Agenda item

Notice of Motion by Councillor Malik

That Council

 

  1. Agrees the tremendous success of the 2021 Summer of Play programme, the huge benefits it provided to children and young people in the city, and the positive evaluations of the programme from participants;

 

  1. Agrees in respect of mental and physical wellbeing our children and young people have faced considerable challenges over the last two years;

 

3.    Notes prior to the pandemic children and young people used school time as an opportunity to connect and socialise with peers but the restrictions put in place in schools in order to mitigate the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted on their ability to do this;

 

4.    Notes the inability to interact with peers freely, build relationships with others and pupil concern for the wellbeing of their own families has impacted on pupil wellbeing;

 

  1. Notes the Council has been given national funding to deliver a reduced summer programme over summer 2022 with no money for an Easter programme;

 

  1. Notes with disappointment that only £10m is being made available nationally compared to the £20m made available for summer 2021;

 

  1. Notes the grant conditions for 2022 are to be changed from last year meaning  the grant offered by the Scottish Government fails to address the very real risks to our young people over 14 and families with very young children who may not be old enough to access Early Learning and Childcare;

 

  1. Agrees this approach from the Scottish Government leaves an important gap in provision and puts considerable constraints on our approach to developing a summer programme;

 

  1. Agrees this reduction in funding will impact on our summer programme for 2022;

 

  1. Therefore instructs the Chief Officer - Education to work with relevant officers and partner organisations to develop similar Easter and Summer of Play programmes for 2022; and

 

  1. Instructs the Chief Officer - Education to prepare cost estimates for the provision of these Easter and Summer of Play programmes, and submit this to the budget process for 2022/23.

Minutes:

The Council had before it a notice of motion by Councillor Malik in the following terms:-

 

“That Council

 

  1. Agrees the tremendous success of the 2021 Summer of Play programme, the huge benefits it provided to children and young people in the city, and the positive evaluations of the programme from participants;

 

  1. Agrees in respect of mental and physical wellbeing our children and young people have faced considerable challenges over the last two years;

 

  1. Notes prior to the pandemic children and young people used school time as an opportunity to connect and socialise with peers but the restrictions put in place in schools in order to mitigate the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted on their ability to do this;

 

  1. Notes the inability to interact with peers freely, build relationships with others and pupil concern for the wellbeing of their own families has impacted on pupil wellbeing;

 

  1. Notes the Council has been given national funding to deliver a reduced summer programme over summer 2022 with no money for an Easter programme;

 

  1. Notes with disappointment that only £10m is being made available nationally compared to the £20m made available for summer 2021;

 

  1. Notes the grant conditions for 2022 are to be changed from last year meaning  the grant offered by the Scottish Government fails to address the very real risks to our young people over 14 and families with very young children who may not be old enough to access Early Learning and Childcare;

 

  1. Agrees this approach from the Scottish Government leaves an important gap in provision and puts considerable constraints on our approach to developing a summer programme;

 

  1. Agrees this reduction in funding will impact on our summer programme for 2022;

 

  1. Therefore instructs the Chief Officer - Education to work with relevant officers and partner organisations to develop similar Easter and Summer of Play programmes for 2022; and

 

  1. Instructs the Chief Officer - Education to prepare cost estimates for the provision of these Easter and Summer of Play programmes, and submit this to the budget process for 2022/23.”

 

Councillor Malik moved, seconded by Councillor Imrie:-

          That the Council approve the notice of motion.

 

Councillor Alex Nicoll moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Greig:-

          That the Council -

(a)       approve 1 to 10 as per the notice of motion;

(b)       congratulates Aberdeen City Libraries, Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust, Aberdeen Lads Club, Aberdeen Play Forum, Aberdeen Science Centre, Aberlour Options, ACC Music Service, Adventure Aberdeen, Balnagask Community Centre, Barnardo’s Aberdeen Young Carers, Citymoves, Countesswells Holiday Club, Countryside Ranger, Creative Learning, Cultivate Aberdeen, Cummings Park Community Centre, Duthie Park Rangers, Family Learning, Fit Like Hubs, Grampian Autistic Society, Jesus House-Torry, Kings Church Foundation, Mastrick Community Centre, NESCol, Northfield Community Centre, Northfield Congregational Church, Orchard Brae Specialist Playscheme and Holiday Fun Club, Sport Aberdeen, Techfest, Tesco Hub Project, We Too and the  officers strategic group for their hard work and dedication in the successful delivery of the 2021, Summer of Play Programme, which was delivered within a 7 week timescale for young people in Aberdeen; and

(c)       note that while the final funding arrangements for 2022 are still being finalised recognises the need to continue with this programme in the coming years and encourages all political groups in the Council to support the delivery of this programme in their individual budget proposals for 2022/23 Budget setting processes.

 

During the course of debate, the Administration agreed to accept part (b) of Councillor Alex Nicoll’s amendment to the notice of motion.

 

On a division, there voted:-

 

For the motion  (23)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Allan, Bell, Boulton, Cross, Donnelly, Lesley Dunbar, Duncan, Graham, Grant, Houghton, Imrie, John, Laing, Lumsden MSP, Macdonald, MacKenzie, Malik, Mason, Reynolds, Sellar and Wheeler.

 

For the amendment  (22)  -  Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard, Alphonse, Cameron, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Delaney, Jackie Dunbar MSP, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, McLellan, McRae, Mennie, Alex Nicoll, Audrey Nicoll MSP, Noble, Radley, Townson and Yuill.

 

The Council resolved:-

(i)             to approve the notice of motion; and

(ii)           to congratulate Aberdeen City Libraries, Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust, Aberdeen Lads Club, Aberdeen Play Forum, Aberdeen Science Centre, Aberlour Options, ACC Music Service, Adventure Aberdeen, Balnagask Community Centre, Barnardo’s Aberdeen Young Carers, Citymoves, Countesswells Holiday Club, Countryside Ranger, Creative Learning, Cultivate Aberdeen, Cummings Park Community Centre, Duthie Park Rangers, Family Learning, Fit Like Hubs, Grampian Autistic Society, Jesus House-Torry, Kings Church Foundation, Mastrick Community Centre, NESCol, Northfield Community Centre, Northfield Congregational Church, Orchard Brae Specialist Playscheme and Holiday Fun Club, Sport Aberdeen, Techfest, Tesco Hub Project, We Too and the officers strategic group for their hard work and dedication in the successful delivery of the 2021 Summer of Play programme, which was delivered within a 7 week timescale for young people in Aberdeen.