Agenda and minutes

The Chair opened the meeting by welcoming Members and officers, as well as any members of the public or stakeholders observing the meeting via YouTube.

There were no apologies.

Alderman & Sheriff Gowman declared her standing interest by virtue of being a Trustee of Trust for London.

Jannat Hossain (Co-opted Member) declared an interest in Item 7 by virtue of employment with The Baring Foundation.

David Farnsworth, Managing Director of BHE, declared an interest in Item 11 by virtue of his role as Chair of London Funders, and advised that he would not participate in this item.

To agree the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 20 June 2022.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 20 June 2022 be agreed as a correct record.

Matters Arising

With regards to the minute in respect of the funding application for London Legal Support Trust, the Chair noted that the BHE Board had agreed the uplifted grant as recommended by the Committee, and thanked Members and officers for supporting the Committee’s deliberation.

Report of the Town Clerk

The Committee received a list of outstanding actions and noted the updates provided in respect of the items listed.

RESOLVED – That the outstanding actions list be noted.

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

The Committee considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE providing an update on key areas of activity and outlining upcoming activities. The Managing Director of BHE introduced the report, and the Committee discussed the updates provided.

Flotilla Event

The Managing Director of BHE advised that the Flotilla event on 24 October had been successful, with a connected charity networking event hosted by BHE on the Tower Bridge walkways. The event was well-attended and represented a helpful use of the charity’s assets.

Expected Grant Spend in 2022/23

The Managing Director of BHE drew the Committee’s attention to the expected grants spend information provided and assured the Committee that officers were committed to an appropriate balance between distributing funding and undertaking appropriate levels of due diligence.

Philanthropy

The Committee noted that a review of the joint BHE and City Corporation Philanthropy Strategy was underway, and that it was hoped an indicative timeline and further information could be brought to the next meeting.

Cornerstone Fund Round Two

The Managing Director of BHE drew the Committee’s attention to the requested decision to allocate additional funds from the Bridging Divides designated grants fund, before providing background to the request. The Committee noted that this matter had not been covered concurrent to the former City Bridge Trust Committee’s agreement to continue the programme, in error. In response to a question from a Member, the Managing Director of BHE advised that officers were confident there were no other programmes requiring such adjustment, and the Committee noted the budget lines set out in the report.

Impact and Learning

The Committee noted the Impact and Learning work in respect of the End of Year 4 Bridging Divides Review and work on learning visits. A Member encouraged officers to collate and consider the recommendations from learning visits to

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE recommending a programme of additional support to help current grantees manage cost pressures from rising demand and high inflation. The Managing Director of BHE introduced the report and presented the proposals to the Committee, as well as the wider context and background to the proposal.

In response to a question from a Member, the Managing Director of BHE advised that inflationary pressures had been taken into account by funding officers prior to these proposals, with a 2% uplift included in many grant applications. The Managing Director of BHE also advised that the proposals had been developed following bilateral conversations with other funders and information provided by central government. A Member added that collaboration with other funders would be beneficial, but distributing funding should be a priority.

The Chair commented that this was a positive example of BHE showing leadership, and that the structure and criteria was appropriate, before drawing the Committee’s attention to the recommendations.

RESOLVED – That the Grants Committee of 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 a programme of additional support (with an estimated total value of £3.5m) to selected grant-holders in the form of one-off unrestricted grants, calculated based on 10% of the funding due over the coming 12 months to help them counter general inflationary pressures and increased demand. Funding to be reserved for:

a. Awards made under the Trust’s open programmes

b. Current grant-holders whose awards were made on or before 1st May 2022

c. Those identified by Funding Managers

Awards to be pro-rated for those with less than 12 months remaining on their funding agreements with CBT.

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE providing an update on the Alliance Partnerships programme of work, also reflecting on the success of the programme to date and the quality of the potential collaborative grants pipeline. The Managing Director of BHE introduced the report and drew Members’ attention to the key points.

RESOLVED - That the Grants Committee of 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 to allocate, in principle, a further £3m of the designated unrestricted income fund for grant making towards “Alliance Partnerships” which meet the criteria set out in this report (bringing the grand total allocation to £18m).

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE inviting a review of the process in respect of officer delegations following a trial of two committee cycles. The Managing Director of BHE introduced the report before inviting views from Members.

Members commented that the trial period had been useful for seeing grant applications progress through the system, but noted that there were limited numbers of interventions from Members, which was indicative of the quality of work by officers. Whilst there were benefits to the additional consultation, Members were content to discontinue the trialled process and revert to the previous arrangements, noting that wider consultation on a given application could be sought from Members of the Committee on an exceptional basis if this were deemed to be necessary.

RESOLVED – That the Grants Committee of 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)              Review the current officer delegations process involving the full Grants Committee by written consultation in the exercise of officer delegated authority for grants of a value of between £100,001 and £250,000; and

ii)             Agree that written consultation with the full Grants Committee in the exercise of officer delegated authority for all grants of a value between £100,001 and £250,000 should not be recommended to the BHE Board for adoption within the officer delegated authority framework on a permanent basis.

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

The Committee received a report of the BHE & Charities Finance Director (representing the Chamberlain) providing the year-to-date financial position as at 31 July 2022 of BHE Funding Activity and an updated forecast for the financial year ending 31 March 2023.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To note a summary of the Bridging Divides programme.

The Committee noted a summary of the Bridging Divides programme.

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE requesting funding of £642,500 over four years for Greater London Volunteering (charity no: 1115303), a registered charity which is the legal entity for London Plus. The Managing Director of BHE introduced the report and presented the proposals to the Committee, which would be submitted to the BHE Board under delegated authority if endorsed.

