Decision details

Date of Decision:

19 February 2026

Title:

Community Recovery Fund allocation

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Chris Paddock, Interim Director of Policy, Strategy and Engagement

Details of Specific Delegation

or

Delegation contained in the relevant Sub-Scheme of Delegation.

Cabinet, 16^th December 2024 (item 91) revolved to:

3. Delegate authority to the Assistant Chief Executive [now retitled the Director of Policy, Strategy and Engagement] in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to determine revised and final allocations for the Community Recovery Fund Grant.

Council Constitution, Appendix 9, Section 4C2: Director of Policy, Strategy and Engagement – Delegated Executive Functions: The Director of Policy, Strategy and Engagement is authorised to discharge executive functions in relation to:- (6) Performance, Intelligence and Improvement, including Policy and Partnerships.

Decision:

To approve the use of £66,000 of community recovery funding, to be allocated as follows:

·        £45,000 to deliver an event to mark St George’s day in Clifton Park, to bring communities together from across the Borough.

·        Up to £16,000 to establish a small grants programme for community events to mark St George’s day.

·        £5,000 to fund the small grants programme for eligible organisations to purchase and erect a flagpole and flag. 

Reasons for the Decision:

One of the five outcomes of the Council Plan is to be an organisation that listens and learns. This includes a commitment to working in partnership with our communities to deliver services, as part of our strengths-based approach.

As part of this approach, in September 2025, the Council undertook a consultation with residents to better understand their views regarding flags and national identity. The results of this consultation were announced in November 2025, with the Council setting out its approach to flags across the Borough and the intention to support a more significant celebration of St George’s Day for all our communities, in line with the feedback received from residents.

The resulting St George’s Day Celebration will take place at Clifton Park, providing a family friendly celebration that recognises and celebrates the diversity of our communities. This will seek to bring residents together through a range of activities and entertainment and will be held on the weekend of the 18^th April.

Alongside this and to support different communities across the Borough to celebrate St George’s Day, a small grants programme will be established. This will provide six to eight grants of up to £2,000 each of funding to support eligible organisations to host an inclusive and family friendly event, designed to bring residents together, including those who may be experiencing loneliness or isolation.

Applications will be considered from Town, Parish and Community Councils and community groups based in the borough. Community groups must have a constitution and bank account.

Events should be held between Saturday the 18^th April and Monday the 4^th May.  Grants could be used towards the costs of entertainment, venue hire, catering costs, communications regarding the event or logistics such as PA equipment or traffic management. Applications that provide a family friendly event, will look to be supported. The use of any grant funding for the cost of alcohol will be prohibited. 

Through a separate Officer Decision Record (ODR), the Council has agreed to establish a small grant scheme for the purchase and erection of flagpoles and flags. This ODR provides £5,000 of funding for the grant programme.

In December 2024 Cabinet considered and agreed a report that provided an indicative programme of activity and provisional allocations of the Community Recovery Fund. This included the establishment of a £180,000 ‘Rotherham Together’ a community cohesion fund.

To date this has funded 12 grants across the Borough that has provided different activities and created opportunities to bring different communities together. This has included different sports and cultural activities that have been designed to support communities and bring different groups together.

Of the £180,000 allocated to establish this community cohesion fund, £66,000 remains available to support additional activity. This will be used to support the delivery of the proposed activity to promote an inclusive celebration of civic and national pride, by bringing different communities together and fund the flagpole and flag small grant scheme.  

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

It was considered whether the St George’s Day celebration should just comprise the event in Clifton Park, however this would not be as inclusive in enabling different communities across the Borough to be involved in this event. Therefore, the grant element has been included.

The Council could choose to not undertake any activity surrounding St George’s Day, but this would not reflect the feedback that was received from residents in the Autumn, that had supported a more significant celebration. As a consequence, this option is not recommended.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Cabinet Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

Not applicable

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

Not applicable

Conflicts of interest declared by the Decision Maker if they sit as a Cabinet appointed representative to an outside body which relates to the decision:

Not applicable

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

Not applicable

Reports or parts of reports considered

Report from the Assistant Chief Executive Jo Brown, Community Recovery Fund, Meeting of Cabinet, 16^th December 2024