Agenda item

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE providing details of: funds approved and rejected under delegated authority since the last meeting of the Grants Committee in September 2022 through to 17 November 2022; the remaining 2022/2023 grants budget; grant 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 3 grant rejections, 5 grants over £250k and 1 grant under £250k.

In response to a question from a Member noting that consistency of grant-giving in some areas was not commensurate with the level of deprivation, the Managing Director of BHE explained that there were several factors in this, such as the strength of the civil society in that area and that it was not always possible to capture more local impacts where grants were given over larger geographical areas, and how officers continued to try and address such discrepancies. Noting that the infographic maps provided only accounted for Bridging Divides grants, the Chair asked officers to review the infographic maps for any further opportunities to provide information in this area.

With regards to the applications recommended for approval, the Chair clarified a point in respect of the applications for Music of Life (charity no. 1102827) before drawing the Committee’s attention to the recommendations for grant approvals, which were agreed. With regards to the applications recommended for rejection, the Chair drew the Committee’s attention to the recommendations for grant rejections, which were also agreed.

In response to a question from a Member regarding the applications approved or rejected under delegated authority, the Managing Director of BHE confirmed that Ascension Community Trust (charity no. 1091887), to which a grant had been approved under delegated authority, were not connected to the Ascension Trust (charity no. 1127204), to whom a grant was proposed later on the agenda.

RESOLVED - That the Grants Committee of the Bridge House Estates Board, in the discharge of functions for the City Corporation as Trustee of Bridge House Estates (charity no. 1035628) and solely in the charity’s best interests:

i)              Receive this report and note its contents;

ii)             Approve the following grants as recommended:

·         One Westminster (295501) - £282,400 over 5 years

·         Voice4Change England (1140624) - £399,040 over 5 years

·         The Orchard Project (1139952) - £281,900 over 5 years

·         Music of Life (1102827) - £254,400 over 5 years

·         Lewisham Local (previously Rushey Green Time Bank) (1101616) - £282,076 over 3 years

·         Wandsworth Care Alliance (1110178) - £127,900 over 3 years; and,

iii)           Approve the rejection of grants as listed in the schedule appended to the report.