‘Missed opportunity’ row as £140,000 handed out to Torbay community groups

Ten community groups in Torbay have been given a total of more than £140,000 for projects in some of the bay’s most deprived areas.

The groups – nine in Paignton and one in Brixham – have been named as successful bidders for shares in Torbay Council’s community grant fund. A second ‘tranche’ of £60,000 in grants will be announced in November.

The council has a completely separate fund of money to be spent in Torquay.

Members of the council’s cabinet have hailed the handout as a boost for some of Torbay’s most deserving causes, but opposition councillors have called it a ‘missed opportunity’.

Cllr Jackie Thomas (Con, Kings Ash) said the objective was to support vital voluntary and community organisations in areas where they were most needed.

Cllr Swithin Long (Lib Dem, Barton with Watcombe) questioned how the grants would help in deprived areas such as St Michaels in Paignton. Two of the organisations receiving money were national groups, he said, while one of the others was based in Plymouth.

Cllr Darren Cowell (Ind, Shiphay) told the meeting he was disappointed at the choices, with one of the charities already having nationwide incomes of millions of pounds every year.

He went on: “It’s a missed opportunity to build on the legacy of the Making Melville Marvellous project in Torquay, particularly in places like Winner Street, Church Street and St Michaels.

“If I was a member of the cabinet I would be sending this list back to the drawing board.”

But Cllr Nick Bye (Con, Wellswood) hit back: “Only a Torbay Council cabinet meeting could be so miserable at the thought of giving out well over £100,000 to deserving causes.

“This to me is a list of very worthwhile organisations, and I am delighted that we can support them.”

And council leader David Thomas (Con, Preston) added: “Forgive me, I actually thought this was a positive news story. One thing is for certain, the recipients of the money will absolutely view this as positive.”

A total of 69 applications were received, and they were reduced down to a shortlist by council officers before being passed on to cabinet members.

The grants in the first tranche are:

- Children’s Week (Torbay) for a mobile PA system – £1,616

- Church 180 for a flat renovation, cost of materials – £15,000

- Foxhole Community Association for replacement equipment for young people’s free meals – £20,000

- Gaia Giving CIC for a gazebo to enable year-round access – £4,122

- Great Parks Community Fund for capital works funding – £35,000

- Home Start South and West Devon Ltd for volunteer recruitment activities – £20,000

- Sound Communities for new outreach activity and refurbishment of bus – £20,000

- The Music Factory for new equipment and instruments – £4,000

- Torbay Citizens Advice Bureau for capital costs for a new pop-up advice surgery giving visibility in deprived wards – £10,400

- Torbay Furniture Project CIC for providing recycled furniture to deprived areas – £10,000.