Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Karina Dostalova, Deputy Jamie Ingham Clark, Alderman Alastair King, Paul Martinelli and Ian Seaton.

The Chairman welcomed Rosie Ferguson, Chief Executive of Gingerbread, to the meeting, to speak to the Committee about their work. Gingerbread worked with single parent families to help them live secure, happy and fulfilling lives.

A City Bridge Trust grant had funded research on understanding the needs of single parents, which had demonstrated a clear need for help with advocacy. The average age of single parents was around 38, with two-thirds in work, although often in insecure employment such as zero-hours contracts. One in ten single parents surveyed had used payday loan services or food banks. This had a big impact on the children of single parent families, around half of whom were thought to be living in poverty.

There were around 136,000 users of Gingerbread’s new website which had launched in October 2017. Around 20,000 new single parent families were created every year, facing a challenging transition. Significant numbers of users faced financial difficulties or had experienced domestic violence, whilst many also had no prior experience of the benefits system. Gingerbread often had callers that needed help with bigger issues than those relating to single parent status, and had good links with specialist groups to enable them to make onward referrals.

The priorities for Gingerbread going forward were to extend their advice service, with particular focus on increasing capacity, as there were currently not enough call handlers to meet demand. Gingerbread was also focussed on building partnerships with relevant organisations and build up their online system. The organisation gave huge thanks to City Bridge Trust for their grant, which had already enabled Gingerbread to increase their capacity enough that they could take the time to stop and think about how to be the best service they could be.

The majority of Gingerbread service users were women, although around ten per cent of users were male, often through bereavement. It was felt male users were more likely to seek help online and were more prominent on Gingerbread’s digital forum.

Whilst Gingerbread currently did not have the capacity to answer all calls received and could not be sure how many calls were not answered, it was hoped that users who were not able to get through to someone initially did not give up and could eventually speak to somebody. Gingerbread helplines were operated by both volunteers and by paid staff, who received training and were able to give more specialist advice.

The Committee thanked Rosie for her interesting presentation and commended Gingerbread for their work.

There were no declarations.

To agree the minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 6 July 2018.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 6 July 2018 be agreed as an accurate record.

Matters Arising

In response to a query from a Member, the Chief Grants Officer and Director of City Bridge Trust (CGO) gave Members an overview of the Robin Hood Foundation and the model they employed, having visited the organisation as part of a visit to New York with the Lord Mayor. There was currently no equivalent operating in the UK.

Report of the Town Clerk

The Committee received a list of outstanding actions, noting those which were on the agenda or were scheduled for a future meeting. The CGO advised Members that work was ongoing with regards to outreach work with targeted Boroughs, and that that City Bridge Trust were talking to other funders about the best way to target ‘cold spots’.

The Committee noted the Bridging Divides Members Briefing on 16 October, which would include wider information for Members on the City Bridge Trust and provide Members with the tools and knowledge to refer organisations to the Trust. Based on Members feedback at the briefing, a document offering Members key information and advice about the City Bridge Trust and Central Grants Unit could be drafted.

The CGO gave Members clarification on Partnership for Young London following a query about its relationship with the City of London Corporation at the previous meeting. Partnership for Young London was an independent organisation that was based on the Guildhall complex. The Corporation had a representative on the organisation’s Board, and another Member was on the Children & Young People’s Committee, therefore also attending meetings. The organisation paid a fee to the Corporation for a support package which included desk space and use of IT services. The Committee was advised that the Comptroller and City Solicitor was working on a document that would regularise the legal basis for this kind of relationship.

RESOLVED – That the Outstanding Actions update be noted, and updated accordingly.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer and Director of City Bridge Trust (CGO)

The Committee received the regular progress report of the Chief Grants Officer and discussed the updates provided.

Implementation of Bridging Divides

The CGO advised the Committee that the Bridging Divides strategy was now live and operational, and work was ongoing to bed in new ways of working and troubleshooting any teething problems. Suggestions from Members about the strategy were welcome.

HR Update

The CGO drew Members attention to the update set out in the report, advising that recruitment was in progress and updates would be given as soon as possible.

Cornerstone Fund

The CGO drew Members attention to the update set out in the report. Following the development of parameters for the application process, the Funders’ Panel had met in July 2018, and recommended 11 of the 21 applications received be approved by Delegated Authority for Stage 2 applications, which officers hoped to present to the November 2018 or January 2019 meetings of the City Bridge Trust Committee, although this may change. The Reference Group and Funders’ Panel proposed that a learning partner be appointed to work alongside successful applicants and group of aligned funders over a two-year period, and officers sought approval for up to £80,000 of non-grant funding to tender for a learning partner. This was agreed by the Committee.

