Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Peter Dunphy, Marianne Fredericks and Deputy Edward Lord.

The Committee welcomed Annika Small, Director and Co-Founder of the Centre for the Acceleration of Social Technology (CAST), to the meeting to speak about digital skills and the challenges for Trusts and Foundations. The Chair mentioned that Annika Small had recently spoken at the seminar in Mansion House hosted by the Lord Mayor to encourage funders and charities to embrace digital skills. This had been an exceptionally well-attended event and provided some useful outcomes. At the same time on the recent skills audit the Committee had asked to have a greater understanding digital in the charity sector and so the presence of Annika was doubly welcomed.

Digital technology offered a number of key opportunities for the charity sector, and there were several ways funders could change to support charities in embedding digital skills and technology in their work. CAST wanted to challenge assumptions and encourage different ways of thinking within the sector. The command and control approach of some funders was out of sync with stakeholders and could inadvertently encourage silo working. CAST aimed to provide organisations with the impetus, tools and techniques to embed digital skills and technology, which was about installing a different mindset and attitude as much as it was about installing new technology.

The key opportunities of digital technology were reconnecting with beneficiaries and service users and encouraging ongoing two-way conversations, breaking down silos, collaboration and finding ways for shared solutions, moving away from the command and control approach and shift towards users, and to enable organisations to step back, moving away from grand plans and take a more iterative approach to their work.

CAST had developed design principles to help charities build better digital services, which were also important for funders to consider. Both funders and charities would benefit by being more responsive, collaborative and resilient to change, and incorporating digital tools and technology would enable this. Sixty per cent of charities recognised the potential of technology, however there were obstacles for them. Naturally, funding was the biggest obstacle, but there were a number of other barriers to overcome. Funders sometimes lacked the skills to assess and factor in digital skills and technology. Grants required a level of certainty which was sometimes at odds with tech development. Funders often tended to invite applications from single organisations, where a shared solution could be better. It could also be unclear how projects built on ones before, reducing the potential collective impact.

CAST were encouraging growth in social sector organisations using digital approaches and were encouraged by the number of people taking an active interest. There were still many opportunities for funders and charities to be a leader in bringing a digital edge to the sector.

It was also key to reach out to groups that could be excluded. CAST, for example, had been working with Age UK to introduce visitors and carers to tablets, and ensure that they were as best-equipped as possible. New technology such as Amazon Echo and SpeakSet were good examples of a way forward in this area, and CAST wanted to give organisations the confidence to integrate new technologies into their ways of working. The importance of taking small steps was vital but often overlooked. Finding small improvements and efficiencies were good for building confidence and could often be done at little cost. CAST recognised the great effect of advocacy and were delighted at the response their work had received so far.

The Committee thanked Annika for her presentation and commended CAST for their work so far.

Ian Seaton declared a personal interest in item 12a by virtue of his Livery Company’s support for London Youth.

To agree the minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 14 November 2018.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 14 November 2018 be agreed as an accurate record.

To agree the minutes and non-public summary of the Special Meeting of the Committee held on 12 December 2018.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and non-public summary of the Special Meeting of the Committee held on 12 December 2018 be agreed as an accurate record.

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 date or meeting. The Committee was advised of ongoing outreach work, including work with London Funders. A survey of organisations had been undertaken and event was arranged in March to look at ‘cold spots’ using the results of the survey.

The Committee was advised that job and person specifications for the Committee co-optee roles had been drafted and would soon go out to advert, with interviews planned for the end of March.

RESOLVED – That the Outstanding Actions update be noted.

Report of the Town Clerk

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk reviewing the Committee’s terms of reference. The Committee noted a typographical error in paragraph a (iii) to be corrected, and that the Chief Officer’s title would be updated.

RESOLVED – That, subject to the above amendments, the Committee’s terms of reference be approved for submission to the Court.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer & Director of City Bridge Trust

The Committee received the regular progress report of the Chief Grants Officer & Director of City Bridge Trust (CGO) and discussed the updates provided.

HR Update

The CGO advised the Committee of recent progress, including the appointment of a new Executive Assistant. An updated organogram would be brought to Committee once all the recruitment had completed. The Committee was also advised that Joan Millbank would be retiring from City Bridge Trust work. Joan had been an important member of the City Bridge Trust team and Members and officers gave formal thanks to Joan for her hard work.

Bridge House Estates Annual report

The Committee was advised that the annual report had been approved for submission to the Court of Common Council, and printed copies would be circulated to Committee Members at the end of the meeting. The report was also available electronically on the website.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer & Director of City Bridge Trust and the Chamberlain

The Committee received a report of the CGO, setting out City Bridge Trust’s spend against budget for period 1 April to 31 December 2018.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer & Director of City Bridge Trust

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.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer & Director of City Bridge Trust

The Committee received a report of the CGO providing an update on progress against the Committee’s 2018/19 grants budgets and summarising those grants awarded and in management. The Committee noted a correction required on page 42. If approved, the grant commitments at today’s meeting would be £4,255,710.

