Gospel Oak Tenants' Groups Encouraged to Bid for Funding; Committee to Consider VAT Shortfall for Dunboyne Estate Metro Bins

Tenant and Resident Associations (TRAs) in Gospel Oak are being encouraged to submit bids for funding to support community projects and activities. The Gospel Oak District Management Committee (DMC) is urging TRAs to refer to the application guidance to understand the process, eligibility, and available funding options.

The Gospel Oak District Management Committee (DMC) is actively encouraging Tenant and Resident Associations to apply for funding from the minor revenue and major works budget, which totals £151,040 for the 2025/2026 financial year, according to the GODMC Budget Report November 2025. All expenditure must occur within the current financial year. The document does not provide information on previous years' budgets for comparison.

The District Management Committee (DMC) Fund is a grant scheme accessible to Tenant and Resident Associations and other community members for community projects or improvements in their area. Examples of projects funded in Q2 include new lockable box covers, garden improvement works, installation of new benches, garden mulching and purchase of bulbs, and private security patrols at ASB hotspot areas.

TRAs are reminded to use the Special Projects Grant (SPG) for social activities, which has a £750 limit, although funds can be requested twice within a 12-month period. The GODMC Budget Report November 2025 states that TRAs should use the SPG for social activities such as trips and community events.

Currently, there are no new bids for consideration. However, the committee may be asked to approve a request to meet a VAT shortfall of £3250.28 on an approved bid for the installation of Metro Bins at Dunboyne Estate. The reason for the VAT shortfall is that the sum of £27,979.00 approved at the June 2024 meeting did not include VAT.

In the normal course of events, unspent budget cannot be carried forward from one year to the next. These rules are put in place by the Finance Department to ensure good governance of the Council's resources and meet financial regulations. In exceptional circumstances money can be spent on specific projects using budget from the previous year. These must be decided on a case by case basis with the Finance Department. Any TRA seeking carry-over of funding should submit their case for carry-over of funding to the Ward Housing Manager who will refer this to the Finance Department for consideration.

Appendix A of the agenda lists those TRAs which have satisfactorily completed the registration process. The exact number of TRAs and the percentage that apply for funding are not specified, but the report encourages TRAs to submit bids as early as possible.