Decision details

Decision to undertake separate awards to successful applicants under the £150,000 Community and Partnership Fund. Specifically, the following projects:
Haven Domestic Abuse Service - £15,400
Purchase of a new minibus to serve the groups supported by this Charity.
Centre Point, Boston – £29,999.00
New furniture and IT equipment for the Centre Point Centre in Boston Town Centre, a full refurbishment of current facility.
Tonic Health - £20,100.00
New equipment and improvements to the new Youth Hub at Pescod Hall.
Polish Support Initiative CIC –£20,000.00
Establishment of a new community hub in a vacant town centre property (at 38B Dolphin Lane Boston) on a long-term lease, including ‘fit out’ and improvements to historic frontage.
Boston Lithuanian Group - £7,000.00
Equipment and materials to support community sessions and improvements to premises, including CCTCV and lighting.
Boston Foodbank (Boston PCC) - £25,000.00
Refurbishment and development of outdoor community spaces at Boston Foodbank, including a sheltered waiting area, courtyard improvements, community garden, IT and CCTV upgrades, and volunteer recruitment/training.
The awards total

As part of HMT’s ‘National Mission’ of local growth and raising living standards and in line with the commitments made by Boston Borough in the Community and Partnership Scheme Prospectus, we have committed to invest in high-impact projects across two core themes:
•Theme one: Community Wellbeing Hubs - Projects that support mental/physical health within Boston Borough. Projects in this theme will be specifically targeted at the wellbeing of residents in the Eastern European Community.
•Theme Two: Integration - Projects that support physical improvements to community facilities and assets. The aim is to improve integration, social exclusion, and financial wellbeing of residents in the Eastern European Community.
This is part of a wider package of funding for Community organisations within the Boston Partnership Fund, totalling £710,000, which includes investment in the Len Medlock Centre, Boston Centenary Chapel and the LCF GRASSroots Scheme (for grants to community facilities and projects across the Borough).
These allocations principally meet the objectives that we have committed to under the Community Wellbeing Hubs and Integration Themes, with the projects passing a rigorous assessment process. We are confident that they can deliver the outcomes expected from the Programme quickly and substantively. This has been the basis of the decision.

These funds were allocated on a competitive basis, based on a round of Full Applications to the Community and Partnership Scheme. The alternative would be to not award the funding, which would bring severe reputational risk to the Council both with the public and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.