HERE’S a bold statement: “Lyme Regis Town Council is the most generous of all small authorities serving towns of less than 4,000 inhabitants in the Western peninsular!”
I’m pretty sure that I’m correct in making that presumption after the recent council meeting in which we approved grants for local organisations and good causes to the tune of £100,000 - every year for the next five years. That’s half a million pounds during the duration of this council.
During the 60 years I worked as a journalist I covered most councils in the East Devon, South Somerset and West Dorset triangle at one time or another and I can’t recall any of them being in a position to hand out such mind-boggling financial support.
The process of who gets what is not without its difficulties, however. We had to consider applications from local groups totalling £186,000, so there was some who were bound to be disappointed. Some organisations rely on council support for survival. All councillors have their favourite local organisations and they all fight their corner to make the final allocation.
A representative from each body seeking a grant gets the opportunity to make a five-minute presentation, and then they face questions from councillors. I was impressed with the overall quality of the presentations, but then comes the difficult bit when the councillors discuss the merits, or otherwise of the applications.
Councillors who are involved in any of those seeking financial support from the council are not allowed to take part in the decision making.
Chairing the grants meeting is a bit of a challenge - but it only happens once every five years. I must admit I didn’t sleep very well for a couple of nights before the meeting but I’m pleased that councillors, in the main, conducted themselves in a respectful manner - and we managed to conclude business before midnight!
Success in securing a five-year grant from the council provides the recipients with the chance of attracting further financial support for long term projects. But this is not the end of the council’s generosity. We also have a budget of around £40,000 to hand out in small and medium grants for lesser projects without which, some organisations would struggle for survival.
There are some who believe such organisations should be able to stand on their own two feet without relying on handouts from the local council. Having been involved in fundraising in Lyme over a long period of time, I appreciate how hard it is to stay financially sound in a town of 3,700 inhabitants, where there are more than 60 local groups and charities.
Their continued presence forms part of the rich pattern of community life which makes Lyme such a vibrant town in which to live and the town council is proud of the support it is able to offer year in and year out. I believe Lyme would be a poorer place without it.
MUCH goes on behind the scenes at Guildhall Cottage (our home for just a few more months) as the council continues to build firm and valuable relationships with the movers and shakers in the town.
Recently, I was given the chance to host a meeting of Stakeholders made up of representatives of the various services and agencies that make the town tick. Held at the Royal Lion, no fewer than 16 different organisations came together and made presentations on their role in our community.
These included the following: Dorset Council (Waste Services/Environment Health), RNLI, Magna Housing, Dorset Police, Jurassic Coast Primary Care Network, Town Mill, Boat Building Academy, Woodroffe School, Lyme Regis Museum and Lyme Regis Development Trust.
This was the second time the council had hosted such a gathering and it was rewarding to see various bodies exchanging views on the challenges they face in fulfilling their public responsibilities.
AS the days scoot by and the end of my current mayoral year draws to a close, I am pleased to confirm that my Civic Night will be held on Saturday, April 26th.
Last year’s mayor, David Sarson, decide to ring the changes and adopted a much more relaxed event, with 200 packed into the Marine Theatre!
Being a bit of a traditionalist , I am reverting back to the previous format with local organisations being invited to attend. The evening at the Woodmead Halls will start with a champagne reception, followed by a two-course supper and dancing to the area’s most popular band We Funk, led by the super-talented Harvey Causley.
Speeches will be kept to a minimum but there will be a couple of surprises. Invitations will be sent out in the coming days.
My next surgery in the Mayor’s Parlour is on Saturday, March 1st. I have slots available between 10 am and 12 noon. Just pop in if you want a chat.