Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor Alderman Fiona Woolf, Deputy Billy Dove, Stuart Fraser and Deputy Stanley Ginsburg.

There were no declarations.

To agree the minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 16 July 2014.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 16^th July 2014 be approved as a correct record.

Matters Arising

Social Investment Analyst

In response to a Member’s question, officers reported that a suitable candidate had been identified and, subject to the receipt of the appropriate documentation, would be in place by October 2014.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members received the Outstanding Actions update.

Joint report of the Chamberlain and the Town Clerk.

The Committee received a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Town Clerk comparing the revenue outturn in 2013/14 with the final agreed budget for the year. Members noted that the proposal to carry forward local and central risk underspends had been approved by the Chamberlain in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Resource Allocation Sub Committee, and the 2014/15 budgets had been increased accordingly. Members noted that net expenditure during the year was £19.946m which, compared to the total agreed budget of £23.485m, represented an underspend of £3.539m. This underspend primarily related to the grants budget which had been agreed for carry forward to 2014/15.

RESOLVED – That the revenue outturn report for 2013/14 and the budgets carried forward to 2014/15 are noted. 

Report of the Chief Grants Officer.

The Committee received the regular progress report and events update of the Chief Grants Officer. He reported that his weekly visits to grantees were underway, and the open invitation to Committee Members to attend had been extended to all Bridge House Estate officers who manage the BHE property portfolio plus the City Solicitors; the Chief Commoner was keen to extend this to all Members of the Court. In response to a Member’s query, the Chief Grants Officer agreed to let Members know which grantees he was visiting in advance, whenever possible. The Chief Grants Officer reported that most actions in the Business Plan were rated green, with three changing to amber owing to the date change as a result of the Strategic Away Day in October.

RESOLVED – That:

(a)  The report be noted;

(b)  The monitoring and evaluation of “Working With Londoners” be re-circulated, alongside the Centre for Effective Philanthropy summary in time for the Away Day in October;

(c)  The Chief Grants Officer give advance notice of weekly grantee visits, whenever possible; and

(d)  The Communications Strategy be discussed at the Away Day in October.  

Report of the Chief Grants Officer.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Grants Officer summarising applications received and action taken under the 2014/15 grants programmes. Officers reported that the target spend was 40% of the total annual budget but, should the Committee agree the grant recommendations for this meeting, the total annual spend would be 53%. In response to a Member’s question, officers reported that the English for Speakers of Other Languages programme had awarded a smaller number of grants than other programmes, as a consequence of the criteria being more focused than previously and because of a new requirement that tutors hold a recognised qualification.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Town Clerk and the Chief Grants Officer.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Town Clerk and the Chief Grants Officer, which proposed releasing an additional £1.05m per year from the Bridge House Estates surplus income over a period of 10 years (over and above the Investing in Londoners grants programmes budget, or their successor) to provide a long-term strategic grant to the Prince’s Trust Charity (£1m per year), with associated grants management cost (£50,000 per year).

Members noted that the Policy and Resources Committee would decide on the quantum of additional monies to be released from the Bridge House Estates surplus income, and the City Bridge Trust Committee would oversee the administration of the strategic grant as an exceptional grant, subject to the approval of the Court of Common Council.

RESOLVED – That:

(a)  Subject to the allocation of the necessary resources by the Policy & Resources Committee (see below), a recommendation be made to the Court of Common Council to approve a Strategic Grant to the Prince’s Trust of £1m per year, for 10 years, to support some of London’s hardest-to-reach young people, and £50,000 for grant management resource for City Bridge Trust subject to the following conditions:

            ·      The grant will be subject to the usual City Bridge Trust monitoring and                                    grants management procedures and, additionally, every 3 years,                              performance of the grant will be reviewed externally. Satisfactory results                    will need to be achieved for the grant to continue;

            ·      Prior to the release of any grant monies, the Prince’s Trust will need to                        satisfy the usual due diligence requirements of the City Bridge Trust                              grant-making procedure (this will include the submission of a satisfactory                  project budget);

            ·      Prior to the release of any grant monies, the Prince’s Trust will need to                        submit a satisfactory project plan, detailing what the grant aims to                                achieve (outcomes); how these

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

APPROVED - A grant of £50,000 over one year to Battersea Arts Centre, on behalf of the London Theatre Consortium, for the operational costs of a programme to pilot and evaluate the ongoing engagement of young people as apprentices in the Arts.

APPROVED - A grant of £21,000 to Buttle UK for the external evaluation of the Anchor Project.

Approved –

(a)  A grant of £400,000 over two years to Trust for London for a strategic initiative aiming to increase employment rates amongst young black men; and

(b)  Alderman Alison Gowman and Edward Lord to represent  the City Bridge Trust Committee at a meeting in November 2014 with Trust for London, in order to approve the awards to be made on the Moving On Up initiative.

Members expressed various concerns regarding the proposed EU funding programmes, and agreed to defer the decision until more information could be provided.

