Agenda item

Report of the Managing Director of BHE

The Committee considered a report of the Managing Director of BHE requesting £852,500 over five months as a strategic initiative to support the London Community Foundation’s (charity no. 1091263) emergency winter grants’ programme Together for London. £800,000 would be deployed in early 2023 through a small grants programme for at least 80 community organisations, with a focus on core costs and the provision of emergency support. The Managing Director of BHE introduced the report and presented the proposals to the Committee, which would be submitted to the BHE Board under delegated authority if endorsed.

The Chair noted the organisation’s impressive track record of fast-paced awards and invited comments from Members. A Member asked whether officers had considered a larger grant and suggested an uplift to the recommendation to £1million for onward grant-making, which would match the amount already raised by London Community Foundation and would further cover increasing need in this area. The Managing Director of BHE advised that the proposed uplift would be supported by officers if agreed, adding that there had been a significant volume of applications to the programme, and therefore sufficient demand to ensure that the uplift was appropriate and beneficial.

The Chair then sought Members’ approval to recommend a grant of £1,065,000, made up of £1 million for onward grant-making, plus 6.5% to cover operational costs as per the initial proposal, and this was agreed.

RESOLVED – That that the Grants Committee of the Bridge House Estates Board, in discharge of functions for the City Corporation as Trustee of Bridge House Estates (charity reg. no. 1035628) and solely in the charity’s best interests, endorse to the BHE Board a grant of £1,065,000 over five months to the London Community Foundation for onward grant-making through the Together for London Winter appeal and the operational costs of same.