCs understanding of the national and regional perspective. The policy influencing activity is, however, a thread which runs through so much of the work of the organisation. Across the Humber sub-region managers and staff from all sections have been active participants in committees and steering groups which directly influence the services delivered to rural communities. In addition to this, effective working relationships have continued to be developed with public sector and voluntary/community sector partners; to share knowledge and understanding of need and delivery gaps and to proactively challenge the responses to those gaps. Many of the project activities are carried out in some form of partnership with statutory or voluntary sector agencies. The organisation covers the sub-region and works collaborately with a number of statutory sector agencies, particularly the local authorities. The working relationships held to minimise any duplication of activities and add creative value to the delivery of services. The organisation also continued to work within the sub-regional group of voluntary and community sector infrastructure organisations FoLDA – the Federation of Local Development Agencies. This valuable grouping of organisations has developed and delivered activities under the government’s plan to build capacity in the voluntary and community sector, (ChangeUp). FoLDA is also an excellent opportunity for the member organisations to provide mutual support and share ideas and resources. As we finalised the financial auditing for this past year and brought the last elements of the Annual Report together to go to press, the organisation staff and trustees have been delighted to witness new and exciting projects coming on stream. Next year’s Annual Report will highlight the work we will be undertaking on parish planning and community buildings thanks to a significant, 3-year Capacitybuilders grant. Also, we will be able to detail how the delivery of the Local Involvement Network (LINk) engages with patients to have their say in the delivery of local health provision across the East Riding. I should like to finish by thanking a superb staff team who have weathered choppy waters with spirit, commitment and passion. Thank you also, to the Board of Trustees headed by Bryan Davis. I am fortunate to work with a vibrant and dedicated Board. My particular thanks to Bryan who has devoted a great deal of time and energy into establishing productive working relationships with me, the staff, the trustees and ACRE. Finally, a thank you to our volunteers whose valued work greatly assists the organisation in the delivering of services.

Penny Brown Chief Executive

Community Development Team


Name of work/project: Community Consultation Project

Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved: Peter Hirschfeld Community Development Officer RCC Parish Plan Database – Regional Co-ordinator Calor Village of the Year Organiser IT Administrator Objectives: To provide community development support and capacity building for community groups in-volved in the Parish Plan process. To support the mainstreaming of Parish Plans into the wider system of local government within East Riding of Yorkshire Council. To Develop a database of all Parish Plan actions within the Humber sub region. Summary of the work: The Community Development Officer (CDO) has continued to support communities going through the Parish Plan process started under the previous project run and financed through LEADER+. From the beginning of January 2007, a concerted effort has been made to engage with as many parishes across the Humber sub region, to encourage them to learn more about the Parish Plan and thus make a more informed decision on whether to start or not. In 2008, I worked on a project with North Lincs Community Planning Department to encourage the starting of Parish Plans in the Ferry, Broughton/Appleby and Central Axholme wards. Open days were held at Appleby and Ulceby. Appleby Open Day in the Village Hall A Parish Plan Database produced by Rural Action East was offered to the RCC’s in the Yorkshire Region through the ACRE Network, as a way of mapping all parish plan actions across the two RCC regions. The Database will provide information to strategic organisation at both the local and regional level once completed. The work entailed, co-ordinating the procure-ment of information on LSP Strategies across the two regions, Settlement geographies from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), details of staff involved in the process, prior to the input of data. All the Humber sub regional data was inputted by the CDO. A number of meetings with Government Office (GOYH) in Leeds and with colleagues at YRCC where necessary to co-ordinate this project and iron out any bugs in the system. IT administration work has been limited to minor glitches with emails and the setting up of new colleagues on the system, due to the new Microsoft Exchange Server and the support from Practical Solutions which has removed most of the old problems.



Outputs/outcomes achieved: A considerable amount of time and effort in the promotion of Parish Plans has been under-taken within our area and all parishes were written to in the first instance. This led to 60 pres-entations being given across the Humber sub region. Of those 8 have now started the proc-ess and are being supported by the Community Development Officer on a regular basis. There are still 4 parishes who received funding under the Interim Parish Plan funding scheme from DEFRA who are still working through the process and being supported as required and will hopefully be completed in 2008.

Keyingham Parish Plan Steering Group (new in 2007) The Database Co-ordinator role was taken on by myself and together with Stephen Fox and Fiona Coleman from YRCC, we managed to lever in £7000 of funding from GOYH to fund the purchase and inputting of the data. All Vital Village Parish Plans have been inputted into the Parish Plan Database, however a number of issues have arisen which were articulated to Dr. David Wood, who originally developed the system. Some of which were addressed. Due to the fact that ACRE is now looking to fund a web based system, with more features, no further development will take place with the existing system and we will have to wait until 2009 before this comes on stream. A presentation on the Database was given to the Trustees and a group supported by Roger Jones in Berwick on Tweed. Further presentations are planned. Although more effort was put into publicising the Village of the Year competition only 7 parishes initially entered. One withdrew due to flooding in the parish during the June/July deluges. The standard was as high as ever and the judges decided after their visits had taken place to award Wrawby in North Lincs. the prize and they go forward to the National competition in 2008.

Winners Wrawby collecting their certificate at HWRCC’s AGM

Summary of the work 2007/08: In April 2007 Bill Oldridge was recruited as the Team Leader for the Empowerment Project. After his induction period Bill spent some time designing systems to record the outputs as per contractual agreement and to capture the impact of the work with communities. During this period it was necessary to move one worker from the Burton Agnes and Harpham area to the Woldsburn Benefice in the Bainton area. This involved applying an exit strategy from one area and introductions into another. Three apprentices were successful in the completion of their Diploma in Community Development and all 4 successfully completed their Social Audit training. As a result it was decided to recognise their qualified status by now calling them Community Empowerment Workers (CEWs) and dropping ‘Apprentice’, they also received an increase in salary. With the move from CEA to CEW it was noted that workers experienced more success in gaining access to groups and the support they offered groups was more readily accepted. The monitoring of the project by the Pathfinder Programme and Yorkshire Forward resulted in favourable reports throughout the year. They were extremely impressed with the systems we had implemented to gather evidence in compliance with contracts. In January 2007 we held an event at Driffield Rugby Club to celebrate the work of the Empowerment Project and the achievements of community groups we have worked with. This provided an opportunity for groups to present on the impact of our work at a community level. Achievements:

• Designed a model for community development that can be taken to any area and adapted to a variety of situations.

