Public to help decide priorities for £28m grant fund
Londoners are being asked for ideas on how the pan-London body London Councils should distribute its £28m a year grants budget.
The body, which represents all local authorities in the capital and funds the Freedom Pass and Taxicard schemes, has launched a new consultation exercise to ensure the money meets the needs of London’s diverse communities.
Currently around 360 voluntary groups receive funding from London Councils for work in 59 “priority areas” such as domestic violence, greater opportunities for disabled people and work to prevent young people becoming involved with gun crime.
The consultation process, which runs until the end of January, will help London Councils decide what work should be a priority from April 2011.
Chairman of London Councils’ Grants Committee, Councillor Lynne Hillan, said “This is a very important consultation as it will help shape who and what we provide funding for in the future.”
“There are no preconceived ideas about the services we want to fund. It is important that as many people as possible tell us how they think this money should be spent to ensure that the services that we fund benefit those people in the capital who need it.”
As well as giving feedback online, Londoners will be able to take part in a series of consultation meetings.
For more information visit londoncouncils.gov.uk/grants/
I write having already submitted my comments via http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/grants/aboutourfunding/consultingthecapital.htm and wish to raise this point to all the chair’s listed above. My Comment is to highlight that London has about 7.5 million people and this spectrum including those who work, the elderly, the sick and disabled, children and men and women. Yet the London Councils budget spends about £3.50 per person on the variety of supporting projects under review and consultation. I have therefore further suggested that to make a real difference and support to those who live in London that all review the budget level of £28m and increase this of a level of £5 or £10 per person (£37.5m or £75m) and hope you feel the same way?