Decisions

The Dacorum Bangladeshi Welfare Association (DBWA), based in Hemel Hempstead, was formed in 2005 with the primary aim of supporting the growing Bangladeshi community in the town. They are a non-profit organisation and registered charity who have actively sought to bring together the community providing regular organised activities to cater for all genders and age groups. These activities include classes for children and adults (men and women), congregational prayers, annual fun days and tuition classes primarily focussed on English and Maths. The success and maturity of the organisation means that focus of the organisation is no longer limited to solely the Bangladeshi community. They welcome people from all backgrounds and there is now a significant number of people attending classes and events that are from diverse backgrounds.

The proposed improvements to the building will improve the flexibility of the building’s internal space to allow a wide range of groups to meet. They are proposing to remove some of the internal walls to turn small office spaces into a larger multipurpose room and to include folding partition walls to aid with the flexibility of the space.

The application was assessed through the Community Grant Scheme, which is specifically set up to support Community, Voluntary, Arts and Sporting groups that benefit the residents of Dacorum.  There are three rounds of Community Grant funding per financial year.  Charities are invited to apply for funding and the applications are assessed by a panel of officers, who will be looking at how well it meets the criteria of the fund; whether the project supports the Councils objectives and how it supports the following five ways to well-being: be active, take notice, learn, give and connect. 

In the summer round 2021 a community grant application was made from Dacorum Bangladeshi Welfare Association which has received approval at the grants panel meeting on 8 September.

The organisation completed the purchase of their own premises in 2020 and now plan to modify the building to create a multipurpose space for activities to take place. The building was formerly an NHS clinic and as such it is not conducive to holding group events. The organisation plan to remove some of the internal walls and replace them with folding partition walls to facilitate both small and larger group activities. This work will also require relocating some of the pre-existing plumbing and electrical installations. The centre has become an essential asset to the community and is used for social, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

They have already expanded their facilities to include a games room and are now looking for funding that will help them invest in the DBWA Centre and increase the range of activities they can offer. Their application included funding requests for equipment once the multipurpose room has been created, however the grants panel felt it appropriate to only fund the internal works at this time.

Total project cost £12,687

Funding:

£9,000 DBC grant

£515 raised from fundraising activities

This leaves a shortfall of £3172 for equipment purchases. This will not affect the organisation’s ability to create the multipurpose space as they will be able to fundraise and apply for other grants in the future for this.

Background

The Dacorum Bangladeshi Welfare Association (DBWA), based in Hemel Hempstead, was formed in 2005 with the primary aim of supporting the growing Bangladeshi community in the town. They are a non-profit organisation and registered charity who have actively sought to bring together the community providing regular organised activities to cater for all genders and age groups. These activities include classes for children and adults (men and women), congregational prayers, annual fun days and tuition classes primarily focussed on English and Maths. The success and maturity of the organisation means that focus of the organisation is no longer limited to solely the Bangladeshi community. They welcome people from all backgrounds and there is now a significant number of people attending classes and events that are from diverse backgrounds.

The proposed improvements to the building will improve the flexibility of the building’s internal space to allow a wide range of groups to meet. They are proposing to remove some of the internal walls to turn small office spaces into a larger multipurpose room and to include folding partition walls to aid with the flexibility of the space.

The application was assessed through the Community Grant Scheme, which is specifically set up to support Community, Voluntary, Arts and Sporting groups that benefit the residents of Dacorum.  There are three rounds of Community Grant funding per financial year.  Charities are invited to apply for funding and the applications are assessed by a panel of officers, who will be looking at how well it meets the criteria of the fund; whether the project supports the Councils objectives and how it supports the following five ways to well-being: be active, take notice, learn, give and connect. 

Cabinet Agreed

1. That the main contract to construct 25 social rented units at five garage site locations in Hemel Hempstead and Kings Langley be awarded to Bugler Developments Limited.

2. That delegated authority be approved to the Council’s Assistant Director (Corporate and Contracted Services) to execute and complete all legal agreements ancillary to the JCT Design & Build Contract 2016 and/or reasonably required to complete the Project, including (but not limited to):

a. all professional appointments;

b. collateral warranties; and

c. Agreements under

S.38, & S.278, of the Highways Act 1980;

S.247, Part III of the Town and Country Planning Act

1990;

S.104 of the Water Industry Act 1991, and

S.50 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.

Cabinet Agreed

That Cabinet approves the sites listed in Part 1 of the Brownfield Land

Register (BLR) as drafted in Appendix 1 and delegates authority to the

Assistant Director (Planning, Development and Regeneration) to finalise

the site-specific information before publication and notes that no sites are

Recommended for inclusion in Part 2.

Cabinet Agreed

That the position on the Strategic Risk Register, as at the end of quarter 2, 2021/22 be noted.

Cabinet Agreed

1. That Cabinet approves the Collection Fund deficit estimate of £962,542.04 as at 31 March 2022. The Dacorum Borough Council share of this deficit is

£115,000.26

2. That Cabinet approve the payment profile for the deficit identified at 1) above and contained at section 2.8 to this report (Table 3).

3. That Cabinet approves the calculation of the Council’s

tax base for the year 2022/23 incorporating an estimated collection rate of 99.4%.

4. That, in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by the Council as its tax base for the year 2022/23 shall be 59,328.3 and its constituent elements shall be:

Cabinet Agreed

To put the Budget  on the Forward Plan

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None

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Cabinet Agreed the meetings from the previous meeting