Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Stuart Fraser and the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor Alderman Fiona Woolf.

The Chairman and Marianne Fredericks declared non-pecuniary interests in Item 7B by virtue of supporting the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. The Chairman also declared a non-pecuniary interest in Item 7F by virtue of supporting the Connaught Opera and did not take part in the discussion of that item.

To agree the minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 13 March 2014.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the last meeting held on 13 March 2014 be approved as a correct record, subject to the following amendments:

Members Declarations Under the Code of Conduct in Respect of Items on the Agenda

“…as his Livery Company supported London Youth”.

Progress Report and Events

“…b) the Draft City Bridge Trust Business Plan…”

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk that identified items which required further action by officers.

Council of Somali Organisations

Members noted that the present Interim Director would remain in post until April 2015 therefore the condition did not need to apply until then.

Paddington Development Trust

Members noted that this report was due by 31 March and officers undertook to check whether it had been received.

To receive a progress report of the Chief Grants Officer.

The Committee considered the regular progress report and events update of the Chief Grants Officer.

The Chief Grants Officer drew Members’ attention to the presentation of the first Gold Award of the London Youth Quality Mark Scheme which had been attended by the Chairman and the Principal Grants Officer. He also highlighted the Charity Commission’s advice on campaigning which had been included in the report as a result of a discussion held at the previous meeting. He reported that ‘awareness raising’ would qualify as campaigning and that charities must not give funding to a political party, candidate or politician.

The Chief Grants Officer reported on the intention to use the underspend from the 2013/14 grants budget to amplify grant-making to celebrate the 20^th Anniversary of the City Bridge Trust. Following discussions with the Chamberlain’s Department and the Town Clerk, it was agreed that the City Bridge Trust Committee would instruct officers to request that the £3,533,480 remaining from the Trust’s 2013/14 grants budget be carried forward into its grants budget for 2014/15. Members agreed that a report be submitted to the May meeting of the City Bridge Trust Committee seeking its approval of the proposal before it is submitted to the Chamberlain and the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Resource Allocation Sub Committee of the Policy and Resources Committee. In response to a Member’s question the Chief Grants Officer confirmed that he was confident that the Trust would not have an underspend in 2014/15 subject to processes being in place to ensure this, which were detailed more fully in the Business Plan.

With regard to Social Investment, the Chief Grants Officer stated that a report would be submitted to the May meeting of the City Bridge Trust Committee which would outline the full programme proposal and mechanics of

To receive a report of the Chief Grants Officer.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Grants Officer that summarised applications received and action taken under the 2014/15 grants programmes. Members noted that the £3.5million underspend from the Trust’s 2013/14 grants was not included in the confirmed grants budget for 2014/15.

In response to a Member’s questions, the Chief Grants Officer reported that it was too early in the financial year to determine or predict any trends, or to judge whether any programmes were more successful than others. Members noted that the City Bridge Trust averaged a 50% success rate of applications received which compared favourably with other Trusts.

In response to a request from the Deputy Chairman, it was agreed that Access Audits would be separately identified in future reports and figures relating to the average size of grants in each category would be included in six-monthly reports.

RESOLVED – that:

i)             access audits be separately identified in future reports;

ii)            figures relating to the average size of grants in each category would be included in future six-monthly reports;

iii)           the report be noted; and

iv)           the grant recommendations in the subsequent annexes be considered.

To consider the Chief Grants Officer’s reports on grant recommendations as follows:-

Item 7a (Paladin – National Stalking Advocacy Service CIC) – In response to Members’ queries, officers reported that the charity did not work exclusively with women, and it had been informed a formal reserves policy must be developed but that the detail was yet to be set.

Item 7c (One North East London) – In response to a Member’s query, officers confirmed that this charity focussed on working with people affected by drugs and alcohol addiction and did not provide specific help for those affected by other addictions such as gambling.

Item 7d (London Symphony Orchestra Limited) – Officers confirmed that this funding request was for the charity’s outreach work, and as such was unrelated to funding given to the LSO by the City of London Corporation elsewhere. Members queried why the recommended grant exceeded the amount requested and the Chief Grants Officer reported that during the course of the application it became apparent that a better method to evaluate and share best practice with other organisations was required to optimise the work being done. The additional £15,000 being requested would fund a ‘Critical Friend’ over 3 years to work alongside and evaluate the project and offer suggestions as it progressed. Members requested that the revised figures be clarified in the Chief Grants Officer’s report at the next meeting.