The CGO advised that there had been significant growth in the number of applications received, but it was not clear yet whether this was part of a trend. Officers were monitoring the data and would later analyse the data to find out what impact the growth in applications had on average amounts, success rate and capacity.

A Member queried an application for consideration at the meeting which dated back to May 2018. The CGO responded that the usual target for applications was 4 months, but applications did sometimes run beyond this target for various reasons, and information on this particular one could be communicated to Members outside the meeting.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider the CGO’s reports on grant recommendations as follows:-

At this point, the Chair paid tribute to John Bird and Patrick Roney, two former Members and past Chairmen of the City Bridge Trust Committee, who had recently passed away.

APPROVED £336,600 over three years (3 x £112,200) towards a collaboration to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for residents in LB Hillingdon.

APPROVED £446,000 over three years (£145,500; £148,900; £151,600) to Women in Prison to cover the cost of a Programme Manager and 4 part time Specialist Advocates across London, plus associated service costs.

APPROVED A grant of £492,500 over three years £161,000; £164,000; £167,500) to Cranfield Trust to provide management capacity-building support to 390 London-based charities through its Strive programme.

At this point, the Committee was advised that the City Bridge Trust the total value of grants awarded by the City Bridge Trust had now passed £400 million.

The Committee noted the reduction in the amount requested as the number of posts needing support had been reduced. A Member asked how the salary compared to comparable roles, as it appeared high. The Chair added that staff costs for the project were set out in more detail in the application form, and that it may be a case of the job description underselling the role rather than overpaying. The CGO responded that for any applications for grants to support employment roles, officers checked the job description and how the role and rate of pay compared to similar ones in the sector. Officers had gone back to organisations in the past when they had felt the proposed salary to be too high or too low.

APPROVED £103,500 over two years (£50,050, £253,450) for the PT "Older and Prouder" Project Manager (30 hpw) and associated project costs.

APPROVED £130,000 over three years (£242,000; £44,000; £244,000) for the costs of providing older people's dance programmes in Tower Hamlets and Hounslow.

A Member asked officers about the financial information for the organisation, as the charity had faced several difficult years but had over £7 million of reserves above their target. The CGO responded that the charity had implemented robust management plans and revised policies to turn the organisation around and ensure its sustainability. Officers had considered the proportion and how the application met CBT’s priorities before making their recommendation.

The Committee was advised that the Talking Books service remained valuable despite the growth of podcasts, etc as it kept an online library, large print catalogues and dedicated phone numbers, and had a good relationship with publishers.

APPROVED £82,800 over three years (£26,900, £27,600, £28,300) towards the associated project costs for the Talking Books service for older Londoners.

APPROVED £86,000 over two further years (2 x £43,000) towards the salaries of a p/t Advice Co-ordinator (21hpw) and First Contact Co-ordinator (7hpw) plus related costs of the Advice & Support Service.

APPROVED £55,200 over two years (2 x £27,600) towards a 0.4FTE Advice and Advocacy Worker, a 0.2FTE Physical Activity Organiser and associated running costs.

APPROVED £138,200 over 3 years (£44,800, £46,000, £47,400) for a p/t Advice Worker (28hrs) to provide a London specific telephone advice service with additional appointment-based advice and outreach work to develop relationships with frontline services supporting pregnant women on low incomes.

APPROVED £82,400 over two further years (£40,800; £41,600) for a p/t Advice Co-ordinator (4 dpw) and associated running costs.

APPROVED £105,000 over three years (3 x £35,000) as a contribution towards the Dance Well project manager, dance artists and associated project running costs. The grant is conditional upon receipt of an organisational budget for 2019/20 before releasing the first payment.

APPROVED £63,500 over two further years (2 x £31,750) for a part-time coach (3dpw) and running costs for Brentford FC Community Sports Trust's deaf project.

APPROVED £260,100 over 5 years (£50,300; £51,300; £52,100; £52,900; £53,500) for the salary of a f/t Volunteer Manager and related project costs.

APPROVED £127,300 over 3 years (£41,300, £44,300, £41,700) for a Project Coordinator 0.5 fte and Administrator 0.3 fte, and associated costs of delivering the Silver Linings programme of activities.

APPROVED £194,000 over five years (£50,000; £42,000; £34,000; £34,000; £34,000) towards the salary of a f/t HEAR Network Co-ordinator and running costs of work to develop and support the membership.

APPROVED £161,640 over 3 years (£52,816; £53,872; £54,952) to build capacity and voice within civil society organisations by strengthening the evidence base of what works and supporting community organisations to adapt, become resilient and thrive.

APPROVED £250,900 over five years (£49,500; £49,000; £49,800; £50,800; £51,800) for the salary of the Information Officer (3 d.p.w), the Information Assistant (1 d.p.w), project costs and overheads.

