Decision
Analysis
outcome: Recommendations Approved
summary: The decision is about approving a grant support scheme for community/warm hubs in the Stratford-on-Avon District Council.
topline: The Stratford-on-Avon District Council has decided to approve a grant support scheme for community/warm hubs to enhance community wellbeing activities and support vulnerable residents.
reason_contentious: This issue is not particularly contentious as it aims to support community wellbeing activities and vulnerable residents.
affected_stakeholders: ["Community/warm hubs", "Vulnerable residents", "Stratford-on-Avon District Council"]
contentiousness_score: 2
political_party_relevance: There are no mentions or implications of political parties or political influence on the decision.
URL: https://democracy.stratford.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=4212
Decision Maker:
Outcome: Recommendations Approved
Is Key Decision?: No
Is Callable In?: No
Purpose:
Content: To agree the Stratford-on-Avon District Council Community/Warm Hub Grant Support Scheme 2026 grant scheme design, guidance notes and application process. Following the report here approved by the Cabinet on 6 July 2026 a budget of £25,000 be established from the Business Rates Equalisation Reserve, which warm hubs can apply to for funding to maintain and enhance their provision. We plan to distribute financial support to qualifying applicant organisations to enable them to achieve our aim of: Support, prolong and enhance community wellbeing activity through community/warm hub events bringing together members of the whole community but with a focus on more vulnerable residents. We are looking to support community/warm hubs meeting the below objectives: Improving the sustainability of community/warm hubs through providing funding for venue hire or similar; Improving experience through enhancing activities held at the community/warm hub; Improving the administration of the community/warm hub through funding administrative costs, including insurance, compliance costs, DBS checks, energy bills, or similar; and Provision of funding to cover other costs associated with the development and delivery of community/warm hubs. To deliver these grants we have developed a grant scheme design, accompanying this paper, describing the following aspects of the scheme: What type of applications are we looking for How much money can your organisation ask for Time frames Monitoring, Reporting & Evaluation Governance Who cannot apply for the funding and what will not be funded Help and advice on running safe events Checklist of Eligibility Application and assessment process, and Template application form The next stage will be to launch the grant at the beginning of September including launch events in person and on TEAMs and establishment of a micro-site on the district council’s website. The Leader is happy to support this. Significant discussion took place both before and during the Cabinet meeting on the 6 July and the necessity of a swift response to ensure that Warm/Community Hubs have access to funding before the onset of winter was considered to justify a grant scheme delivered by the team, rather than a third party, as this is likely to be more quickly deployed.
Date of Decision: July 31, 2026