• The Community Empowerment Delivery Trial report complete (spring 2007), published and

available on the Pathfinder and HWRCC websites.

• 3 CEWs achieved success gaining a Post Graduate Diploma in Community Development.



Objectives:

• To test new ways of delivering rural services by developing an appropriate model.

• To recruit 4 Community Empowerment Apprentices (CEAs)

• To create stronger, more inclusive and more sustainable rural communities

• To increase the range of people involved in community action and local issues

• To increase the range of support mechanisms to build capacity and empower local communities

• To increase employment levels, particularly within target groups

• To encourage best practice across all rural areas of the sub region by contribution to national and regional improvements in rural delivery

Name of work/project: Humber Rural Pathfinder Community Empowerment Delivery Trial (CEDT) Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved: Helen Anglum – Head of Community Development (left Feb 2008) Bill Oldridge - team Leader (from 1/4/2007) Margaret Kirk - Monitoring and Support Officer Marie Dooner, Ashley Simpson, Ortrud Neild and Nick Reeson—CEWs


Achievements contd...:

• 4 CEWs achieve qualification in Social Auditing

• Social Accounts published and included on HWRCC website

• Further development of valuable partnerships with key stakeholders:-

• DEFRA, Yorkshire Forward (RDA), East Riding of Yorkshire Council (MRDH and LEADER+)

• HWRCC Community Development Team embedded into rural practice

• A forward strategy for supporting rural communities (using the principals of community empowerment) in the following 12 months was submitted to ERYC

• 3 x jobs created

• Raised almost 11k in match ‘in kind’ funding

• Engaged many partner organisations in community activities undertaking many joint initiatives

• We can record 1,425.75 hours spent on the management of community groups by community members

• We have been a key player in 10 community events to identify areas of need

• We have supported many community initiatives developed and primarily managed by local residents

• 16 community organisations now show increased activity as a result of our support

• We have helped groups become constituted and in some cases to become registered charities

• We have helped groups access funding

• We have supported the development of many support mechanisms and groups in the communities of the East Riding of Yorkshire

• We have assisted in the skills development of many community members

• We have delivered training/advice days

• We have helped community members access training courses


Suggested plans for the Future: Below is a list of the possible areas we thought the project could or should progress towards had Yorkshire Forward continued to fund the Empowerment part of Modernising Rural Development Humber (MRDH).

• To develop a strategy for ensuring that the model is embedded into mainstream rural services

• To form a peripatetic team of professional community development workers that will support and enable rural communities to face the challenges that we will face in the future, such as climate change, rural diversification from farming, supporting local businesses to flourish and prosper and development of other social enterprises

• To continue to promote the work at national, regional and local levels

• To link the findings of this programme with the other MRDH Pathfinder trials to bring forward a holistic approach to ‘improving the lives of rural communities and businesses’

• To create a model of employment not dissimilar to that of an agency approach for community development workers in this area



Community Empowerment Apprenticeship

Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved: Mary McGarry - Apprenticeship Scheme Manager Nicola Ward - Monitoring and Support Administrator Lesley Mee - Maternity cover for Nicola Ward (from January 2007-July 2007) Anna Kilkenny - Replacement for N Ward & L Mee

Outline Objectives: • To recruit and train 15 part-time community empowerment apprentices • To place the apprentices with host organisations throughout the sub-region • To train the apprentices at Level 4 in community empowerment Summary of the work: • A unique rural community development apprenticeship scheme has been developed and a

University course delivered and managed by Bradford College which has also been accredited.

• CDWs were placed strategically across the Humber sub Region with other partners in the voluntary/community sector.

Achievements: Eight of the CEAs gained the Post Graduate Diploma in Community Development awarded by Leeds Metropolitan University. This included a candidate who left Humber & Wolds to work full time for Grimsby Community Press Office last February! Three CEAs undertook and completed the Open College Network course in Community Development as an alternative because they joined the scheme in February and March 2007, too late to undertake the Diploma in the short time that remained. 15 CEAs were given basic skills training in Information & Computer Technology, 16 studied desk-top publishing and all 19 are able to use the Internet and email. 17 have used ICT for their coursework, distant learning needs and learnt about local grants programmes. 13 completed a health & Safety at Work Training and 15 obtained a First Aid Certificate, all were trained (to some extent) in equal opportunities, financial management and charity law. The apprentices are expecting to be awarded the Open College Network qualification in Social Accounting. Working parties have helped to prepare draft social accounts for National Rural Youth Network (Leicester), Defra’s Humber Rural Social and Community Programme, HWRCC, Goole Courtyard and the ESF project itself. Social accounts demonstrate the impact of an organisation’s activities on the communities they seek to serve. The hosts, and 40 other organisations, were informed about the government’s e-agenda and encouraged to use email and the Internet more extensively. At least 36 organisations, including 8 hosts, were signposted to training opportunities, assisted with funding grant applications and made aware of the European Social Fund. Humber & Wolds RCC are delighted to have been a part of some life changing choices leading to a future career in Community Development for many people. Workers have the knowledge base to enable them to deal with a myriad of issues important to local people. It is hoped that these achievements begin to address the identified skill shortage in the area of Community Development in the Humber Sub-Region. Our special thanks go to our partners who have supported us throughout this programme and contributed to its success.

Pictured here are members of the Empowerment Project & ESF Apprenticeship Scheme collecting their Diplomas at St. Georges Hall, Bradford on 7th November 2007.



