Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed those in attendance to the meeting, as well as any members of the public and partner organisations observing the meeting via YouTube.

Apologies for absence were received from Deputy Henry Colthurst, Deputy Simon Duckworth (Chief Commoner) and Deputy James Thomson.

There were no declarations.

To agree the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 22 February 2023.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 22 February 2023 be agreed as a correct record.

Report of the Town Clerk

The Board received a list of outstanding actions for March 2023 and noted the updates provided.

RESOLVED – That the list of outstanding actions be noted.

Report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estates (BHE)

The Board considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE providing an update on key areas of activity across the whole charity since the Board last met in February 2023 and outlining upcoming activities for the Board to note. The Managing Director of BHE highlighted recent media coverage of the charity as well as an upcoming Member development session on charity law. In response to a question from a Member regarding funding for Comic Relief, the Chair asked that further information be circulated to the Board following the meeting.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Chief Funding Director

The Board considered a report of the Chief Funding Director presenting four applications for decision as part of the first round of the Propel programme, a funder collaboration stewarded by London Funders which iterated the successes of the London Community Response, a pioneering and widely celebrated vehicle for funder collaboration in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The programme was also intended to extend collaboration beyond the emergency context, to provide strategic and long-term funding at scale, continuing to test and learn from progressive approaches to funding. The Chief Funding Director introduced the report and presented the Propel programme, also outlining the proposals for consideration by the Board, following their endorsement by the Grants Committee.

The Chair commented that the Propel programme had been announced at the Beacon Collaborative annual event in 2022, noting the £30 million contribution from BHE. The Chair drew the Board’s attention to each of the proposals presented and sought the Board’s approval, which was agreed.

RESOLVED – That the Bridge House Estates Board, in the discharge of functions for the City Corporation as Trustee of Bridge House Estates (charity no. 1035628) and solely in the charity’s best interests:

(i)    Agree, as per the terms recommended by the Grants Committee, funding to:

1. The Bridge Renewal Trust (charity no. 1131941) of £1,073,400 over three years;
2. Inclusion London (charity no. 1157376) of £989,600 over three years;
3. The Ubele Initiative (company no. 09035399) of £1,216,600 over three years; and
4. Young Westminster Foundation (charity no. 1169255) of £848,400 over three years.

Report of the Chief Funding Director

The Board considered a report of the Chief Funding Director requesting funding of £864,283 over three and a half years be awarded to the Smallwood Trust to establish the Women’s London Resilience Fund, a collaborative place-based grants programme to tackle the root causes of gendered poverty, identify approaches that can be scaled and help foster resilient community networks to transform social and economic outcomes for women. The Chief Funding Director introduced the report by providing an update on the Alliance Partnerships programme, and presented the proposal to the Board.

The Chair noted that the proposal had been endorsed by the Grants Committee and sought the Board’s approval, which was agreed.

RESOLVED – That the Bridge House Estates Board, in the discharge of functions for the City Corporation as Trustee of Bridge House Estates and solely in the charity’s best interests, approve a grant of £864,283 as an Alliance Partnership, to the Smallwood Trust for London [charity no: 205798], as per the terms endorsed by the Grants Committee.

Report of the Chief Funding Director

The Board considered a report of the Chief Funding Director requesting £585,125 over five years under Bridging Divides to contribute to the delivery costs of ‘Stronger Voices’, a comprehensive media, strategic communications training, and capacity building programme for 100 equalities organisations in London. The Chief Funding Director introduced the report and presented the proposal to the Board, also advising that the funding had been endorsed by the Grants Committee.

RESOLVED – That the Bridge House Estates Board, in the discharge of functions for the City Corporation as Trustee of Bridge House Estates and solely in the charity’s best interests, approve a grant of £585,125 over five years to Media Trust, to contribute to the delivery costs of the Stronger Voices Training programme for 100 equalities organisations.

To note the public minutes and non-public summary of the Grants Committee of the BHE Board meeting held on 6 March 2023.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and non-public summary of the Grants Committee of the BHE Board meeting on 6 March 2023 be noted.

The Chair then reiterated the thanks given to Stewart Goshawk by the Grant Committee, on his last meeting of the BHE Board before moving on from BHE in April 2023. The Chair noted Stewart’s longstanding service to City Bridge Trust, having joined in 1995, and thanked him on behalf of the Board for his invaluable contribution to the charity and wishing him well for the future.

MOTION – With the Court of Common Council for the City Corporation as Trustee of Bridge House Estates (Charity No. 1035628) having decided to treat these meetings as though Part VA and Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 applied to them, it now be moved that the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that their consideration will in each case disclose exempt information of the description in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A, being information relating to the financial and business affairs of any person (including the City Corporation as Trustee of the charity) which it would not be in the charity’s best interests to disclose.

RESOLVED – That with the Court of Common Council for the City Corporation as Trustee of Bridge House Estates (Charity No. 1035628) having decided to treat these meetings as though Part VA and Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 applied to them, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that their consideration will in each case disclose exempt information of the description in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A, being information relating to the financial and business affairs of any person (including the City Corporation as Trustee of the charity) which it would not be in the charity’s best interests to disclose.

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 22 February 2023.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 22 February 2023 be agreed as a correct record.

To be considered in conjunction with the report at Item 5.

The Board received a non-public appendix to the Managing Director’s Update report.

Report of the BHE Chief Operating Officer

The Board considered a report of the BHE Chief Operating Officer.

Report of the Chief Funding Director

The Board considered a report of the BHE Chief Funding Director.

Report of the Managing Director of BHE and the BHE & Charities Finance Director (representing the Chamberlain)

The Board considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE and the BHE & Charities Finance Director.

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Board considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE.

Report of the BHE Chief Operating Officer

The Board considered a report of the BHE Chief Operating Officer.

Report of the BHE Chief Operating Officer

The Board considered a report of the BHE Chief Operating Officer.

Report of the BHE Chief Operating Officer

The Board considered a report of the BHE Chief Operating Officer.

Report of the BHE Chief Operating Officer

The Board considered a report of the BHE Chief Operating Officer.

Report of the BHE Chief Operating Officer

The Board considered a report of the BHE Chief Operating Officer.

To note the non-public minutes of the Grants Committee of the BHE Board meeting on 6 March 2023.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes of the Grants Committee of the BHE Board meeting on 6 March 2023 be noted.

Report of the City Surveyor

The Board received a report of the City Surveyor.

Report of the Managing Director of BHE and the City Surveyor

The Board considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE and the City Surveyor.

Report of the City Surveyor

The Board considered a report of the City Surveyor.

Report of the City Surveyor

The Board received a report of the City Surveyor.

Report of the Town Clerk

The Board received a report of the Town Clerk.

There was one item of other business.

To agree the confidential minutes of the meeting held on 22 February 2023.

RESOLVED – That the confidential minutes of the meeting held on 22 February 2023 be agreed as a correct record.