Item 7e (Shine) – In response to a Member’s query, officers reported that funding for one additional post was being requested but that the charity had the equivalent of two and a half posts overall. Members also noted that the requested amount had increased due to the need for a laptop and to fund attendance of meetings in London.

Item 7f (Connaught Opera) – In response to a Member’s query officers responded that DVD creation and distribution would be difficult for

£140,000 over three years (£46,000; £46,500; £47,000) towards the salary of a Caseworker and to meet the shortfall in the salary of a second caseworker to provide an advocacy service for victims of stalking in London, the grant to be received by the charity Safer Places.

£49,050 over three years (£19,050; £15,000; £15,000) towards the costs of a full time (37.5 hours per week) Training, Leisure Learning and Community Consultancy Coordinator to develop the charity’s environmental education services.

£38,000 over three years (£8,000; £15,000; £15,000) towards the salary costs of the full-time Counsellor for the NE Teens project.

£172,000 over three years (£54,000; £58,000; £60,000) towards the delivery and evaluation of LSO Create: creative music making activity for adults with learning disabilities at LSO St Luke’s, the Barbican and in residential/day care centres.

£78,750 over three years (£27,050; £26,650; £25,050) towards the salary of a f/t London Support and Development Worker and related costs.

£33,660 over 3 years (3 x £11,220) for a programme of musical concerts for older people conditional on match funding being raised before each quarterly release of funding in Years 1, 2 and 3 and subject to a satisfactory monitoring framework being agreed with the organisation.

£150,000 over three years towards the salary of a Triage Co-ordinator and associated running costs of establishing a triage system within the law centre.

£120,000 over three years (3 x £40,000) towards the salary and overhead costs of a full-time Employment Caseworker.

£146,900 over three years (£47,800; £49,100; £50,000) towards a full-time (35 hours per week) Outcomes Framework Development Officer and running costs for Community Action Southwark’s monitoring and evaluation support programme.

£71,750 over three years towards the cost of expanding Young Philanthropy as part of the ‘City Philanthropy a wealth of opportunity’ initiative, to be costed against the City Bridge Trust allocation for Strategic Initiatives 2014/15.

£340,000 over three years (£134,000; £102,000; £104,000) for the salaries and operational costs of a Development Programme, to increase and sustain London volunteers’ involvement in protecting the capital’s waterways.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Grants Officer which recommended that 10 grant applications in the Investing in Londoners programme be rejected for the reasons identified in the schedule attached to the report.

Members queried the rejection of the application made by Mind in Kingston and agreed to defer the decision until the next meeting, pending the outcome of a discussion with the charity. This decision was later withdrawn during a discussion held in non-public session; Members agreed to reject the Mind application and requested that officers contact the charity and inform them of the date they could reapply (one year from the submission of their application).

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 which provided details of four applications which had been withdrawn and one which had lapsed.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer which advised Members of 5 expenditure items, totalling £31,900, which had been presented for approval under delegated authority to the Chief Grants Officer in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman.

Grants

·         Fairfield (Croydon) Limited - £4,000 to match CEP funding towards the wage costs of two apprentices for 1 year.

·         Friends R Us - £4,500 to cover the costs of an independent access audit of Beth Jacob House.

·         Enfield Mental Health Users Group - £17,000 for a third and final year’s support of the Elders’ Project, to fund a p/t (14hpw) Advocacy Worker plus related running costs, subject to the receipt of a satisfactory monitoring report for the current grant.

Eco-audits

·         Real – 5 days (value = £2,000) to undertake an eco-audit.

·         Trust Thamesmead – 11 days (value = £4,400) to undertake an eco-audit.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer relative to two visits that had been undertaken. Members discussed the visits and the process for circulating details and dates for future visits.

RESOLVED – That the report be received.

There were no questions.

There were no items of urgent business.

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) 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 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

Item No.                      Exempt Paragraphs

12 -14                                      3

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2014.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2014 be approved as a correct record.

There was one question.

There were no items of urgent business.