Agenda and minutes
August 2026
Actions from the Closing the Gap meeting – 12th August 2026
Monthly Highlight Reports – “No Wrong Door” Integrated Community Team
Updates for 12th August 2026 Meeting
From Steve Seatherton – Belle’s Place and Link Centre
- Belles Place
There has been some positive progress regarding the immediate financial position of Belles Place.
Since our last meeting, we have secured £10,000 from the NHS, via Darin Halifax, alongside the previously confirmed £5,000 contribution from North Devon Council. This funding has been particularly important given the extremely difficult financial position Belles Place had reached, with Carol having approximately £75 remaining in the bank immediately prior to the funding being released. (Note – One Ilfracombe forward funded this due to the time pressure with NHS and NDC paid their contributions back into the OI bank account).
We are now working to confirm a further £5,000 contribution from Devon County Council. I am also speaking directly with the Police regarding a potential financial contribution. There is a strong case for Police involvement. Belles Place supports a significant number of people who are either in contact with, or known to, the Police. The practical support and intervention provided by Carol and the team helps prevent situations escalating and reduces pressure on other services. The Police recognise the important role Belles Place plays in supporting some of the town’s most vulnerable people. We now need to get some money from them!
I have also submitted a £30,000 funding application to Devon Community Foundation’s Crisis and Resilience Fund. The application is split across two elements:
Food, Fuel and More – £15,000
This fund is designed to provide immediate assistance to people experiencing a sudden financial shock. This could include, for example, somebody whose washing machine has broken and who has no financial means to replace it, or somebody suddenly unable to afford essential food, fuel or household costs. The proposal is for this support to be delivered locally through Belles Place and the Social Prescribing team, ensuring that assistance can be provided quickly to those most in need. Importantly, the funding model also allows us to include an allocation towards Belles Place staffing and delivery costs, recognising that providing this level of support has a real resource implication for the organisation.
Community Help – £15,000
The second element looks beyond the immediate crisis and provides more sustained one-to-one support.
The intention is to work with people after the initial financial shock to help them improve their longer-term financial resilience. This could include support with budgeting, managing household finances, addressing debt, saving and accessing appropriate advice or other services.
Again, the intention is for Belles Place and the Social Prescribing team to be central to delivering this programme.
The full £30,000 would not be allocated directly to Belles Place, but a significant proportion could support Belles Place in delivering the programme and provide additional financial stability for the organisation.
The application was submitted on 10 August 2026, and we are now awaiting the outcome.
Longer-Term Sustainability
Alongside the immediate funding work, we have begun the wider conversation about the future sustainability of Belles Place. An initial meeting took place before the summer holidays and a number of actions were agreed. These are due to be progressed over the coming weeks, with the intention of bringing the group back together in early September.
The initial work is focused on addressing the issues Carol has already identified before moving into some of the more complex longer-term questions, including:
- the financial sustainability of Belles Place
- organisational and governance arrangements
- longer-term operational planning
- succession and continuity planning around Carol’s role.
This is at a very early stage and there are some difficult issues to work through. However, the important step is that the conversation has now started and we have brought together people with the appropriate experience and knowledge to help Belles Place develop a sustainable way forward.
- Link Centre
There is currently no significant new development regarding the Link Centre.
Laura Donovan and I have met with the Devon County Council Estates team, who provided further clarification regarding the process they intend to follow for the building.
Their first priority is to appoint a contractor and undertake work to the roof, with the immediate objective of making the building watertight. Once this has been completed, attention is expected to move to the doors and windows and the other work required to bring the building back into usable condition. At present, however, there is no confirmed timescale for this work.
Local Government Reorganisation is creating significant pressures across Devon County Council, which is inevitably having an impact on capacity and timescales. However, there remains a commitment from the Council to undertake the necessary work and ultimately bring the Link Centre back into use.
The lack of a definite programme for the building works does make it difficult for us to progress detailed discussions about future occupants and uses for the building. Any future proposal will need to be supported by a credible and sustainable business plan, and organisations are understandably going to need greater certainty regarding when the building will be available.
For that reason, we have temporarily stepped back from progressing the operational planning in detail. We will pick this work up again once Devon County Council Estates is able to provide firmer information regarding the programme and timescale for the building works.
Summary
Overall, the immediate priority remains stabilising Bell’s Place financially while developing a longer-term sustainability plan around it. There has been some very positive progress on funding, although further work remains.
For the Link Centre, the commitment to bring the building back into use remains positive, but meaningful progress on its future operation is dependent upon receiving a clearer timetable for the required building works.
From Kier Duffin – One Devon Estate
OPE – Ilfracombe Public sector buildings business case stage 1 has now been completed
There is agreement that a stage two business case is required and consideration from North Devon Council around using outstanding OPE funds to deliver this.
A tender scope (stage 2 Business case) would be required, and Devon and Torbay OPE would be happy to support the development of this.
Actions from the One Ilfracombe Closing the Gap Meeting held on 08-07-26
Actions from the One Ilfracombe Closing the Gap meeting 03-06-2026
Agenda for One Ilfracombe Closing the Gap group 13-05-2026 (1)
April 2026
Agenda for One Ilfracombe Closing the Gap group 08-04-2026
One Ilfracombe Closing the Gap held on Wednesday 8 April 2026
March 2026
Agenda – One Ilfracombe Closing the Gap – Wed 11-03-2026 1300 -1400 (2)
One Ilfracombe Closing the Gap to be held on 11 March 2026 actions and notes (1)
Feb 2026