Agenda and minutes

The Committee welcomedDonnachadh McCarthy from 3 Acorns Eco-audits to the meeting.

Mr McCarthy advised that eco-audits assessed current environmental performance, noting good practices already in place and devising a detailed plan for improvements and reducing costs in the process. Members noted that eco-audits took the form of a site visit and walkabout, along with meetings with staff, managers and lobbyists to ensure a holistic approach. A follow-up meeting was carried out after a year to ascertain what had been successful and what hadn’t, and to secure feedback for the eco-audit process. 3 Acorns Eco-audits also offered workshops for charities working with vulnerable people to enable workers to offer eco-tips to the users of the charity, thereby supporting them to reduce their personal outgoings in addition to the other assistance given.

In response to Members’ questions, officers advised that the Trust funded the costs of eco-audits for all London-based third sector organisations (not just CBT grantees) and Mr McCarthy detailed some examples of the positive outcomes of eco audits and confirmed that 3 Acorns Eco - audits had carried out an eco-audit of the CBT team and its office area and the results would be acted upon by the CBT team.

The Chairman thanked Donnachadh McCarthy for his presentation.

Apologies were received from the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor Dr Andrew Parmley, Simon Duckworth, Deputy the Revd. Stephen Haines and Vivienne Littlechild.

The Chairman, Alderman Alison Gowman, declared a non-pecuniary interest in the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College, West London Mission (a withdrawn application) and the Kensington and Chelsea Foundation.

The Deputy Chairman, Ian Seaton, declared a non-pecuniary interest in SSAFA, Upper Room and London Youth.

To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 24 November 2016.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes of the meeting held on 24 November 2016 be agreed as an accurate record.

Matters Arising

Proposed Revenue Budgets

Officers advised that the 2017/18 budget had been approved by the Resource Allocation Sub Committee.

ClientEarth

Officers advised that due diligence had been completed and the grant had been approved. A letter had also been sent making reference to salary levels, which seemed unduly high. In response to a Member’s question, officers confirmed ClientEarth were working with the pollution team at Walbrook Wharf.

Report of the Town Clerk.

March 2017 meeting

Members discussed the timing of the meeting and its proximity to the elections, and agreed to reschedule for earlier that morning.

RESOLVED – That the Outstanding Actions update be noted, and the March meeting be rescheduled for 9.15am on Monday 20^th.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members received a report of the Town Clerk.

RESOLVED – That the Committee approves the Terms of Reference of the City Bridge Trust Committee for submission to the Court of Common Council, and agrees that meetings should remain scheduled at the same frequency.

Report of the Chief Grants Officer.

The Committee received the regular progress report of the Chief Grants Officer and discussed the updates provided.

CBT Strategic Review

The Chief Grants Officer encouraged Members to contact the Head of Strategic Review for further information or to feed-in at any stage of the process, and advised that research and analysis from the review so far was anticipated to be brought to and made the main focus of the February meeting.

Communications

The Chief Grants Officer advised that the communications table had been streamlined by audience and would be combined with the events table (currently later in the agenda) in the future. He thanked the Media Officer for the Trust, Kristina Drake, who continued to secure media activity and publications and who was issuing a weekly email to Members regarding media coverage.

Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) Annual Conference

The Chief Grants Officer advised that there was mistake in the papers – the ACF conference was scheduled for Wednesday 8^th November 2017 and the National Council of Voluntary Organisations conference was scheduled for Thursday 20^th April 2017.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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

APPROVED - £150,000 to continue the London Youth Quality Mark Awards scheme until the implementation of the City Bridge Trust’s new programmes in 2018.

Members discussed the application and agreed that, despite the project’s reach outside of London (and therefore outside the Trust’s Charitable Objects), the charity was unique and particularly worthwhile and the grant recommendation reflected the fact that 25% of the BiPolar UK eCommunity were Londoners (not 15% as reported by mistake in the agenda). In addition, officers confirmed that they would ask the organisation to implement appropriate systems to ensure that the London benefit could be determined.

APPROVED - £200,000 over three years (£65,300; £60,500; £74,200) towards 25% of the full-time Information & Support Manager's salary; part-time Moderators; eCommunity platform development; IT support and on costs.

APPROVED - £132,350 over three years (£42,850; £44,100; £45,400) towards a full-time salary, running costs and overheads to develop networks of peer support for people who hear voices at places of detainment in London.

APPROVED - £100,000 towards costs of the access work to the entrance area to the Painted Hall.

APPROVED - £102,000 over 3 years (£33,300; £34,000; £34,700) for the salary of the full-time Stepping Stones House Home Manager. The grant in years 2 and 3 is conditional on sufficient funds being raised to make the initiative viable.

APPROVED - £141,000 over three years (£45,640, £47,000, £48,360) towards staffing and operational costs of the Saturday Socials programme.

APPROVED - £107,100 over three years (£35,400; £35,300; £36,400) towards the salary of a full-time Dementia Specialist Nurse and associated project costs.

APPROVED - £165,000 over three years (£54,900; £54,700; £55,400) towards the costs of 4 days per week Project Co-ordinator; 1 day per week Deputy Manager; volunteer costs for 10 volunteers; and associated running costs.

APPROVED - £107,114 over three years (£35,000, £35,700, £36,414) for 2 days per week of the Project Co-ordinator salary plus project costs of the UR4Driving Project.

Members noted this item had been deferred.

APPROVED - £60,000 over three years (£14,000; £22,000; £24,000) towards staff costs - project management and coordination, freelance costs, associated running costs and training sessions to develop and expand the Challenging Music Network in London.

APPROVED - £100,000 over two years (2 x £50,000) to continue to pay the salary of the head of Business and Community Together and some associated costs.

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

RESOLVED – That thirteen 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 six expenditure items, totalling £181,520, which had been presented for approval under delegated authority to the Chief Grants Officer in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer which provided details of eight applications which had been withdrawn or had lapsed.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer about two visits that had taken place.

RESOLVED – That the report be received.

The Committee noted a report of the Chief Grants Officer regarding the key meetings and events attended by Members and officers since the last meeting. The Chief Grants Officer advised there were some duplications in the table.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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.

Item No.                                              Exempt Paragraphs

13, 15                                                              3

14                                                                    -

Report of the Chief Grants Officer.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer outlining the pipeline for strategic grants.

There were no questions.

There was one item of other business.