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.

Apologies for absence were received from William Hoyle.

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

David Farnsworth, Managing Director of Bridge House Estates (BHE), declared his standing interest by virtue of his role as Chair of London Funders.

At this point, David Farnsworth introduced and welcomed Sacha Rose-Smith, the charity’s Chief Funding Director, to the Committee on her first meeting.

To agree the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 5 December 2022.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 5 December 2022 be agreed as a correct record.

Report of the Town Clerk

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

The Chief Funding Director provided the Committee with additional detail regarding measures undertaken to mitigate the application backlog and improve application turnaround times, advising that the backlog was now almost fully allocated.

RESOLVED – That the outstanding actions list be noted.

Report of the Managing Director

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 drew Members’ attention to the key points. The Managing Director of BHE advised Members to provide any feedback on the Committee or the charity’s governance arrangements to officers ahead of the scheduled review to be considered at the 27 March BHE Board meeting. The Committee then noted the deadline for applications for Co-opted Member positions on the Committee later that day, with a number of applications having been received.

The Managing Director of BHE also reminded Members that City Bridge Trust’s (CBT) Funded Organisations Networking and Learning day would take place on 20 March 2023 at the Barbican Centre, with Members encouraged to attend and take part if available.

Foundation Practice Rating (FPR)

The Managing Director of BHE advised that CBT were pleased to be part of the FRP scheme having recently been assessed, receiving a score of AAC and an overall score of B. As CBT had scored lowest on diversity, officers were now addressing the findings to see where improvements could be made to achieve a rating of A. The Managing Director of BHE advised that a Lead Member for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) had now been appointed and officers would seek their support in this work.

A Member commented that they were aware that the issue had been raised at a recent fundraising event, adding that as the charity was under scrutiny, it was important to uphold standards on diversity, particularly insofar as particular standards were expected of others. The Managing Director of BHE confirmed that one of the Funding Directors had been present at the event where this had been discussed and that

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE presenting the complete CBT Operational Risk Register, following a review of all of BHE risks in 2022.

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 and solely in the charity’s best interests:

i)              Approve the revised and complete CBT operational Risk Register; and,

ii)             Note that operational risk register will be reported to Committee twice per year in line with the BHE Risk Management Protocol 2023.

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

The Committee considered a report of the BHE & Charities Funding Director (representing the Chamberlain) providing a financial update on BHE Funding activities to 31 January 2023 and an updated forecast for the financial year ending 31 March 2023.

In response to a question from a Member regarding the underspend against the current year’s budget, the Managing Director of BHE advised that an anticipated spend for the current year had been agreed during the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that whilst trends in respect of forecasting were improving, there was further work to do. The BHE & Charities Finance Director added that figures relating to the Propel programme had been added to the figures since the previous meeting. The Member responded that whilst they understood the reasons, there was a degree of disappointment, noting that overhead costs were also proportionate to the total amount granted and were therefore more cost-effective as funding increased.

The Managing Director of BHE further confirmed that the charity had access to the City Corporation’s Internal Audit function, and advised that the underspend partly related to the timing of uplift funds, with most main grant funding work delivered to target. The Member commented that it was worth considering whether underspending on the charity’s grants budget should be considered as a formal risk, as it may encourage a higher level of scrutiny. The Managing Director of BHE advised that this would be taken away for consideration by officers.

The Chair commented that it was also key to distribute funding as efficiently as possible, noting the increasing long-term nature of grants awarded, and the likely impact of the Propel programme. With regards to operational costs, another Member encouraged officers to consider the relational impact surrounding the use of consultants, as this risked a more distant relationship between funder and grantee.

The Managing

To note a summary of the Bridging Divides programme.

The Committee noted a summary of the Bridging Divides programme.

Report of the BHE Chief Funding Director

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Funding Director presenting seven 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 Committee.

In response to a question from a Member regarding the number of proposed grants relative to the number of proposed applications, the Chief Funding Director explained the process by which applications had been prioritised and then assessed with regards to their eligibility, with it being aimed to aware around £15m in this round of funding. The Chief Funding Director added that there would be further work undertaken to ensure that organisations understood the criteria, particularly around being user-led and doing systems change work, for future rounds. The Committee was advised that officers had noted applications which had not been progressed, but which may be approved for regular Bridging Divides funding, and would communicate with these organisations to have their applications redirected.

