What is a Community First Panel?
Each eligible ward will need to have a Community First Panel, made up of 4-8 local people. The Panel will work with their community to produce a Community First Plan and recommend projects/activities to be funded in their ward.
Being a panel member is a voluntary activity and no individual can be paid for their work on the panel.
CDF would ideally like membership of the panel to be a representative sample of the local community, including the public, the public sector (local councils), private sector (from the business community) and voluntary sector (local charities, community groups or social enterprises).
What is the criteria for a panel?
The Community First Panel must:
• Consist of a minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 8 people
• Be made up of people who live in the ward OR be an existing group / organisation based or working within in the ward
• Have members who are 18 years and over
• Be willing to take on Community First Panel responsibilities
• Agree a set of group rules, called a Terms of Reference, which set out how the Community First Panel will operate
• Consist of members who have neither been convicted of fraud, been declared bankrupt, nor held senior posts within organisations that have gone into administration
The Community First Panel needs to exist until the end of the programme, which is March 2015.
The Community First Panel members will be eligible to claim certain expenses for attending panel meetings. Up to 3% of the ward allocation is eligible to be claimed as expenses by panel members.
What will the Community First Panel do and what responsibilities will it have?
The Community First Panel is expected to:
• Set up a unique email address
• Create a simple website to be updated regularly with the Community First Panel’s activity
• Create a Community First Plan. The Community First Plan will set out what you will do to improve your area. The panel will draw up a list of local priorities for funding which will later develop into the Community First Plan. The Community First Plan should include the views of as many local people as possible, not just members of the CommunityFirst Panel. The idea is that the Community First Panel will find projects/activities that compliment the Community First Plan.
• CDF will not dictate the planning method that the Community First Panel should use, but we will provide broad guidance on the scope. The Government wants to encourage a focus on local assets and opportunities, as well as on issues and priorities. To facilitate the planning, each panel will be able to use a portion of their grant pot to fund the development of the plan. Methods that might be most appropriate include ‘Asset Based Community Development’ and ‘Appreciative Inquiry’.
• Identify groups/projects that you feel would benefit your community and fit in with your overall Community First Plan, using local contacts, Community Organisers and networks to encourage local people and groups to come forward with project ideas.
• Agree to fund only those activities and projects that benefit their ward.
• Represent the views and wishes of people in the ward.
• Promote the Endowment Match Challenge (EMC) to local people, businesses, local councillors and organisations.
How will the Community First Panel assess and award grant applications?
Once you have set up a Community First Panel CDF expect you to work together with the local community in your ward, to identify projects that will benefit your area. You will then inform CDF of your recommendations, demonstrating the need for the project/s and their benefit to your ward. If CDF are satisfied with your recommendations then funding will be released to your recommended groups.
What is the minimum and maximum grant the Community First Panel can award to each project to be funded?
£250 is the minimum and £2,500 is the maximum amount in cash that can be awarded to groups for a period of one year. Groups can re-apply each year.
For further information, visit: www.cdf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Guidance-on-setting-up-a-Community-Panel1.pdf.