Name of work/project: Local Network Fund Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved: Helen Anglum – Grants Manager (to February 2008) Pat Greenwood – Grants Officer Peter Fairs – Grants Administrative Assistant Colin Ransome – Finance Officer

Objectives: To administer a grants budget to community groups in the Humber sub-region for projects working with children and young people. The money comes from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Summary of the work: This year saw huge challenges and successes for the Local Network Fund. It was our last year of grant making as the Department for Children, Schools and Families had announced the cessation of the Fund nationally. We faced the challenge of spending our usual annual budget in only 6 months; we had to stop approving grants by September in order to give groups time to spend them, and report back to us by the end of the year. This meant that we had to get a very clear message out about the end of the fund, and to try at the same time to encourage groups not to leave it until the last minute to apply! This was successful, although there was of course a small flurry of applications at the eleventh hour. Fortunately, we were able then to secure an additional £150,000 from DCSF which meant that only a small number of applications were turned down due to insufficient funds. The Outreach Workers were busier than ever helping groups with their applications, and appli-cants found this service invaluable: “The grant application process was made easy with the support of the Outreach Support Ser-vice and gave the group an excellent grounding in how to apply for funding - many thanks.”

Achievements: Our final year was a bumper one for grants, with a massive £868,394 going into the sub-region. The total spend over the seven years of the Local Network Fund was as follows:

We have funded 927 grants over the last 7 years, with an average grant size of £4600. The total amount we have funded is £4.34 million. We know from comments received from groups that the Fund has been a huge success, and has supported such a wide range of groups working with children and young people. Comments from groups this year included:

Total LNF Grants (£) Years 1-7 by Local

Authority

£1,314,045 £1,296,417£1,198,310

£535,984

£0

£200,000

£400,000

£600,000

£800,000

£1,000,000

£1,200,000

£1,400,000

East Riding of

Yorks

Hull North

Lincolnshire

North East

Lincolnshire



“Our children have experienced some brilliant activities which have increased their happiness. This has led to improving family relationships, self-worth, self-esteem, confidence, skills, ability and most importantly friendship.” “The funds provided by the Local Network Fund have been vital for our club and have allowed us to provide safer facilities for an increasing number of young people. We are very disappointed that these small grants will no longer be available.” Here are two examples of the groups we funded: 11th Grimsby Scout Group had a very modest grant of £660 which they used to buy craft equipment and pioneering poles, which are pieces of wood that can be used for a variety of outdoor activities including swings and rafts. Here they are getting to grips with the time-honoured scouting skill of knot-tying! Pic: 11th Grimsby Scout Group members The Honeysuckle Centre in Bridlington is a pregnancy and baby centre which aims to encourage a happy and healthy start in life for babies and toddlers, and to encourage parents and carers to access a comprehensive support system. In 2007 they embarked on a major new project to develop a family gardening project, and they were given a grant of £6998 to buy equipment and materials. They created a sensory garden and space to grow vegetables, and they linked this to a wider project around healthy eating and exercise. The children learnt that it can be fun to grow your greens as well as to eat them! Pic: Honeysuckle Centre by Simon Kench 07712 936985

Plans for the Future: It has been confirmed that the Local Network Fund is not going to continue, or be replaced by any similar funding. Humber and Wolds Rural Community Council will of course do its best to secure any alternative sources of funding which could benefit the sub-region. In the meantime, the demise of the Fund leaves a gap in funding for groups working with children and young people, and will make the demand for other grants much more competitive. We wish all our groups well, and hope that they continue to flourish and provide such valuable activities and services to children and young people.

Name of work/project: Pension Education Fund Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved: Helen Anglum (Project Leader) Robin Bradshaw (PEF Worker) Gillian Simpson (PEF Worker) Helen Brooks (Admin Assistant)

Summary of the Work Both Gill & Robin the PEF workers have worked across the Humber Sub –Region over the past twelve months promoting and delivering the project to a wide range of both employers and individuals placed in the voluntary sector. As this was a pilot project and a new venture for HWRCC the second year of the project saw time spent on delivering presentations to small groups at both the individuals place of work and at venues such as community centres, village halls and home visits. The PEF workers also linked in to events being organised by the other HWRCC teams and delivered information sessions with the transport, village hall and parish planning representatives. Support was also forthcoming from ERNLLCA and joint presentations were delivered at District council meetings with East Riding of Yorkshire pensions department. Editorials have been placed in partners and other organisations newsletters and articles and links placed on several web sites promoting the project. We also continued delivering seminars, small workshops and held surgeries and clinics throughout the region. With the assistance of the admin team at Howden mailings have been sent to over 3,000 employers and over 6,000 individuals making them aware of the project and allowing them access to the services provided an opportunity for them to participate. With out doubt the bulk of Gill & Robin’s time has been spent supporting and assisting individuals both at their work place and visits to their homes, offering to trace and track down previously lost or forgotten pensions, obtain forecasts of their state and additional state pensions and directing them to the appropriate contacts for a range of other related enquiries. Achievements:

• Over 1,200 employers who have been targeted and 121 have shown a genuine interest and 30 presentations have been made to groups of their employees.

• Over 2,000 individuals have been targeted and almost 800 have taken up the option of a face-to-face review.

Overall purpose: To provide information to not-for-profit organisations and engage innovatively with employees and self-employed people to encourage and help them to make appropriate provision for their retirement. In particular, those sectors of the workforce where there is significant under-provision due to low income or limited financial information available. Activities will help people make appropriate decisions in line



Achievements Contd:

• With our assistance 100 individuals have benefited from receiving a forecast of their state pension and considering that the Department of Work and Pensions withdrew this facility in mid 2007, this was a major achievement. A further 100 individuals have re located their lost or forgotten pensions

• With our involvement in making them aware of the options available to them over 75 individuals have now either joined their employers scheme or affected a stakeholder pension.

