Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Deputy Ken Ayers and Deputy Revd Stephen Haines.

The Chairman took the opportunity to congratulate Michael Henderson-Begg on the award of an MBE in the New Years’ Honours List, thanking him for his contribution to the City of London Corporation over his thirty-five years as a Common Councilman.

There were none.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 29 November 2012 (copy attached).

The public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 29 November 2012 were approved.

Report of the Town Clerk (copy attached).

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk identifying those items raised at meetings of the Committee that required further action by officers.

With regard to the grant awarded to the Guildhall School Trust for the Milton Court scheme, Members sought further clarity on whether the level of access which was being funded was the statutory requirement or whether this was over and above what was legally necessary, and the Chief Grants Officer undertook to look in to the issue and report back.

RESOLVED: That the contents of the report be noted.

In accordance with the Order of the Court of 6 December 2012, the Committee is invited to review their terms of reference prior to their submission to the Court at its meeting in April 2013.

In accordance with the resolution of the Court of Common Council of 6 December 2012, the Committee considered its Terms of Reference.

          A Member noted a difference between the wording in the Trust’s handbook for Members and the wording in the Terms of Reference under subsection (b)(iii), and the Chief Grants Officer undertook to check with the CyPres scheme and amend either the handbook or Terms of Reference as appropriate. With regard to the legal remit under subsection (a)(ii), the Chief Grants Officer advised Members that the Comptroller & City Solicitor had given assurances that the wording provided the Trust with very wide-ranging parameters, providing as broad cover as the Trust would ever need.

          Members were asked to submit any queries or suggested improvements to the Town Clerk, who would liaise with the Chief Grants Officer and Comptroller & City Solicitor as to the suitability and legality of such changes.

          RESOLVED: That Members be asked to submit any suggested amendments to the Town Clerk.

Joint report of the Town Clerk and Chamberlain (copy attached).

The Committee considered a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Town Clerk concerning the proposed revenue budget for the services overseen by The City Bridge Trust Committee in 2013/14.

RESOLVED: That Members note the latest approved revenue budget for 2013/14 and approve it for submission to the Finance Committee, and authorise the Chamberlain to revise these budgets to allow for further implications arising from corporate projects.

To receive a progress report of the Chief Grants Officer (copy attached).

The Committee received the regular progress report of the Chief Grants Officer which highlighted the various activities that were on-going or had recently concluded.

          The Chief Grants Officer provided an update on the consultation exercise being undertaken as part of the quinquennial review process, advising that 50% of those surveyed had already replied with the closing date not until the next week. This was an excellent return, and given the obligation on the Trust to consult widely as part of the review process this would be a particularly good indicator to point to when reporting back to the charity commission.

          RESOLVED: That the contents of the report be noted.

To consider the Chief Grants Officer’s reports on grant recommendations, as follows (copies attached):-

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Grants Officer, introducing the grants programmes and stating that a total of fifty-two applications would be dealt with at the meeting, of which one was a strategic initiative, twenty were recommended for grants and sixteen recommended for rejection, with ten having been withdrawn. Five grants were also noted as having been approved under delegated authority.

          RESOLVED: That the contents of the report be noted.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Grants Officer recommending grants to organisations.

          During consideration of the applications before the Committee, the following comments were made by Members of the Committee and relevant officers:

·         A Member noted at Annex 1 (Cricket for Change) that the application referred the thirty-two London boroughs, with no mention of the City. The Grants Officer assured Members that the City was not excluded and undertook to point out the omission in the wording to the organisation’s Chief Executive.

·         With regard to Annex 4 (Age UK London), two typographical errors in the financial observations were amended, it being noted that the reference to the year 2101 should in fact be 2012, and that the level of reserves which Age UK London had calculated was in fact the minimum level, not the minimal level as stated. It was also clarified that Age UK London was distinct from the national body Age UK.

·         In response to a Member’s query at Annex 5 (Human Trafficking Foundation), the Chief Grants Officer gave assurances that the Trust’s funding would be for work in London, which was particularly appropriate given that 38% of the known victims of trafficking resided in London. A Member, also the Chairman of the Licensing Committee, reminded Members of discussions that took place during the City’s consultation over the licensing of sexual entertainment venues, where trafficking was raised as a key concern, it being a major problem in the Capital.

·         At Annex 8 (St Luke’s Trust), the Grants Officer clarified that the grant would be towards the salary of the project worker, not the running costs, and asked that the recommendation be amended accordingly.

·         At Annex 10 (Rethink Mental Illness), the Grants Officer advised that the monitoring report for year two of the grant had now been

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Grants Officer recommending sixteen grant applications in the Working with Londoners programme be rejected for the reasons identified in the schedule attached to the report.

          RESOLVED: That the grant applications detailed in the schedule attached to the report be rejected.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer detailing ten applications that had been withdrawn.

          RESOLVED: That the contents of the report be noted.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer advising Members of five grants, totalling £101,750, which had been approved under delegated authority since the last meeting of the Committee as follows:

·      Women's Environmental Network Trust- £10,000 over two years (2 x £5,000) towards the salary and project costs to provide a package of outreach support to four BAME women-led community food growing projects in Tower Hamlets.

·      London Orchard Project Ltd - £24,950 for the employment of a project manager and associated overhead costs for a third and final year, subject to a satisfactory report on the second year of the existing grant.

·      Ascension Community Trust - £24,400 over two years (2 x £12,000; £12,400) towards the continuing cost of the Elders Project Co-ordinator's salary.

·      Somali Well Woman Project - £17,500 for a third and final year for the salary of a part time health link worker and costs to develop healthy lifestyle programmes for Somali elders, subject to receipt of a satisfactory monitoring report for Year 2 of the previous grant.

·      Limes Community and Children's Centre - £24,900 for a third and final year towards the costs of delivering the Stepping into Work project.

RESOLVED: That the contents of the report be noted.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer relative to two visits that had been undertaken.

          RESOLVED: That the contents of the report be noted.

There were no questions.

Departure of the Chief Grants Officer

The Chairman took the opportunity to advise Members that the Chief Grants Officer would be stepping down in June. He thanked her for her enormous contribution and hard work over the years, expressing his sadness to be losing such a valued member of staff and wishing her the very best for the future.

MOTION – That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED: - That under Section 100 A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act as follows:-

Item Nos.                                                                    Exempt Paragraphs

13 - 14                                                                                       3

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2012 (copy attached).

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2012 were approved. 

Report of the Chief Grants Officer (copy attached).

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer updating Members on progress made by the City of London Corporation’s Social Investment Fund.

The Chamberlain noted that the Board was to review its investment criteria in the near future, and that this would be communicated to this Committee whenever completed through an update report.

There were no questions.

There were no urgent items.