RESOLVED – That the decision be deferred until the City Bridge Trust Committee meeting scheduled for 27 November 2014.

APPROVED - A Strategic Initiative of £32,200 to commission Lemos and Crane to run the Growing Localities Awards 2014-15.

APPROVED - £51,300 over two years (£25,650 x 2) for the costs of centre-based (rather than in individual homes) English for Speakers of Other Languages classes in Bexley and Newham.

APPROVED - £34,500 over three years (£11,000; £11,500; £12,000) towards English for Speakers of Other Languages tutor fees, course accreditation and project running costs, up to Level 2 standard.

APPROVED - £33,700 over three years (£9,900; £12,900; £10,900) towards the running costs of the Grow to Eat - Eat to Grow project for young people aged 8-13.

APPROVED - £108,000 (£53,000; £55,000) for two further, and final, years towards the salary of a Project Officer and related costs of a scheme developing and supporting local volunteers to improve the Thames and London's waterways.

APPROVED - £150,000 over three years (3 x £50,000) towards staffing and associated costs of developing and sustaining edible playgrounds in 20 London schools. The grant in years two and three is subject to securing the balance of funds needed to make the project viable.

APPROVED - £48,600 over three years (£19,400; £14,400; £14,800) towards two part-time counsellors' salaries and related support costs for work in Her Majesty's Prison, Holloway.

APPROVED - £48,100 towards a third and final year of the 'Eating Together' programme for HIV-positive clients.

APPROVED - £138,000 over three years (£45,000; £46,000; £47,000) for clinical staff and supervision, project and administration costs of a new organisational base in Tottenham.

APPROVED - £86,000 over two years (£47,000; £39,000) towards the salaries of a Clinical Psychologist and a Support Worker and costs of the Re:Assure project. The grant in year 1 includes £9,500 for the creation, publication and dissemination of a Learning Resource aimed at professionals and charities working in this field.

APPROVED - £144,500 over three years (£49,400; £48,100; £47,000) for the costs of a part­ time (4 days per week) Forensic Psychotherapist and a contribution to independent evaluation of Respond's therapeutic model.

APPROVED - £112,200 over 3 years (£37,200; £37,300; £37,100) for a full-time Project Worker providing support and advocacy for homeless young people In Westminster. The grant is conditional upon a service level agreement between Victim Support and Centrepoint being in place and that this service level agreement takes account of each organisation's policies and procedures, in particular in relation to child protection and vulnerable adults.

APPROVED - £165,600 over 3 years (£54,100; £55,200: £56,300) towards salaries, project costs and overheads to support Londoners with a spinal cord injury.

APPROVED - £90,000 over three years (£38,500; £31,000; £20,500) for the cost of a Training Co-ordinator (37.5 hours per week) and a contribution to costs of a disability cycling programme.

APPROVED - £102,100 over three years (£35,700; £32,700; £33,700) for the salary of a London Regional Co-ordinator and related costs, to greatly increase the number of children and young people from Greater London benefitting from Over The Wall's camps.

APPROVED - £120,600 over three years (£39,600; £40,200; £40,800) towards the cost of the transition service, including a part-time (18 hours per week) Support Manager, volunteering expenses, and project running costs to benefit sixty-five young Londoners with autism.

APPROVED - £100,000 towards access work forming part of "Revealing the Charterhouse", on the condition that the charity receives the necessary planning permission.

APPROVED - £150,000 over three years (3 x £50,000) for the salary of a full-time specialist Case Worker and towards general running costs of the specialist service for LGBT victims of hate crime. The grant in years 2 and 3 is subject to the necessary balance being raised to make the project viable.

APPROVED - £180,000 over two years (£90,000; £90,000) towards the salary costs of two of the Protect and Respect case-workers.

APPROVED - £153,000 over three years (£53,000; £48,000; £52,000) towards the part-time salary (0.5 Full Time Equivalent) of a Family Support Development Co-ordinator, together with management and other related running costs of a project to train older carers (65 years plus) as Family Recovery Champions across London.

APPROVED - £158,300 over three years (£51,600; £52,600; £54,100) for the salary of a full-time Health Programme Officer, plus related project costs of the Active Life health programme In Merton.

APPROVED - £124,000 over three years (£39,000; £42,000; £43,000) for the costs of the Dance in Health project for vulnerable older people in London.

APPROVED - £120,000 over three years (3 x £40,000) towards a part-time (3 days per week) Project Co­ordinator and other staffing and running costs, to provide creative activities for people aged 75 and over.

APPROVED - £105,000 over three years (£35,000 x 3) towards the costs of the Dance for Health and Wellbeing Programme, on condition that funding is only used for activities with the over 75s.

APPROVED - £78,000 over three years (£37,100; £26,400; £14,500) towards the cost of a full­ time Respite Homecare Project Co-ordinator, service subsidy, running and management costs.