• The feedback from both organisation and individuals seen has been very positive with recommendations and referrals being freely passed on to the PEF workers.

• We were invited to deliver a presentation to CIFA in London on our experiences, things that had gone well and things that if we had the opportunity again we would have changed. Considering only three contractors out of the 20 participating were asked to present, this was a major opportunity to raise the rural profile and the valued work undertaken by HWRCC. Plans for the Future: The initial 2-year project has now reached its conclusion, but we are delighted to have the pilot project extended by the DWP to at least March 2009. Final reports are presently being compiled analysing the successes and lessons learned and these will be forwarded to the DWP by no later than the end of April as required and will also be made available for others who may wish to view the findings. A final evaluation is being undertaken by Bob Cutts and this will look at the positive feedback received and the successes the project has achieved and the real difference it has made to peoples lives. All actual and projected financial accounts have been forwarded to the DWP by the finance team and all funds received will have been spent. The only remaining question is in respect of the sustainability of the service offered by the team in respect of raising awareness of retirement provisions and obviously due to lack of funding this will be severely limited. It is hoped however that there will remain some form of support mechanism available via our web site and links to relevant government web pages. It would be fair to say that HWRCC certainly diversified when committing to deliver the Pension Education Fund project, in that it was a field of expertise that they had not ventured into before and certainly involved a lot of work being undertaken in urban areas. We feel that it was a worthwhile project to be involved with and that HWRCC have gained valuable experience and knowledge in a new area and their standing in the community and within the Humber Sub Region has been increased.



Rural Development Team


Head of Rural Development – Bill Flanagan (till 30.09.07) Angela Wilkinson (from 01.10.07) Administration - Sally Baird, Chris Tooby, Caroline Wegrzyn (30.11.07) The Rural Development Team continued to deliver the Modernising Delivery Humber Programme to improve access to services across the sub region. A number of voluntary sector partners helped us to achieve this. Bill Flanagan handed over to Angela Wilkinson during a two month period which was appreciated by them both, and undoubtedly contributed to the seamless transition! The team brings together two of the issues closest to the heart of sustainable rural communities – access to services and affordable housing. We are working to develop appropriate solutions to identified problems in both areas. Much of our work would be impossible without the commitment and effort of volunteers. Members of communities in East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire contributed over 1200 hours to Community Rail Humber, promoting the area in general and their local railway in particular. Our voluntary car and minibus drivers gave over 3,500 hours of their time to ensure people could access the services they needed. The value of the work done by our volunteers during the year is estimated in excess of £30,000! A big thank you to all of them from HWRCC and the communities they serve. Although the post of East Riding CT Coordinator ceased to exist from October 2007, HWRCC continues to work closely with a range of partners to develop effective transport provision in the East Riding. We provide the secretariat for the East Riding Transport Partnership, and coordinate the East Riding Community Transport Operators’ Network. Of the four partnerships established through the Mi TOWN project, three continue to meet to address access to service issues in the Hornsea, Market Weighton and Driffield hinterlands.

Pic: The Community Rail Team on the Hull to Scarborough line's Santa Special event on 1st December. Events took place at Beverley, Driffield, Bridlington and Scarborough.

Pic: Tom Neilson using the mini bus provided by HWRCC Transport Solution team. Tom is being assisted by volunteer driver, Bob Wressell.

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Name of work/project: Northern Lincolnshire - Community Transport Services Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved:

Margaret Credland – Northern Lincolnshire Community Transport Co-ordinator Carol Szakal – Senior Community Transport Assistant (part-time) Jen Reeve, Carole Foster – Community Transport Project Assistants (part-time) Geoff Beecroft – Support Worker Throughout the year the Northern Lincolnshire Community Transport Services’ Team has continued to deliver and develop three, highly valued, community transport services for residents and community groups of North and North East Lincolnshire. The Voluntary Car Service continued to provide residents of North Lincolnshire, who were either unable to use, or didn’t have access to, public transport with an alternative affordable transport service. During 2007/08 a team of 46 volunteer drivers, using their own cars, carried 6710 passengers on pre-arranged journeys of their passengers choice. Transport Solutions, the minibus brokerage service, continued to develop, and by 31st March 2008 had a membership of 94 community groups, as well as 11 individuals who required transport in a wheelchair accessible vehicle. During 2007/08 1,072 minibus journeys were undertaken, providing transport for 6,485 passengers (an increase of over 350% on the previous year). The Wheels 4U project continued to provide a travel information and moped hire scheme to residents of North Lincolnshire who were experiencing difficulties accessing training, education and employment. Improvements in service quality and efficiency were achieved through the introduction of in-house delivery, collection and monthly inspections of mopeds. In April 2007 the Project acquired a moped accessible vehicle and employed a part-time Project Support Worker to facilitate the change, which has enabled clients to benefit from a more responsive / flexible service. April 2007 also saw the Service being extended into North East Lincolnshire, through partnership work with North East Lincolnshire Council and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. The Project also worked in partnership on the ‘Employing a Joint Approach’ initiative lead by the Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education to deliver the service in specific wards within North East Lincolnshire that had Neighbourhood Renewal status. As at 31 March 2008 the Project owned a fleet of 31 scooters, and over the year 46 individuals had benefited from the loan of a scooter. Progress was also made towards the aim of improving the sustainability of community transport services in Northern Lincolnshire, with the continued delivery of a Service Level Agreement to provide a transport service for North Lincolnshire Council’s FreshStart project, and the winning of a North Lincolnshire Council contract to provide Special Educational Needs transport.



