Agenda item

C Foster introduced the report to members and said there have been a lot of changes because of the pandemic and some activities have moved online which demonstrated how technology can support the delivery of sports and activity. A virtual wellness festival took place online with a range of activities including yoga, mindfulness and healthy eating. There were seven activities with 445 people attending. The Run Your Town event will be held virtually this year on the weekend of 17-18^th October and we are asking residents to sign up to walk/run 5km or 10km for a £5 donation and all proceeds will go to the local NHS charity as chosen by the Mayor. All participants will receive a medal. The Active Dacorum Hub is open now as a multi-use communal venue and the aim is to engage all residents in their physical and mental wellbeing. C Foster said she was able to utilise s.106 funding to resurface the tennis courts and add netball courts at Cupid Green.

Councillor England thanked C Foster for their engagement in the changes to the report he had proposed, he said they had done a good job and it was good to see some numbers. He recognised that covid-19 has impacted the programme and makes it difficult to evaluate what is being done. He said he felt strongly that adventure playgrounds and community centres should be involved. He suggested a goal of a greater percentage of projects tackling inactivity.

C Foster said Dacorum is a large borough and the project has to start somewhere. The first task was to find a use for the closed building at Cupid Green playing fields and this has now been achieved. She said she was passionate about creating community partnerships which should allow us to look at other locations. In relation to inactivity, this is being tackled again through partnership working and working with Sports England and the planning team to set up a working group to look at the results from the Local Plan and awaiting on the indoor feasibility study to be published by the end of the year. There are certain areas with a shortfall, such as artificial 4G pitches and local football facilities which is run by the Football Association. She said she would be happy to receive any suggestions or invite interested members to the working group.

Councillor Adeleke asked how many projects C Foster envisioned would happen for the whole year and is there a target to achieve.

C Foster said the action plan was a working document and there aren’t any specific targets. New items can be added as the plan evolves.

Councillor Adeleke asked about community grants and how are they policed to ensure the money is being spent for what it was intended for. If a group is successful at being awarded a grant, he asked if they would be able to apply again.

A Care said there was three grants rounds a year. If a community group applies and is successful, they cannot apply for another grant until the next financial year and it cannot be for the same project. If a group applies and is unsuccessful, they can apply again within the same financial year. In terms of policing the grant money, if a group is successful, they are issued with a terms and conditions letter and must complete an evaluation form when the project is complete.

Councillor Mahmood thanked C Foster on a good report and said it was heartening to see the level of activity and engagement.

Councillor Barry asked for clarification on the type of pitch that was being installed at Cupid Green; was it 3G or 4G?

M Rawdon said he would confirm with officers.

Action: M Rawdon to confirm the type of pitch

Councillor Barry suggested that ‘Dacorum Active Hub’ makes it sound quite central.

C Foster said she wanted to incorporate the whole of Dacorum in the name and not make it specific to Grovehill.