The Chief Funding Director further advised that timelines for the programme had been adjusted during 2022 in response to the passing of Her Majesty the Queen, but officers had minimised the impact of this and had given organisations as much time as possible to submit their applications. The Chief Funding Director confirmed that CBT’s timescales compared reasonably well to other funders within the programme.

In response to a question from a Member,

Report of the BHE Chief Funding Director

The Committee 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 and presented the proposal to the Committee, noting that it would be referred to the next meeting of the BHE Board if endorsed.

RESOLVED - That the Grants Committee of the BHE Board, in the discharge of functions for the City Corporation as Trustee of BHE and solely in the charity’s best interests:

i)              Endorse a grant of £864,283, as an Alliance Partnership, for onward approval by the BHE Board, to the Smallwood Trust [charity no: 205798] for onward grant making as part of the London Women’s Resilience Fund.

Report of the BHE Chief Funding Director

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Funding Director requesting £159,760 over 18 months as a strategic initiative to support the establishment of the London Climate Action Week Secretariat as an independent organisation, with a contribution to the costs of the LCAW 2023 event. The Chief Funding Director introduced the report and presented the proposal for Members.

A Member, also Lead Member for Climate Action for the BHE Board, sought assurance that the funding would not be used towards the City Corporation’s planned Net Zero Delivery Summit, as this would effectively be subsidising the City Corporation’s own work, and suggested BHE consider hosting its own event during London Climate Action Week. The Chief Funding Director confirmed that the funding would be entirely separate to the City Corporation’s work, although mutual opportunities to promote the event would be utilised. The Chief Funding Director added officers would welcome consideration on hosting a BHE event, noting that there had been funder events in previous years.

In response to questions from Members, the Chief Funding Director advised that officers would seek to take advantages of any learning opportunities, and that the debrief report on last year’s event could be shared with the Committee following the meeting. The Committee noted that whilst this proposal was within the scope of Bridging Divides, the BHE Board also held a designated fund for climate action which could be used for additional related work which was not suitable or eligible for funding though CBT.

Noting the financial information provided in respect of Ashden Climate Solutions, the BHE & Charities Finance Director explained officers’ approach to organisations with deficits, which was considered in context on a case-by-case basis.

RESOLVED – That the Grants Committee of the BHE Board, in the discharge of functions for the City Corporation as Trustee of

Report of the BHE Chief Funding Director

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Funding Director providing details of funds approved and rejected under delegated authority since the last meeting of the Grants Committee in December 2022 through to 16 February 2023; 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. The report also sought the Committee’s approval for 3 grant rejections and 8 grants between £250,000 and £500,000, and the endorsement to the BHE Board of 1 Bridging Divides application over £500,000. The Chair introduced the item, commending the breadth of work and increased rate of funding.

In response to a question from a Member, the Managing Director of BHE assured the Committee that officers would continue to be mindful of potential issues such as dependency, noting the trend towards the awarding of longer-term grants.

With regards to the application from The Garden Classroom, the Chief Funding Director advised that the environmental sector was generally less diverse in comparison to other areas of the sector, and that officers would seek to pick up any concerns about the ability to achieve the desired reach of the proposals, with CBT able to offer assistance in enhancing the organisation’s outreach and relationships work.

In response to a question from a Member regarding the diversion of funding away from London, the Managing Director of BHE commented that it was important for BHE as a London funder to continue to use and share the evidence it saw, adding that the profile of poverty in London was as high in London as it was elsewhere in the UK.

The Chair then drew the Committee’s attention to the proposals and took each recommendation in turn, all of which

In response to a question from a Member regarding public and grantee attendance, officers advised that this had been discussed and it was intended to agree a form of invitation for the next civic year, noting that the public part of the meeting was open to attendees as well as streamed on YouTube. The BHE Communications & Engagement Director then outlined the intended provision for promoting recent funding on the new BHE website, which would include a dedicated page, and confirmed that detailed funding information was shared with 360Giving. A Member asked that officers to ensure that Community Infrastructure Levy grants were not being wrongly attributed to CBT due to overlaps in staffing resource.

The Managing Director of BHE then set out the details of upcoming LocalMotion visit events, which were taking place across the country, and advised that these would be circulated to the Committee, with Members encouraged to participate where possible.

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.

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.

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 5 December 2022.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes of the meeting on 5 December 2022 be agreed as a correct record.

Report of the BHE Chief Funding Director

The Committee received a report of the Chief Funding Director.

There was no other business.

To agree the confidential minutes of the meeting held on 5 December 2022.

RESOLVED – That the confidential minutes of the meeting on 5 December 2022 be agreed as a correct record.