Name of work/project: Community Rail Humber Team: Transport - Access to Services Start Date: April 2005 (CRH) (Original Start date: April 2002) Key Activities: David Walford, (the sub-regional rail development officer), and Sally Baird continued to be highly active across the region, promoting rail and economic development at all levels. This activity climaxed with a major Rail Economic Development Conference staged by Community Rail Humber (CRH), in Hull at the end of October 2007. Seventy delegates arrived from across the North and Midlands to hear six speakers, including Dyan Crowther, (the NE Routes Director for Network Rail), and David Walford, give presentations on key rail developments and growth. The event received extensive local and national media coverage, with television, radio and newspapers all following the days events. Network Rail has also received several firm enquires from potential freight customers as a result of the conference, which greatly enhanced the profile of rail across the region. The theme has been followed at the Community Rail Humber Board meetings, with presentations on the integration of rail corridors and rail heads with industrial development. We continue discussions on infrastructure and economic development issues across the area, and have contributed to work on infrastructure upgrades across the region, effectively working as a shadow Passenger Transport Executive.

Further work with the two Community Rail Partnerships – Yorkshire Coast and Barton Cleethorpes - has resulted in numerous events both locally and regionally aimed at promoting rail travel. The level and scope of the marketing programme received national recognition at the Community Rail Awards in Bexhill, where the CRH project won six awards, including the coveted Best Marketing Award, out of one hundred entries. Increasingly, DfT-Rail is upholding CRH as an exemplar to all Community Rail Partnerships. This is widely acknowledged by many of the TOCs and Network Rail. Community Rail Partnerships demonstrate what can be achieved through effective community engagement. The value of hours contributed by dedicated volunteers during 2007 – 08 is £7,276. Events have attracted extensive media coverage, including more live tv discussions and interviews; all of which continue to keep the railways in the public domain and in a very positive light. Projects continue with all the TOCs and LAs to seek funding and further rail enhancements and promotions across the region, including ‘access for all bids’ at various stations. David F Walford. Abbreviations regularly used: NR Northern Rail Ltd. HWRCC Humber & Wolds Rural Community Council DfT Department for Transport-Rail YCCRP Yorkshire Coast Community Rail Partnership TOC Train Operating Company RUS Route Utilisation Strategy FTPX First Trans Pennine Express ACoRP Association of Community Rail Partnerships CRH Community Rail Humber Y&HA Yorkshire & Humber Assembly FOBL Friends of Barton Line BCCRP Barton Cleethorpes Community Rail Partnership PTE Passenger transport Executive ABP Associated British Ports

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Name of work/project: Northern Lincolnshire Rural Housing Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved: David Broadmeadow - Northern Lincolnshire Rural Housing Enabler After several years of laying the groundwork for the provision of rural affordable housing, the Rural Housing Enabler project is now delivering solid achievements and this has been exemplified in the last financial year: Two attractive new housing schemes were completed at Westwoodside and Owston Ferry, by South Yorkshire Housing Association. Both these schemes of respectively 6 and 5 bungalows for rent were built as a result of the work undertaken by the RHE project in identifying local housing needs. The homes have been built on “exception” sites, which were previously in private ownership. Construction of 3 further affordable housing schemes commenced on exception sites in Epworth (ACIS Housing Group), Kirton-in-Lindsey and Ulceby (both Longhurst Homes) and these will provide some 26 homes for local people, with some of the homes being for rent and the remainder for shared ownership to enable would-be first-time buyers get a foothold on the home ownership ladder. The project established a need for another 26 homes in the Isle of Axholme communities of Crowle, Wroot and West Butterwick. South Yorkshire Housing Association have been successful in obtaining capital grant funding from the Housing Corporation for these schemes. Construction of these new housing schemes should commence in the Spring/Summer of 2008. The process of evaluating housing need in order to provide the evidence for future investment in affordable housing in our rural communities continues. Nine new housing surveys in partnership with parish councils were commissioned in both North and North East Lincolnshire, and these identified a need for some 70 additional homes. Both local authorities are in the process of producing their Local Development Framework (LDF), the new planning system which will replace, in due course, existing Local Plans. It is hoped that the housing needs identified in the needs surveys undertaken by the RHE Project will be reflected in the future allocation of sites for housing development in the LDF. The Rural Housing Enabler now serves as a member of the Executive and Management groups of the Humber Housing Partnership which is tasked with setting the strategy for housing investment in the Humber sub-region and also monitoring delivery of that investment. The RHE was also selected to be a member of an IdeA (Improvement and Development Agency) Rural Excellence Team, which worked with officers and members of Eden District Council in Cumbria to facilitate the delivery of more affordable housing for local people, particularly in the smaller rural communities. This presented an exciting opportunity to work in a small team with different skills and experience, and it is hoped that some of the ideas and initiatives generated in this programme may be used elsewhere, including Northern Lincolnshire.

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Picture: Affordable housing Owston Ferry

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Name of work/project: East Riding of Yorkshire Rural Housing Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved: Roger Jones, East Riding Rural Housing Enabler The May 2006 ERYC county-wide Housing Needs and Market Assessment survey was eventually released in August 2007, enabling us to formulate a new target villages work programme. Parish response to subsequent approaches has been mixed, with lack of local employment and flooding / drainage being frequent excuses for non-participation. Some parish planning exercises have allowed a broader community view of potential sites, but crude interpretation of survey data on the ‘no further development’ question is being manipulated to prevent affordable housing for the minority in need. We were expecting a list of housing options sites from the Local Development Framework process last October, but the whole procedure has been rescheduled so that final publication of sites will not now be completed until August 2012! Developers and land agents reacted to the Interim Affordable Housing Policy launched in November ’07, withdrawing sites in several villages. The 15 dwelling threshold now in force will have no benefit for rural housing. Despite 3 conferences on Community Land Trusts, there has been poor response from HAs and ERYC planning, and the Housing Corporation funding for CLTs is now doubtful. Only 8 dwellings were approved for the 2008-11 bidding round, but there is now opportunity to put in bids every 3 months from April ’08. There are signs that the ERYC implementation of its Sustainability Matrix may be relaxed, and we will be allowed some 100% affordable schemes in small settlements. The 2008 – 09 RHE funding crisis caused by non-replacement of DEFRA monies, has been plugged by Regional Housing Board intervention.