APPROVED £100,000 over two years (2 x £50,000) for the salary of a p/t (28 hpw) Development Officer and related costs to continue the project improving the evaluation and marketing skills of small organisations in Lewisham.

APPROVED £84,000 over two further years (2 x £42,000) for the full-time cost of the Employment Manager and a contribution towards Life Coaching to support Blind and Visually Impaired Young Londoners (16-25) into employment.

APPROVED £150,000 over three years (3 x £50,000) for the salary for the on-costs of a f/t Head of Participation within the Members programme.

The Committee noted that the extension would total eight years of CBT funding, but that there had been 3 fallow years between the first grant to the organisation and the second.

APPROVED £70,000 over two further years (2 x £35,000) towards the salary of the Artistic Director (3dpw) and associated project costs to provide multi-accessible theatre and workshops for young people in transition and to develop the skills of disabled artists.

APPROVED £288,100 over 5 years (£52,800, £55,400, £58,150, £60,000, £61,750) for an Immigration Lawyer and delivery costs to provide advice to migrant domestic workers in London.

APPROVED £154,450 over three years (£50,200; £51,500; £52,750) towards a full-time Advice Worker and associated running costs for a project working with prisoners in HM Prison, Wormwood Scrubs.

APPROVED £239,000 over five years (5 x £47,800) for 50% of the cost of a full-time Refuge Co-ordinator; a LBTQI Advisor and Outreach Worker (14 hours per week), and to meet 10% cost of the post of Director, together with a contribution towards running costs.

APPROVED £77,320 over 3 years (£26,388, £27,340, £23,592) for F/T salary of Keyworker to provide practical, emotional and therapeutic support to vulnerable adolescent girls from the London Orthodox Jewish community.

APPROVED £120,000 over two further years (2 x £60,000) for 0.8 FTE Counsellor's salary; 0.35 FTE Director's salary; supervision, rent and a contribution to core costs.

The Committee considered a report of the CGO on allocating strategic support for the Young Londoners Fund. The report recommended grants to two charities and an allocation to a fund to provide London Youth Quality Mark awards.

RESOLVED – That the City Bridge Trust Committee agree:

a)     £300,000, payable to the GLA, towards the costs of commissioning charitable organisations to provide sub-regional networking and multi-agency co-ordination of Young Londoners Fund projects;

b)     A grant of £320,000 over 3 years (£120,000; £130,000; £70,000) to London Youth to deliver a programme of training and support to enable eligible organisations in receipt of Young Londoners Fund grants to achieve the London Youth Quality Mark;

c)     Providing £100,000 to a fund for Awards for eligible groups achieving the London Youth Quality Mark for the first time; and

d)     A grant of £180,000 over 3 years (3 x £60,000) to Partnership for Young London to deliver a programme of specialist support to organisations in receipt of Young Londoners Fund grants.

A Member asked officers for further details around the reasons for the recommendation to reject Redthread Youth Ltd. The CGO responded that officers had felt the application had been very general about what the organisation wanted to do rather than focus on CBT priorities. The organisation’s rate of growth had also been an issue. Officers felt the application did not currently meet the criteria and would provide constructive feedback to the organisation if requested, who would be able to reapply at the appropriate time.

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

The Committee received a report of the CGO which advised Members of ten expenditure items, totalling £221,800, which had been presented for approval under delegated authority to the CGO in consultation with the Chair and Deputy Chairman.

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

The Committee received a report of the CGO which provided details of five 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 four grants agreed by the CGO since the last meeting.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

The Committee received a report of the CGO providing a monitoring report for a recently completed Strategic Initiative (Mayor’s Fund for London). A second report was provided in the non-public section of the agenda.

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

The Committee received a report of the CGO about two visits that had taken place and listing upcoming visits. The Chair encouraged Members to attend learning visits when they were available as they were usually very interesting. A new list of upcoming visits was imminent and would be circulated to Committee Members.

A Member advised the Committee that he had visited the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation with the Chair. The Foundation was planning work in neighbouring boroughs and was keen to learn from City Bridge Trust. The Chair added that this provided a crossover with the Wembley National Stadium Trust, who had previously worked with the Foundation and knew them well.

RESOLVED – That the report be received.

The Committee received a report of the CGO updating on the communications work of the City Bridge Trust.

A Member advised the Committee that they had also accompanied the Chairman to events hosted by NSPCC and the Alzheimers Society.

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

16 – 20                                                            3

21 – 22                                                            -

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 2018.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 2018 be agreed as an accurate record.

To agree the non-public minutes of the Special Meeting of the Committee held on 12 December 2018.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes of the Special Meeting of the Committee held on 12 December 2018 be agreed as an accurate record.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer & Director of City Bridge Trust

The Committee received a report of the CGO.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer & Director of City Bridge Trust

The Committee received a report of the CGO.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer & Director of City Bridge Trust

The Committee received a report of the CGO.

There were no questions.

There was no other business.