Agenda item

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services regarding the eligibility criteria for the City Educational Trust Fund and the City of London Corporation Combined Education Charity, which had been revised in light of the steer given by Members at the last meeting.

Members discussed the criteria and the following matters were raised/noted:

·         To enable more flexibility in grant-making, grants of between £5k-25k should be awarded and that this should apply to both charities.

·         Consistent with the aim to align the charities’ application criteria, Members agreed that the geographical restriction that applied in respect of the City of London Corporation Combined Education Charity in accordance with that charity’s objects should be added to the application criteria for the City Educational Trust Fund as a matter of policy.

·         The wording under ‘eligibility’ be revised to reflect that the City of London was not a London Borough.

·         Members asked that the wording/tense be revised in order to be less specific to individual applicants.

·         It be clarified that organisations could apply for groups of individuals, and that those individuals would be precluded from further applications within five years but the organisation would not be.

·         Confirm that grants would be made twice a year.

·         It be clarified that individuals could apply directly to the Combined Education Charity, but only in exceptional circumstances (i.e. they were unable to access funds elsewhere) and where the application was supported by clear proof of financial need.

Members asked for the criteria once amended to include these further revisions be circulated electronically to ensure the amended policy properly reflects their discussions before being presented to the Community & Children’s Services Committee for their consideration and to the Education Board for approval. With regard to advertising the new criteria once agreed, the Chief Grants Officer advised that he would work with the Communications Team and the Community & Children’s Services Department to publicise the charities and ensure all educational establishments were aware of the funding opportunity. He also advised that an email with the relevant links would be circulated to Members for them to pass along as they saw fit.

RESOLVED – That the criteria be agreed subject to these further revisions and circulated electronically to Sub-Committee Members  to ensure their comments are properly incorporated into the updated criteria before being presented to the Community & Children’s Services Committee for their consideration and to the Education Board for approval.