Advisory Services Team

Head of Advisory Services - Alan Barker The Advisory Services Team incorporates the Village Halls Advisory Service, advice to trustees of community owned property, pension advice, parish planning assistance and services to parish and town councils. The latter is mainly delivered through the work of the East Riding and Northern Lincolnshire Local Councils Association (ERNLLCA) although its work is closely linked to that of HWRCC and benefit is gained by both organisations by working in close partnership. Staff are located at both the Howden and Barton sites. Name of work/project: Village Halls Advisory Service Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved: Margaret Kirk – Property Information Officer Objectives: To provide Charity Trustees with a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities and the current legislation.

To offer advice and support for individual governance issues.

To provide publications to assist Charity Trustees with the management of their community buildings.

Summary of the work: Advice and training is given directly to Trustees making specific enquiries. Those enquir-ies can cover the whole spectrum of issues that a Trustee may face and many of these can be complex and lengthy to resolve. The training delivery includes a presentation based on the “Good Management Toolkit” published by ACRE. The following subjects are covered in the presentation.

• Governing Documents

• Registering as a charity

• Legal responsibilities

• Running your committee

• Keeping proper financial records

• Having appropriate insurances and licences

• Managing the building

• Responsibilities for people


Any questions raised or individual requests for advice and information are researched and responded to. The Village Hall Team have access to excellent resources and publications provided by ACRE and the Charity Commission to assist us with this service. “Hallo” the bi-monthly newsletter for Village Halls is produced and distributed to the village halls/community buildings in the sub-region. The newsletter has information relating to charity matters, sustainable halls and funding opportunities. Achievements: During the life of this two year project the following has been achieved: 42 Organisations (Village Hall/Community Buildings, Playing Field Associations and Parish Councils) have attended the training workshops to date. 96 Individual enquiries have been researched and responded to. 66 Organisations have received the ACRE “Good Management Toolkit” to assist them with their roles.

Plans for the Future Although this project and the Village Halls Sustainability Project end on 31st March 2008, the work of the village hall advisory service will continue to provide support and information on any issues affecting the day to day running of village halls/community buildings and the future development of these essential rural facilities. We will continue our membership on the Humber Advisory Panel for WREN (Waste Recycling Environment) and FAWN (Funding Advice Workers’ Network).

Pic: Etton Village Hall Opening ceremony. Eve Brown (facing) led the project from start to finish.

Pic: Celebratory cake to mark the event which featured a photo of the village hall that had been re-produced in icing. The cake was cut by the original chair of the village hall following its use as a reading room to mark the official opening.




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Name of work/project: Village Halls Sustainability Project

Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved: Criggy Haas – Village Hall Sustainability Officer

Objectives: • To ascertain the financial sustainability of rural community buildings (RCB’s) across

the Humber sub-region

• To identify existing and future support requirements to improve RCB sustainability

Summary of the work: Advice and training is given directly to Trustees on matters relating to access, viability and sustainability by a range of methods including:

• Face to face meetings with trustees and management committees

• Guidance issued at distance

• Provision of access audits

• Production of research report into RCB viability

Achievements: During the life of this project the following has been achieved:

• 24 energy and access audits carried out

• 22 Rural Community Buildings applied for funding to carry out improvements

• 12 Rural Community Buildings commenced development of their buildings

• Research report produced and published.

Plans for the Future

The funding for this project ended at 31 March 2008 and HWRCC has, as yet, been unable to secure an extension of funding to carry on with the work that has already been undertaken.


Name of work/project: SectorBuild Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved: Brenda Sims, SectorBuild Manager SectorBuild – just another failed experiment? As a member of FoLDA – the Federation of Local Development Agencies – Humber & Wolds Rural Community Council agreed to host the SectorBuild project which was funded by Capacitybuilders - the national body set up to improve the support available to frontline voluntary organisations. The project was designed in response to the needs expressed by frontline organisations in the sub region. It had been contentious from the outset; so it is thanks to the RCC that the project had the opportunity to be tried out. Once at the RCC, the project was dogged by long term staff sickness in the delivery partners so the decision was taken to switch to delivery by consultants for the major part of the project, which was support to frontline organisations with project design, bidwriting and HR support. Enough of the bad news! So, who were these consultants and what did the project do? The consultants were people who were (or had been) working in local organisations in the sector and had skills and experience to offer to the organisations in the project. The HR consultant was an experienced professional from the public sector who now works with the voluntary sector. The evaluation conducted with the clients of the project demonstrated that they greatly valued the project and did not feel that they could have got the same services elsewhere. Over three million pounds worth of bids were written for 20 organisations who received added value in that “their” consultant almost acted as a mentor to the manager of the organisation. So what are the results? It is too soon to say how much additional resource will come into the frontline organisations as a result of the bids and tenders written. The short timescale in which the project had to operate robbed it of the chance to prove that it could be a social enterprise with payments for monitoring and evaluation funding the front end project design and bidwriting phase. Most of the pieces of work undertaken related to substantial capital projects with a long “gestation” period – all we can say is that the organisations were very positive about the support given. So, what next? The consultants who worked with the project want to stay together as a network and develop their skills – which is very good news for the sector! The SectorBuild website will be revamped by July 2008 to act as a portal for organisations seeking a consultant to help them as the evidence is that substantial numbers of organisations in the sub region do work with consultants. The website (www.sectorbuild.com) will give advice about how to choose a consultant and how to manage the process with a directory of consultants - including their skills and experience and previous clients who are willing to give a “reference”. In the autumn of 2008 Humberside Learning Consortium will lead an innovative project to develop the skills of consultants in partnership with the Hull University Business School. So, failed experiment or the start of something new – only time will tell!




Name of work/project: East Riding and Northern Lincolnshire Local Councils Association (ERNLLCA)

Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved: Alan Barker Head of Advisory Services (part-time) Gareth Roberts Local Councils Development Officer (part-time) Joanna Blackburn Advisory Services Co-ordinator (part time) – sick leave Linda Hewson Administrative Assistant (part-time), covering sick leave

Objectives: ERNLLCA objectives are as set out in the organisation’s constitution and as agreed, from time to time, by its Executive Committee. In summary, ERNLLCA’s role is to support member parish and town councils by providing advice, guidance and training on matters relating to the 1st tier of local government.

