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 Deputy Nighat Qureishi (Deputy Chair) and Deborah Oliver.

John Griffiths declared a standing interest by virtue of his employment with Rocket Science, which had previously worked with City Bridge Trust (CBT).

David Farnsworth declared an interest in Item 16 by virtue of being Chair of London Funders and advised that he would not participate on this item.

To agree the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 4 December 2023.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 4 December 2023 be agreed as a correct record.

Report of the Town Clerk

The Committee received a list of outstanding actions and noted the updates in respect of the items listed, noting that further reporting on funding for political campaigning activity was anticipated at the June Committee meeting.

RESOLVED – That the outstanding actions list be noted.

Report of the Chief Funding Director

 The Committee considered a report of the Chief Funding Director providing an

update on key areas of activity and outlining upcoming activities. The Chief Funding Director introduced the report and drew Members’ attention to the key points, first providing a summary of the CBF Funding team’s recent Away Day. The Committee noted positive feedback from funded organisations on the second round of inflation support payments. The Chief Funding Director then outlined the roundtable event hosted by CBF on its future funding direction, which had given funders the opportunity to explore themes and consider strategy, as well as discussing CBF’s positioning within the wider funding sector and CBF’s role in sharing and promoting funding best practice. In response to a question from a Member, the Chief Funding Director advised that only a very small number of funded organisations had not responded to the offer of inflation support, with almost all responding.

With regards to the update on shared financial due diligence, a Member suggested that the Chief Funding Director contact the City Corporation’s Innovation & Growth team regarding the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology initiative.

The Committee noted the update provided on Co-opted Member recruitment, with appointments intended ahead of the June Committee meeting, and that officers would be in touch regarding Member engagement in the process.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the CBF Chief Operating Officer

The Committee considered a report of the CBF Chief Operating Officer setting out recommendations for amendments to the current Terms of Reference for the Committee for onward consideration and approval by the City Bridge Foundation (CBF) Board in May 2024. The Committee confirmed agreement with the Terms of Reference, with no further amendments proposed.

RESOLVED – That the Funding Committee of the CBF Board, in the discharge of functions for the City Corporation as Trustee of CBF and solely in the charity’s best interests endorse the proposed Terms of Reference, for submission to the CBF Board for approval in reappointing the Committee.

Report of the CBF & Charities Finance Director

The Committee received a report of the CBF & Charities Finance Director and the Chief Funding Director providing a financial update on CBF Funding activities to 31 January 2024 and an updated forecast for the financial year ending 31 March 2024. In response to a question from a Member, the CBF and CoL Philanthropy Director outlined decisions to be taken regarding arrangements going forward for the provision of philanthropy services and for the system of recharges to CBF from the City Corporation for relevant costs and expenses incurred by the Trustee in administering the charity.

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 Chief Funding Director

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Funding Director informing the Funding Committee of progress to date at the nine-year mark of the 10-year strategic grant to the Prince’s Trust and the outcomes achieved, as well as outlining the planned activities for the final year and the proposed allocation of resources in support of this activity. The Chief Funding Director introduced the report before the Committee received a presentation from Prince’s Trust, who highlighted the work undertaken to ensure the strategic grant reached as wide an audience as possible, maintained a user-led approach to represent the voices of young people, and improve data collection. The Prince’s Trust further outlined how they had focussed on disadvantaged boroughs and reach their target groups, and highlighted the success of their employability programmes. The Prince’s Trust added that they felt the partnership with CBF had been successful, having made a real difference to the lives of young people in London, and affirmed their appreciation for CBF’s support over the course of the grant.

In response to a question from the Chair, the Prince’s Trust advised that they had begun to facilitate larger-scale events, tailored around conversations with young people. They had also increased collection of data around attendance and activity, and looked specifically at themes such as mental health and other issues relevant to young people. The Committee noted that some of the current Prince’s Trust programmes were exceeding their targets and demonstrating long-term effectiveness.

The Chief Funding Director then advised the Committee that the strength of the partnership between CBF and the Prince’s Trust had been evident in the number of introductions made and the discussion of possible synergies for future events, as well as the possibility for the Prince’s Trust to establish relationships with other City Corporation departments.

The Prince’s Trust

Report of the 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 Funding Committee in December 2023 through to 15 February 2024; the remaining 2023/2024 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 a grant between £500,000 and £1,000,001.

The Chair introduced the item, commending officers for the volume of funding distributed as well as the inflation support payments to funded organisations. The Committee noted an apparent error in the heat map data, which would be reviewed and corrected if needed. In response to a question from a Member, the Chief Funding Director outlined the process for reclaiming or redistributing funding where an organisation closed.

The Committee then considered the grant recommendation in respect of the ‘The eXceL Project’ (XLP). The Chief Funding Director introduced the report and presented the proposal to the Committee. Members noted the issues of increasing needs, risk of exploitation and higher levels of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), and that while the funding sought to address these through interventions, there were more fundamental root causes on which CBF could reflect to consider funding opportunities. A Member added that this was connected to the Committee’s previous discussion on funding policy and campaigning work with a report to be presented to the next meeting of the Committee.

A Member commented that many funders were working in this space, with youth violence an increasingly prevalent issue, and queried whether there was an opportunity to convene leading funded organisations with a view to improving community practice, with a joined-up approach likely to be more effective.

There was no other business.

The Chair then thanked the Prince’s Trust for joining the meeting, as well as any members of the public and stakeholders observing the meeting via YouTube.

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 4 December 2023.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 4 December 2023 be agreed as a correct record.

Report of the Chief Funding Director

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Funding Director.

Report of the Chief Funding Director

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Funding Director.

Report of the Chief Funding Director

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Funding Director.

Report of the Chief Funding Director

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Funding Director.

Report of the Chief Funding Director

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Funding Director.

Report of the Chief Funding Director

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Funding Director.

There was no other business.