Mayor of London’s Young Londoners Fund

The CGO drew Members attention to the update set out in the report. City Bridge Trust officers had continued to provide staff resource to support the processing of applications to the Young Londoners Fund. The Fund was due to be split between small and larger grants, with 15 small grants having already been awarded, subject to due diligence and approval by the Mayor’s team. To enable flexibility in the allocation of the funds as the detail of need was not yet known,

Report of the Chief Grants Officer and Director of City Bridge Trust (CGO)

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer and Director of City Bridge Trust (CGO), setting out City Bridge Trust’s spend against budget for period 1 April to 31 July 2018 (periods 1-4). The Committee noted that the grant spend appeared significantly below budget as it did not include the commitment of £1million to the Mayor of London’s Young Londoners Fund as this was agreed by the Court of Common Council.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer and Director of City Bridge Trust (CGO)

The Committee received a report of the CGO summarising grant applications recommended for decision at the meeting, and those that had been considered since the last meeting under the schemes of delegation. The Committee noted that as a result of the £80,000 in non-grant funding approved for the Cornerstone Fund, Table 3 on page 31 of the report needed to be updated.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer & Director of City Bridge Trust (CGO)

The Committee received a report of the CGO and Director of City Bridge Trust providing an update on progress against the 2018/19 grants budgets and summarising grants awarded and in management.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider the Chief Grants Officer’s reports on grant recommendations as follows:-

The Committee received a report of the CGO and Director of City Bridge Trust summarising grant applications recommended for decision at the meeting, and those that had been considered since the last meeting under the schemes of delegation.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

APPROVED £142,940 over three years (£46,360; £47,550; £49,030) towards the salary costs of the ESOL Coordinator (14hpw), ESOL Administrator (7hpw), sessional ESOL teachers and running costs of a programme of ESOL classes In Barnet.

APPROVED £254,600 over 3 years (£77,200, £85,000, £92,400) for the London Strategy to support young Londoners affected by eating disorders to begin specialist treatment as early as possible and so achieve a rapid and sustained recovery.

APPROVED £120,000 over three years (3 x £40,000) to meet the salary, on costs and a contribution to management charges of a f/t specialist mental health worker.

APPROVED £106,500 over three years (£35,000; £35,500; £36,000) for the F/T salary of a Learning Disability Outreach Coordinator

APPROVED £119,600 over 3 years (£39,200; £38,700, £41,700) towards the costs of a full time Transitions Officer and running costs of a programme of work to support disabled young people in Hillingdon in the transition to adulthood.

APPROVED £53,700 over three years (£17,000; £17,900; £18,800) to meet the costs of six sessional support workers fees.

The Committee noted that the recommended amount was slightly higher than that request as officers felt the organisation had not built in core costs, and wanted to help sustainability.

APPROVED £141,000 over three years (£45,700; £47,000; £48,300) contributing to the salaries of three part time Trainers and associated costs to deliver training, work experience and volunteering opportunities for young disabled people in Bromley.

APPROVED £100,000 towards the costs of installing a lift in the refurbished site to ensure full disabled access subject to a successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund. The grant is conditional on the organisation appointing a Treasurer within 6 months of the award.

APPROVED £114,780 over 3 years (£39,290; £37,370; £38,120) towards the salary of a Trainer (28 hrs/week) and on-costs to deliver a programme of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy for people in Hillingdon with dementia and their carers.

APPROVED £82,000 over 3 years (£26,800; £27,300; £27,900) for 1 fte Community Support Worker and associated costs to provide support services to people living alone with dementia in Ealing.

APPROVED £85,500 over three years (£28,000; £28,500; £29,000) towards the costs of interactive music workshops and staff training across care homes In London.

The Committee noted the revised request and recommendation as set out in a document tabled by the CGO. This was due to the organisation needing a less senior staff member than originally anticipated.

APPROVED £79,800 over three years (£25,800; £26,600; £27,400) for the post of Senior Warehouse Operative (40 hours per week)

APPROVED £154,700 over 3 years (£53,000; £51,100; £50,600) for the salary of a f/t Advice Worker, volunteer costs plus related operational costs. This is subject to the funding being released on receipt of satisfactory quarterly management accounts until free reserves reach target and the organisation operates at an annual surplus.

APPROVED £78,000 over three years (£24,500, £26,500, £27,000) for the part-time Debt and Money Advice Caseworker (3dpw) and associated project costs, conditional on confirmation a reserves target is set by the board of trustees.

APPROVED £105,000 over 3 years (3 x £35,000) to support the f/t salary and expenditure of a High Down Prison based Support Worker to provide an effective and inclusive service to graduates of The Clink Programme.