A Member commented that it was positive that officers had discussed the implications relevant to statutory funding. The Managing Director of BHE responded that the proposals had the backing of statutory partners including London Councils and the Greater London Assembly.

In response to a suggestion from a Member that a review be undertaken of CBT’s position on contributing over 50% of an organisation’s turnover, as there could be further exceptions that could be recommended, the Managing Director of BHE advised that application of this policy had previously been considered on a case-by-case basis, but could be taken away for consideration by officers.

RESOLVED – That the Grants Committee of 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)              Endorse to the BHE Board a grant of £642,500 over four years to Greater London Volunteering [charity no: 1115303], the legal entity for London Plus, to support the work of the London Community Emergencies Partnership.

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE requesting funding of £2,004,000 to be awarded to Do It Now Now Community Interest Company (CIC) (DINN Enterprise CIC, registered company no. 11937494) over two years towards the ‘Continuum Fund’, a bespoke, holistic package of finance and support for Black-led Charity and Social Enterprises (CSEs) to become business ready with access to a wide range of external funding sources including social investment. The Managing Director of BHE introduced the report and presented the proposals to the Committee, which would be submitted to the BHE Board if endorsed. The Committee noted that the grant was conditional on matched funding secured.

RESOLVED – That the Grants Committee of 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)              Endorse to the BHE Board a grant of £2,004,000 over two years to Do It Now Now CIC towards:

a.    Onward grant making of core funding to transformational, London-focussed small start-up Black-led Charities and Social Enterprises with an income of between £10k-£50k in Stage One of the Continuum Fund (£960,000);

b.    Training and Core Support (non-financial support) to London-focussed Black-led CSEs partnering with DINN across all stages of the Fund through cohort-based programmes, peer-to-peer support, and more to develop stability, sustainability, and increased impact of the network (£588,000);

c.     A contribution to running costs, proportionate to a total estimated London benefit of the Continuum Fund (£456,000)

With the release of funding subject to the condition of:

d.    Confirmation that a further £960,000 in match funding has been raised from other sources towards Stage One onward grant making;

With the exception of:

e.    £150,000 from the allocation to running costs to be released

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE requesting £388,260 over three years as a strategic initiative to the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE), to support the charity’s work to build the digital infrastructure for a capacity-building and enterprise development programme for London-based and London-focused social purpose organisations. The Managing Director of BHE introduced the report and presented the proposals to the Committee. The Chair commented that this was an innovative piece which broadened the charity’s offering, before noting the 66% five-year survival rate of organisations supported by SSE.

In response to a question from a Member, the Managing Director of BHE confirmed that SSE would be paid to deliver the work and further explained the budget information set out in the report. The Managing Director of BHE also advised that employee pay was in line with usual expectations within the sector and was not disproportionately high.

A Member commented that they had previously dealt with SSE, adding that they felt their work was beneficial and represented significant value for money. In response to a question from another Member, the Managing Director of BHE advised that expected increases in revenue and viability for organisations following their work with SSE represented additional value.

Noting concerns raised, the Chair then drew the Committee’s attention to the recommendations, which were agreed.

RESOLVED - That the Grants Committee of 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)              Approve £388,260 over three years (£16,500; £188,830; £182,930) to the School for Social Entrepreneurs to develop a match trading portal and provide match trading grants to London-focused social enterprises.

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE updating the Grants Committee on the London’s Giving strategic initiative and seeking approval for five grants over £250k as part of the London’s Giving Strategic Development Fund. In response to a question from a Member, the Managing Director of BHE confirmed that all recommendations had been carefully discussed and negotiated, on the basis that individual schemes within the proposals should receive similar amounts. The Chair noted that certain areas stood out as needing more support in the regular grant funding activity reporting provided to the Committee.

RESOLVED - That the Grants Committee of 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)              Receive this report and note its contents; and

ii)             Approve the five grants towards London’s Giving Strategic Development Fund as recommended:

·         Camden Giving - £259,300 over three years

·         Barking & Dagenham Giving - £258,500 over 3 years

·         Merton Voluntary Service Council - £258,500 over 3 years

·         The Bridge Renewal Trust - £250,500 over three years

·         Richmond Parish Lands Charity - £254,000 over 3 years

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE providing details of: funds approved and rejected under delegated authority since the last meeting of the Grants Committee in June 2022 through to 8^th September 2022; the remaining 2022/2023 grants budget; grants spend to date and for this meeting by London Borough compared with the Multiple Index of Deprivation; any grant variations that have been approved under delegated authority; and seeking approval for 6 grant rejections and 11 grants over £250,000. The Managing Director of BHE introduced the report, adding that feedback on the format of the report from Members would be welcomed.

With regards to the applications recommended for approval, the Managing Director of BHE clarified points in respect of the applications for Haringey Law Centre and Central England Law Centre in response to questions from Members. The Managing Director of BHE further advised that there was no requirement for fallow periods between infrastructure grants. The Chair then drew the Committee’s attention to the recommendations for grant approvals, which were agreed.

With regards to the applications recommended for rejection, the Managing Director of BHE advised that there was a good example of mitigations against unsuitable applications, but that this process was continually reviewed for vulnerabilities or possible improvements. In response to a question from a Member, the Managing Director of BHE advised that the rate of rejections from CBT was comparable to similar funders, adding that it was hoped to increase the visibility of eligibility criteria and questions through improvements to the website. The Chair then drew the Committee’s attention to the recommendations for grant rejections, which were agreed.

RESOLVED – That the Grants Committee of the Bridge House Estates Board, in the discharge of functions for the City Corporation as Trustee of Bridge House Estates (charity

There was no other business.

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 20 June 2022.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 20 June 2022 be agreed as a correct record.

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

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

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee received a report of the Managing Director of BHE.

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

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

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee received a report of the Managing Director of BHE.

There was no other business.