Agenda item

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

The Committee received a report of the CGO informing of the progress of the City Bridge Trust’s funding towards projects working with ex-offenders, and providing an update on the criminal justice voluntary sector.

The report set out the challenges faced by the prison sector, as well as the organisations worked with by the City Bridge Trust and outcomes, also highlighting additional areas of focus. The Committee noted that there was a significant amount of work ongoing. A number of Livery companies were also supporting organisations in the sector, and Members suggested that a collective meeting could be beneficial.

In response to a query from a Member, the CGO clarified that the main aim for the Ideas Please mechanism was to allow organisations to approach the City Bridge Trust to raise issues or ask questions to help identify funding gaps or flag landscape changes. If an idea that came in from a charity went forward it could become a City Bridge Trust strategic initiative. The deadline for Ideas Please had been set for 27 July, and submissions would be considered after this date.

RESOLVED – That the City Bridge Trust Committee:

a)    Note the report;

b)    Continue with the approach; and

c)    Note that a future focus of the “Ideas Please” or Strategic Initiative mechanisms could be on related work with families; BAME communities; young adults, and/or early action work.