Summary of the work: The Officers allocated to work on ERNLLCA duties provided a desktop advisory service for member councils, training opportunities for councillors, models of good practice, newsletters and ad hoc support. In addition the governance structure of the association was supported through the organising of district committee meetings (to which all member councils were invited) and by the preparation of reports on a wide range of issues for the quarterly meetings of the Executive Committee. Officers participated in regional and national activity in an effort to raise the profile of parish and town councils and to assist in the development of better support facilities.

Achievements: The Desktop Advisory Service, as always, was the most popular service and during the year 975 applications for advice were received, of which 99% were resolved within the timescale agreed with the council. In the summer and autumn of 2007 ERNLLCA provided a five-topic induction programme for new councillors covering “The Role of the Councillor”, “Meeting Procedure”, “Chairmanship”, “Local Council Finance” and “The Employment Maze”. Each topic was delivered at five locations across the sub-region and, in all, 285 councillors attended. In the Spring of 2008 ERNLLCA launched its Development Programme for councillors, building on the induction sessions, and 93 councillors attended the “Being A Good Councillor (parts 1 and 2)” sessions. Again, these were held at various locations. The evaluation from all of the 2007/2008 training programme has been very positive. ERNLLCA remains a leading partner in the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Training Partnership, the body that primarily leads the professional development opportunities for Clerks. As part of ERNLLCA’s contribution to the Partnership, the Local Councils Development Manager runs classes for Clerks wishing to undertake the Certificate in Local Councils Administration. Despite considerable workload pressures, caused by long-term sick leave and an increased workload, ERNLLCA managed to deliver more than was expected of it and generated a greater than expected budget surplus.

Plans for the Future: ERNLLCA plans to launch its own web site by May 2008.



Name of work/project: Regional Support and Information Project

Name(s) and job title(s) of staff involved: Gareth Roberts, Regional Support and Information Officer

Objectives:

a) To establish and maintain effective feedback to the executive committees of YLCA and ERNLLCA by the newly appointed representatives to the Assembly and three functional boards;

b) To develop effective communication links between the individual representatives to ensure a collective understanding of regional issues and a co-ordinated response to issues;

c) To provide advocacy, support and guidance to representatives by reading and précising Assembly papers and reports, drawing out items of particular interest to parish and town councils

d) To establish Assembly Digest, the occasional newsletter published by the project, on a quarterly basis to coincide with the Assembly cycle of meetings and those of the functional boards. This will continue to be circulated to all parish councils in the region;

e) To act as an interface between parish and town councils and providing a desktop information service on the activities of the Assembly and its boards;

f) To service the local councils' associations regional committee thus ensuring a regional perspective on to issues under discussion at the Assembly.

Summary of the work: The RSIO worked with ERNLLCA and YLCA to establish voting rights for representatives of parish and town councils within the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly. He was also responsible for ensuring the dissemination of information about the work of the Assembly to parish and town councils through the medium of a regular newsletter called Assembly Digest. Achievements: a) At its AGM in July 2007 the Assembly extended town and parish council participation in the Assembly by agreeing places on each of the three Functional Boards. Terms of Reference were established for the Assembly and Functional Board delegates, including an agreement that each will produce a written report on their activities. The outcomes of the Regional Committee and progress with the regional project were fed back to each of the YLCA and ERNLLCA executive committees.



Achievements: b) It was agreed that the Assembly member, Functional Board members and their

deputies would meet at least twice in the year to feedback on their individual activities and to share experiences. The intention was to develop a body of understanding within the first tier of local government in the region on regional issues and to ensure that this is communicated effectively.

c) The Regional Support and Information Officer has established links with the

Assembly secretariat so that consultation papers, newsletters, agenda papers, minutes etc. are received as a matter of course. These inform the issues to be communicated to the first tier through meetings, conferences, and Assembly Digest. A presentation on the work of the Assembly and its significance to town and parish councils was given to the Local Councils Associations/Regional Train-ing Partnership joint regional training conference in September.

d) Four issues of Assembly Digest were published within in the year. The Early Sum-

mer issue focused on the Assembly’s Rural Guide and priority areas for the region. The late summer edition covered the Government’s announcement for a Sub-national Review and the appointment of regional ministers. A special edition was is-sued in the Autumn outlining the Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes to the York-shire and Humber Plan and the consultation arrangements to enable any comments to be submitted by the December 21 deadline. The Spring 2008 issue introduced the newly appointed Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber and gave a round up of deci-sions taken by the Assembly during the winter round of meetings. Copies of the newsletter have been circulated to all regional MPs to raise their awareness of in-volvement in the work of the Assembly.

e) The Assembly member and RSIO have participated in research undertaken on be-

half of the Assembly into Social Economic and Environmental (SEE) partner par-ticipation on regional issues. There has been full participation in SEE partner ac-tivities throughout the review period. Two presentations have been given to the Trustees of the Humber and Wolds RCC to brief them on regional activity and the work of the Assembly.

f) The Regional Committee met on three occasions during the year in May, Septem-

ber and January and received progress reports on activities to date. Assembly delegates fed back on meetings attended and current issues under discussion at the Assembly and on the three functional boards. The outcomes of these meetings continue to be reported back to the YLCA & ERNLLCA Executive Committees and thereafter to district committees.

Plans for the Future:

Government Office funding for the project has now come to an end with the result that it has now come to and end.

