On 11th November 2025, parish councillors considered a request from the Randolph Community Centre Foundation Trust (charity number: 1165814) for a parish grant in the sum of £35,000, supported by the account sheet; auditor's report; and two funding sheets. It was unanimously agreed to award the sum of £5,000 to the Randolph Community Centre Foundation Trust, subject to receiving further satisfactory evidence, specifically bank statements for the last 12 months. The Chair of the Community Centre's Trustees has confirmed that "the £5,000 will be refused". A grant to the Randolph Community Centre Foundation Trust, raised by the precepting power of the Parish Council, was agreed in November 2024 in the sum of £37,000, money that the Parish Council applied for within its official precept request for the financial year 2025/26. (This was down from £39,754). If the Parish Council's income (precept) and the grant to the Community Centre remained the same for 2026/27, that would leave only £30,500 for the Parish Council to meet its own statutory commitments and financial needs, and not a single penny would be left for donations or grants for any other community organisation or any individual in need. The intention set out in the business plan for the original asset transfer was that the Parish Council would be able to taper the grant funding as the Community Centre's services and income grew and as it became more sustainable. It is important to remember that the grant is not an entitlement and is subject to review annually, and the Parish Council is governed by rules set out in the Local Government Act 1972 (section 137) which states that the maximum amount a council may spend on grants/donations in any one year is a prescribed sum per head of the "relevant population", i.e. the number of persons on the electoral roll [1848 in Jan 2025]. The Government's expenditure limit for the 2025/26 financial year to: £11.10 per elector. Therefore, the maximum limit the council may lawfully spend on grants and donations is £20,512.80 in any one financial year. Accountability for any breach of the provisions laid out in Section 137 is enforced through the audit regime, which can result in significant reputational damage.
BACKGROUND: The transfer of the former Surestart Centre was completed on 18th June 2019 on a 30-year full repairing insurance lease to the Randolph Community Centre Foundation Trust. In terms of an agreement to contribute, this is between the Foundation Trust and the Parish Council and is recorded in parish council minutes. The business plan developed for the transfer states: "The parish councillors of Evenwood and Barony Parish Council have agreed to take on the responsibility of running Evenwood Children’s Centre, which is known locally as the Randolph Centre. The council intend to take on the centre through the formation of a new foundation trust and fund the running of the centre primarily through an annual grant, raised by the precepting power of the parish council, which will ensure financial stability for the centre". At the time of the transfer there was reportedly a great deal of public consternation about the percentage rise of the precept but it was considered necessary in order for the Parish Council to take on the financing of the building. In notes from a meeting in March 2015, the Community Enterprise & Networks Officer at Durham County Council wrote: "The parish council are viewed as the ‘voice of the village’ and there is strong opposition in the village to any changes to the detriment of the current provision [of the Community/Surestart Centre]. It is believed that the village would be supportive of the efforts of the parish council". The intention set out in the business plan for asset transfer which was approved by the Parish Council was that, as services and income grew, the Parish Council would be able to taper the grant funding as the centre became more sustainable, demonstrating that the charity would not develop a positive balance from the precept (and that the contribution would be reflective of the running costs, including the development of a building maintenance fund for future repairs). This was reflected in the financial forecast that accompanied the five-year financial forecast up to 2021 (which was anticipated to be a grant of around £43,500 at the time). Parish councillors have taken into account that there is evidence that the Trustees of The Randolph Community Centre Foundation Trust have worked on that sustainability and income has grown sufficiently for the building to be considered sustainable without reliance on grant funding from the Parish Council, and members firmly believe there is a strong case for the reduction of funding from the Parish Council without the asset being put at risk.
Published: 25/11/2025 Published by: Evenwood & Barony Parish Council
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