Agenda item

To receive the 2023/24 Annual Report (copy attached) and the 2024/25 Q1 & Q2 Report from Rushmoor Voluntary Services’ (RVS) Chief Executive, Donna Bone. Also attached are:

·       The Service Level Agreement between the Council and RVS

·       An Executive Summary of the 2023/24 Annual Report (to follow)

·       An Executive Summary of the 2024/25 Q1 & Q2 report

Emma Lamb, Community and Partnerships Service Manager at the Council, will be in attendance.

The Committee welcomed Rushmoor Voluntary Services’ Chief Executive, Donna Bone, Chair of Trustees, Andrew Lloyd and the Council’s Community and Partnerships - Service Manager, Emma Lamb, who were in attendance to report on the 2023/24 Annual Report and Quarters 1 and 2 for 2024/25, in line with the Service Level Agreement with the Council.

Ms Bone, gave a presentation which explained that Rushmoor Voluntary Services (RVS) were the umbrella organisation, referred to as a Council for Voluntary Services (CVS), in place to support local voluntary and community groups. Its mission had been to support the people of Rushmoor to play a full and active part in the life of the local community in partnership with the voluntary, statutory, and business sectors. It was noted that RVS provided information, guidance and support to 340 member organisations.

The Committee were advised that RVS had 120 established ‘Rushmoor Responder’ volunteers who were available to do ad hoc, bite sized volunteering, on a flexible basis. In addition, it was noted that since April 2023, 425 local staff and volunteers had been trained, 481 volunteers had been placed in local groups and staff had assisted with funding bids worth over £1.4million.

Key activities for RVS included:

·         Community Transport – it was noted that an average of 791 passenger journeys were made every month across Hart and Rushmoor and the minibuses were hired out by organisations on average 570 times a year.

·         Home Support – it was noted that RVS provided Home Help to over 200 households across the Borough and the befriending/buddying service had been thriving, with 326 telephone calls and 445 visits being made by volunteers.

·         Partnership working – It was advised that RVS worked with partners to provide services/initiatives across the Borough. Examples included the Repair Café, Grub Hub, Warm Hubs and Rushmoor Link. In partnership with the NHS, RVS had also supported work on reducing healthcare inequalities for children and young people – the initiative had helped to foster volunteering skills/interest in younger people.

The Committee reviewed RVS’s core CVS service budget income which came from grants totalling £134,800 for 2024/25. Looking to the future, it was advised that Hampshire County Council (HCC) would be removing their grant contribution, which had totalled £29,000 in 2024/25, for 2025/26. It was estimated that RVS could operate for one year at a cost of around £650,000 and had been operating at a deficit for the past two years. It was recognised that HCC and the Council were both facing financial challenges, however some growth was required to keep operating going forward.

The Committee discussed the report and presentation and when asked how the Council could assist, Ms Bone advised that a three year funding agreement from the Council would help plan for the future and assistance with a new lease for the space occupied at the Council Offices. A discussion was also held on the demographic of volunteers, it was advised that since the pandemic a number of volunteers with lived experience naturally retired leaving a huge deficit. The Rushmoor Responders, which had been established from the volunteers who had come forward during the pandemic, were a vital database of people who could be called upon for volunteering opportunities. It was also important to foster and continue to engage with young people through the local schools and colleges, creating opportunities for Duke of Edinburgh volunteering and build understanding of what can and can’t be done in the sector as a young person.

It was advised that RVS and Hart Voluntary Action (HVA) intended to work jointly going forward, condensing the number of meetings held per year by hosting jointly and using survey data to seek opportunities for more collaborative working.

In response to a query on how key performance indicators (KPI) were measured, Ms Lamb advised that quarterly performance meetings were held with RVS, and the excellent partnership with the Council had been highlighted in the recent Peer Review. Ms Lamb, was very confident that RVS delivered on its KPIs.

The Committee discussed the implications should RVS cease to exist, and opportunities for funding from alternative sources.

The Committee RECOMMENDED that the Cabinet:

·         consider a multi-year funding agreement from 2025/26

·         consider bridging the gap in funding as a result of any withdrawal of the Hampshire County Council grant to RVS from 2025/26

·         consider waiving the rent of £20,000 due to Rushmoor Borough Council through 100% rent relief

ACTION

The Chairman thanked Ms Bone, Mr Lloyd and Ms Lamb for their presentation.