Financial Information


Principal Objectives and Activities The principal activity of the charity is the promotion of charitable work in order to benefit and enhance the conditions of communities and individuals in the geographic area formerly known as Humberside, with particular reference to the advancement of education, promotion of health and social well-being and relief of poverty, disadvantaged and distress. Humber and Wolds Rural Community Council has identified the following strategic objectives as a vehicle for the fulfilment of its main mission. 1. To influence and support policy development at local, regional and national level to address the needs of the communities. 2. To build the capacity of the rural voluntary and community sector through community development, advice and guidance. 3. To support and deliver services to rural communities. 4. To build organisational capacity in order to ensure quality services and high performance.

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Financial Review The trustees are well aware of their financial responsibilities and review actual income and expenditure against budgets on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. Fixed Assets The movement in tangible fixed assets during the year is set out in note 13 to the financial statement. Sources of Funding The activities of the company/charity are funded by grants from The Government Office Yorkshire and Humberside, North Lincolnshire Council, national and regional government funding agencies, and administrative fees for work undertaken on behalf of East Riding and Northern Lincolnshire Councils (ERNLLCA) and Humber Playing Fields Association (HPFA) Organisational Structure of the Company/Charity A diagram of the organisational structure of the charity is available on request at the Registered Office of the charity. Contribution of Volunteers The Trustees recognise that there are situations in which Volunteers help can make an appropriate and significant contribution to the work and service objectives of the charity. Individuals who put their experience, knowledge and skills at the disposal of the charity, free of charge, with the primary aim of helping the charity achieve its service objectives and/or with the aim of bringing some benefit to the local community.


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POLICIES Trustee Induction Policy The directors/trustees of the company/charity are committed to delivering a quality service and provide an induction course for all new trustees together with a copy of the Trustees Handbook, which includes everything a trustee needs to know in order to fulfil their role as a director/trustee of HWRCC. Grant - Making Policy The trustees promote and market the equitable distribution of funds in the Humber Sub-Region through the Department for Education and Skills - Local Network Fund. The themes under which grants are made are the five outcomes from Every Child Matters: Being Healthy, Staying Safe, Enjoying and Achieving, Making a Positive Contribution and Economic Well-Being. Investment Policy and Review of Performance The HWRCC has a positive cashflow position; accounts are held with the HSBC Bank plc and Abbey plc to attract the maximum interest without taking any financial risks and to provide for easy access for project operations. The monitoring of the financial position is done on a quarterly basis with advice from the Head of Finance and Administration cum Company Secretary. Reserves Policy Concomitant to the three year Business Plan (2007-2010), the directors/trustees also reviewed the organisation’s reserves policy, which encompasses the operational requirements of the whole organisation known as HWRCC. This level of reserves is equivalent to four months of working capital and equates to approximately £230,000. Risk Management The directors/trustees have conducted a review of the major risks to which the company/charity is exposed and have devised systems to mitigate these risks. External risks to funding are being mitigated through proactive funding diversification and collaborative continual dialogue with existing funders. Internal risks are minimised by devising and implementing procedures for authorisation of transactions and projects. Procedures are also being improved through the adoption of the ACRE and Customer First quality standards. These procedures and policies are periodically reviewed to ensure that they meet the needs of the charity. Assets held for other Companies/Charities There were no assets held on behalf of any other company/charity during the financial year.



HUMBER AND WOLDS RURAL COMMUNITY COUNCIL COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2008

Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Total Funds Funds Funds 2008 2007 Note £ £ £ £ INCOMING RESOURCES Incoming resources from generated funds Voluntary income 3 - - - 10,356 Investment Income 4 24,969 3,521 28,490 16,952 Incoming resources from charitable activities Grants receivable 2 106,819 2,261,102 2,367,921 2,183,430 Other income 5 67,585 105,976 173,561 103,482 ———- ———— ———— ———— TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 199,373 2,370,599 2,569,972 2,314,220 ———-- ———— ———— ————- RESOURCES EXPENDED Charitable activities 6 166,477 2,279,995 2,466,472 2,316,621 Governance costs 11 10,888 - 10,888 13,014 ——–—- ———— ———— ————- TOTAL RESOURES EXPENDED 177,366 2,279,995 2,457,361 2,329,635 NET INCOMING/(OUTGOING) RESOURCES BEFORE TRANSFERS 22,007 90,604 112,611 (15,415) Transfers between Funds 46,671 (46,671) - - ———— —–——– ———–— ———–— NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS 68,679 43,933 112,611 (15,415) ———— ———— ————- ———–— RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total Funds brought forward 232,521 172,168 404,689 420,104 —–——– ———— ————- ———-— Total Funds carried forward 301,200 216,101 517,300 404,689

The charity has no recognised gains or losses other than the results for the year as set out above.

All of the activities of the charity are classed as continuing.


HUMBER AND WOLDS RURAL COMMUNITY COUNCIL COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

BALANCE SHEET 31 MARCH 2008

2008 2007 Note £ £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS Tangible Assets 13 26,973 26,593 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 14 142,906 148,577 Cash at bank in hand 436,187 433,849 ———— ———— 579,092 582,426 CREDITORS Amounts falling due 15 (88,765) (204,330) within one year ———— ———— NET CURRENT ASSETS 490,327 378,096 ———— ———— TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 517,300 404,689 ———— ———— FUNDS Unrestricted income funds 282,762 201,804 Designated funds 16 18,437 30,717 Restricted funds 18 216,101 172,168 ———— ———— TOTAL FUNDS 517,300 404,689 These financial statements were approved by the members of the committee on the Wednesday 13th August 2008 and are signed on their behalf by: Bryan Davis David Walker Chairman Hon Treasurer Board of Directors Board of Directors The figures above are for illustration purposes only. For a fuller picture of the finances, please refer to the Annual Audited Accounts, a copy of which is available on request.


Humber and Wolds Rural Community Council 14 Market Place Howden GOOLE DN14 7BJ Tel: (01430) 430904 Fax: (01430) 432037 email: [email protected] www.hwrcc.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1099439 Company No. 4606085

ANNUAL REPORT - HWRCC · 2015. 6. 10. · Anne-Marie Dooner (until 31/03/08) Louise Hartley (until...

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