The Committee noted that this was the first Bridging Divides application to be brought before the Committee and was for a five-year grant rather than three. The organisation had first contacted City Bridge Trust prior to the Bridging Divides Strategy and officers had been able to develop an insight into what the organisation wished to achieve. The grant would be important not just for Volunteer Centre Greenwich, but also for bringing strands of work in the sector together. The application represented a good example of helping an organisation where reach and time is what was needed, and would significantly help the community in the long-term.

APPROVED £255,600 over five years (£63,000: £58,600: £50,500: £45,200; £38,300) towards the salaries of the CEO and Volunteering and Operations Manager and associated costs to increase voice and representation; reinstate free membership and associated services; and develop and grow income streams to support the future sustainability of the organisation. The release of quarterly payments is subject to the provision of satisfactory management accounts and cashflows.

The Committee considered a report of the CGO setting out proposals for the first phase of a new CBT Funder Plus offer, as part of the Bridging Divides strategy for 2018 – 2023. The Trust was committed to improving the Funder Plus offer to make it more coherent and better aligned with other funders. The proposals were informed by two round tables hosted by City Bridge Trust where there was clear support for more improvement and alignment, and an appetite for working together. The proposal sought approval for a commitment of up to £500,000 for Phase One of the Funder Plus offer, and further expenditure to procure a Managing and Learning Partner to provide capacity to manage the initiative.

Members asked how proactive officers were in offering Funder Plus to organisations. The CGO responded that all grantees were made aware of what was on offer and it was promoted by officers, but it was clear that taking it up was not a requirement.

RESOLVED – That the City Bridge Trust Committee:

a)    Commit up to £500,000 of the 2018/19 grants budget towards Phase One of the proposed Funder Plus offer; and

b)    Commit up to £50,000 non-grants expenditure in order to procure a Managing and Learning Partner to provide capacity to manage the initiative (up to £25,00) and to help evaluate its effectiveness (up to £25,000).

The Committee considered a report of the CGO and Director of City Bridge Trust detailing 29 grant applications or Eco-Audit requests that were recommended for rejection. The Committee noted the document tabled by the CGO which offered a correction to the entry for The Age of No Retirement CIC, as the reason for the recommendation for rejection was missing.

A Member suggested that the reason for rejection could be organised by category as it may make the reason easier to understand, for both Members and the rejected organisations. A Member also asked for further detail on the rejection for Transgenerational Change Ltd, and why it had been deemed ineligible. The CGO responded that whilst the organisation had applied as a charitable company, it also did non-charitable work, and there would be no safeguards against funds being used for non-charitable purposes. The organisation was also not registered with the Charity Commission.

The CGO advised Members that every organisation that applied was offered feedback from officers, although not all organisations took this up. The City Bridge Trust also collected data on rejected applications annually for review.

RESOLVED – That the Committee reject the grant applications listed in the accompanying schedule.

The Committee received a report of the CGO advising Members of Cornerstone Fund Stage 1 applications approved or declined under delegated authority since your last meeting.

RESOLVED – That the report be received, and its contents noted.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer which advised Members of three expenditure items, totalling £71,600, which had been presented for approval under delegated authority to the Chief Grants Officer in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman.

RESOLVED – That the report be received, and its contents noted.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer which provided details of ten applications which had been withdrawn or had lapsed.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

The Committee received a report of the CGO which advised Members of a variation to eight grants agreed by the CGO since the last meeting.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

The Committee received a report of the CGO introducing two monitoring reports provided by two of the current strategic initiatives and setting out a schedule for future reports through to the City Bridge Trust Committee meeting in May 2019. Members were encouraged to nominate those strategic initiatives where they would like to see a report at a future Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be received, and its contents noted.

The Committee received a report of the CGO advising Members of two learning visits that had taken place. Members felt the format of the reports was now clearer and brought out more information.

RESOLVED – That the report be received, and its contents noted.

The Committee received a report of the CGO and Director of City Bridge Trust updating on the communications work of the City Bridge Trust. Members noted two further events that the Chairman and Deputy Chairman respectively had attended that had been omitted from the list.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

There were no questions.

There was no other business.

MOTION – That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED – That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

Item No.                                              Exempt Paragraphs

22 – 24                                                            3

25 – 26                                                            -

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 6 July 2018.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 6 July 2018 be agreed as an accurate record.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer & Director of City Bridge Trust (CGO)

The Committee considered a report of the CGO.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer & Director of City Bridge Trust (CGO)

The Committee received a report of the CGO.

There was one question.

There was no other business.