Community First - new funding initiative for B & T

[Joe K]

Barton & Tredworth, that is (one thing I'm not crazy aboutwith proboards is the lack of title space accomodation).

I'm just really using this thread to dump a few links for regular updates, so I can see if I got answers (or deleted).

F'rexample,

www.facebook.com/pages/Community-First/402308993129444

which is the Facebook page for Community First, and where I've asked about if the people it is referred to in a particular are encouraged, or even just allowed to neglect to tell anyone in that area about it. GAVCA announced it on their 'Hub' online newsletter on the 13th of June apparently, but we only heard about it three days ago, and the deadline for the first round of applications is today.

And this is the Facebook page for GAVCA, who almost certainly were initially contacted by CF,

www.facebook.com/GAVCAGlos?ref=ts

and then presumably referred them to members of the Barton & Tredworth Neighbourhood Partnership such as Tony Ward and Pat Hurley, who along with GAVCA's Jane Jarman possibly, are the only people I'm sure are on the 'Panel', which must have been set up by June 13th at the latest according to this page,

www.gavca.org.uk/funding/funding-news/83-funding-for-particular-neighbourhoods/596-new-funding-for-barton-a-tredworth-residents-and-groups--deadline-friday-22-june

where I've asked who is on the panel and how long ago it was set up, but my query may never be approved...

So that's how that's coming along. I've tentatively put in a bid to start a group which will tackle the fly-tipped waste in alleyways the council say is outside their remit because they're 'private' access to back gardens, but where the majority of residents are suffering because of a small minority who are either immune to official action or persuasion, or transient tenants who throw out their trash before moving on, to escape fines.

I say tentatively, because there's little chance of making a persuasive case in a few hours, and because that 'private' issue is almost certainly going to make it a 'big ask', due to the council probably needing to be on board to transport the waste, and some insurance issues. Still, toujours gai...

(this will probably be edited regularly for new links, and not just typos)

[Deleted]

Does Jane Jarman work for GAVCA now? That would explain why she was at the last BTNP meeting. She used to be Grants Development Manager for Gloucestershire Community Foundation and handed out Grassroots grants.

[Joe K]

Yes, Jane Jarman's role re the BTNP was to revise the constitution prior to the Annual General Meeting, and as far as I can tell from the minutes to previous meetings, not a single one of these revisions was ever raised for discussion/approval at such a meeting, at least 28 days in advance of the AGM. But since she actually added a new clause at the AGM itself (which no-one would have queried, despite it being handwritten prior to being photocopied at the ACA offices just down the road, if Paul Harries had not chanced to have my copy of the draught, picked up from the police station weeks earlier), that's not really surprising.

I don't have a lot of time for Peter Hitchens, compared to his now sadly deceased brother, but when he spoke of 'politically correct jobsworths', I immediately thought of GAVCA. I try to believe they have the best intentions, but they have that New Labour certitude that some 'bigger picture' justifies appalling breaches of conduct.

Fingers crossed, I will know much more about Community First by the end of the week...

[Joe K]

Well ,here's the straight dope on Community First in Barton & Tredworth.

The initiative has been around since January, but residents weren't informed, although the people in charge of the partnership knew about it. It seems that they, or at least Tony Ward and Pat Hurley, grabbed places on the panel, and since then there have been eight applications, but as only those who were 'in the know' could apply, and committee members were only told about CF three days before the application deadline, those eight applications are as dodgy as heck.

I've suggested that the deadline should be extended by at least another two months, and residents properly notified, but I've had no response of yea or nay yet...

[Joe K]

Amazed I've never added a link to the Bartredfirst pages...

www.bartredfirst.co.uk/index.shtml

[Joe K]

Despite what the website above says, my understanding is that Round 2 of funding has already started, and actually *ends* on November 2nd. The obvious problem I have with this is that those in the know, i.e. associates of the Panel members, will already know they have to get in gear for this. The sensible approach would have been to advertise a starting date at least two weeks in advance, so that the Panel could focus on promotion to the whole community, as they didn't before. Sense doesn't seem to get much of a look-in with the current bunch, though...