Report attached.

Contact: Julia Baron, Chief Executive, Shropshire RCC 

The report of the CEO, Shropshire Rural Communities Charity (RCC) was received – copy attached to the signed Minutes – which set out the responses received following a survey in July/August to capture the extent of the Covid-19 community activity and to understand the development needs of those groups going forward.  The CEO amplified her report.  She informed the Board that, based on their initial findings, Shropshire RCC had secured a small amount of lottery funding to provide extra support to those groups that required it until the end of March 2021.

She explained that although there had been a huge amount of generosity, it was imperative that the work generated be harnessed and consolidated to ensure it was not lost going forward and she drew attention to paragraph 2 of the report which set out four areas that would help ensure the continuation of those groups and which encompassed things like the need to develop organically rather than be directed by statutory bodies, being able to operate safely including mechanisms for undertaking DBS checks and for handling people’s money etc and the need for grant funding to assist with direct costs and to pay for ongoing adviser support.  She also drew attention to ‘volunteer fatigue’.

The Chairman thanked the CEO for her very interesting paper and commented on the importance of understanding not only the sustainability of those groups, but also any work which assisted supporting the resilience of the community and voluntary sector was really vital. He informed the Board that the Covid Social Task Force had set up a Task and Finish Group looking very specifically at the community and voluntary sector infrastructure and how partner organisations, including the council, could support and understand how best to build on and strengthen that infrastructure. 

A brief discussion ensued in relation to some of the local work being undertaken along with the challenges being faced by these organisation that may prevent them from remaining sustainable.

          RESOLVED:  to note the contents of the report.