APPROVED - £68,900 over three years (£23,100; £22,700; £23,100) towards the part-time (18.5 hours per week) salary of a Volunteer Co-ordinator, plus associated running costs of a project helping to reduce isolation amongst elders from the Irish community who are living with dementia, and their carers.

APPROVED - £124,000 (£47,000; £43,000; £34,000) over three years towards the salary and project costs of extending support to carers aged 65+, including the development of Community Support and Community Link Volunteers, but excluding social event costs. The grant is conditional on the balance of full project costs being raised.

APPROVED - £90,000 over three years (£30,000, £30,000, £30,000) towards the salary of a legal advisor and associated costs.

APPROVED - £97,100 over three years (£31,840; £32,140; £33,120) for a full time Advice Worker and associated project overheads.

APPROVED - £122,200 over three years (£37,600; £38,900; £45,700) for the expansion of FoodCycle’s work in London. The grant will contribute to the salaries of the Partnership & Social Franchise Manager, Head of Programmes, and the Youth & Community Engagement Manager.

APPROVED - £70,800 over three years (£23,200; £23,450; 24,150) for the salary and related costs of a part-time (21 hours per week) Money and Debt Advisor.

APPROVED - £58,200 over three years (£18,800; £19,400; £20,000) towards the salary costs of the Project Manager (4 days per week) to continue and develop the "People in Crisis" project, subject to quarterly management accounts in year 1.

APPROVED - £85,400 over three years (£27,630; £28,460; £29,310) for the salary of a part-time (18 hours per week) Project Supervisor, plus associated costs of the Benefits Appeal Project.

APPROVED - £63,300 over three years (£21,000; £21,000; £21,300) to meet the salary of a part-time (24 hours per week) Debt Advisor and associated running costs.

APPROVED - £125,300 over two years (£62,200; £63,100) for the costs of the Best Practice Service, promoting improved volunteer management for voluntary organisations in Camden.

Members noted that this was the same service as previously funded but, as there were so few organisations able to deliver this type of service, the application was recommended for approval.

APPROVED - £147,500 over three years {£49,700; £49,300; £48,500) towards the provision of the London Property Advice Service to benefit voluntary organisations across London.

APPROVED - £157,000 over three years (£52,000; £52,000; £53,000) towards the part-time salary (0.6 Full Time Equivalent) of an Organisation Development Officer, plus management and project running costs of a capacity building programme helping frontline organisations improve their monitoring, evaluation and impact reporting, and their financial management skills.

APPROVED - £156,500 over three years (£51,800; £52,000; £52,700) for the salary of a full time Volunteer Centre Manager and project costs to improve the quality of volunteering opportunities and management in Havering.

APPROVED - £132,100 over three years (£50,060; £42,320; £39,720) towards Timebanking UK's work to support the London timebanks. Release of the grant in year 1 is subject to the receipt of quarterly management accounts.

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

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

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer which advised Members of ten expenditure items, totalling £49,700, which had been presented for approval under delegated authority to the Chief Grants Officer, in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman.

·         198 Contemporary Arts and Learning - £2,000 to match Creative Employment Programme funding towards the wage costs of 1 Apprentice for 1 year from May/June 2014. The national minimum wage must be paid.

·         Islington Community Theatre - £2,000 to match Creative Employment Programme funding towards the wage costs of 1 Apprentice for 1 year. The national minimum wage must be paid.

·         Park Theatre - £2,000 to match Creative Employment Programme funding towards the wage costs of 1 Apprentice for 1 year. The national minimum wage must be paid.

·         Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness - £3,000 (7.5 days at £400 per day) to provide an eco-audit.

·         Country Trust – £15,000 (£5,000; £5,000; £5,000) towards staffing and project costs of the Food Discovery programme in London.

·         Camden Listening and Counselling Centre - £4,900 over three years (£1,900; £1,500; £,1,500) to increase the number of males aged 19-and-over attending the counselling service, subject to a satisfactory budget for year’s 2 and 3.

·         South London Theatre Buildings Preservation Trust - £5,000 for the costs of an independent access audit.

·         St John's Church, Waterloo - £4,800 for the costs of an independent access audit, to ensure best practice on access issues.

·         St Paul's Church Covent Garden - £1,800 towards an access audit.

·         Brendoncare Ronald Gibson House Care Centre - £9,200 towards the provision of a sensory garden and dementia-friendly furnishings in the dining room at Ronald Gibson House.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer which provided details of twelve applications which had been withdrawn. In response to a Member’s question, officers undertook to review the Rules in relation to eligibility when two charities merge.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted, and the Rules be reviewed in relation to eligibility when two charities merge.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer which advised Members of variations to two grants agreed by the Chief Grants Officer since the last meeting.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer about two visits that had taken place. The Chairman encouraged Members to participate in a few visits each year.

RESOLVED – That the report be received.

There were no questions.

There was no other 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.

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To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 16 Jul 2014.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 16 July 2014 be approved as a correct record.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer.

There were no questions.

There was no other business.