Decision details

Approval is sought for a revised approach to supporting the City’s older people’s lunch club network. The report seeks permission to retain the current grant fund and launch funding criteria and calculations in 2019. The purpose of the fund will remain the same, to help reduce loneliness and isolation amongst older people and improve wellbeing.

That the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety agrees that:-

(i) Sheffield City Council shall retain a Lunch Club budget of £189,000 for the financial year 2019/2020;

(ii) the Lunch Club budget shall be split between the two elements of direct funding to older people’s lunch clubs in the city and a support and development service, in line with the report.  The Head of Libraries and Community Services shall determine the exact amount to be split between the two elements of the fund in line with the aims of this report;

(iii) that Sheffield City Council adopts the eligibility and award criteria as set out in the report and such attached appendices;

(iv) there shall be a competitive process to identify a Sheffield based charity to provide the development and support services; and

(v) Where no existing authority exists under the Leaders Scheme of Delegations, the Head of Libraries and Community Services shall have a delegated authority to:

(A) award such grants to Lunch Clubs and thereafter to enter into such Grant Agreements and associated impact reports and monitoring, in line with the report;

(B) agree a programme of development and support work for the lunch  club network and associated impact reports and monitoring, in line with the report; and

(C) carry out and take all other necessary steps not covered by existing delegations to achieve the outcomes outlined in the report.

The Cabinet Member agrees to the recommendations in the report with the exception of the budget (recommendation 1) and instead agrees to defer implementation of a new Lunch Club Fund until April 2020. The Lunch Club Fund will then be included for discussion in the overall budget discussion for grant aid from 2020.

Current grant aid funding agreements with lunch clubs and Voluntary Action Sheffield will be extended by one year at the current rate.

Lunch Clubs are key to combatting loneliness and isolation and the development of lunch clubs will provide citywide coverage.

Delaying implementation of the new fund criteria will bring the Lunch Club Fund in line with other grant aid funding reviews.

To agree all the recommendations in the report and grant funding for a three year period.