Agenda item

Report of the BHE Chief Funding Director

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Funding Director providing details of funds approved and rejected under delegated authority since the last meeting of the Grants Committee in December 2022 through to 16 February 2023; the remaining 2022/2023 grants budget; grants 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. The report also sought the Committee’s approval for 3 grant rejections and 8 grants between £250,000 and £500,000, and the endorsement to the BHE Board of 1 Bridging Divides application over £500,000. The Chair introduced the item, commending the breadth of work and increased rate of funding.

In response to a question from a Member, the Managing Director of BHE assured the Committee that officers would continue to be mindful of potential issues such as dependency, noting the trend towards the awarding of longer-term grants.

With regards to the application from The Garden Classroom, the Chief Funding Director advised that the environmental sector was generally less diverse in comparison to other areas of the sector, and that officers would seek to pick up any concerns about the ability to achieve the desired reach of the proposals, with CBT able to offer assistance in enhancing the organisation’s outreach and relationships work.

In response to a question from a Member regarding the diversion of funding away from London, the Managing Director of BHE commented that it was important for BHE as a London funder to continue to use and share the evidence it saw, adding that the profile of poverty in London was as high in London as it was elsewhere in the UK.

The Chair then drew the Committee’s attention to the proposals and took each recommendation in turn, all of which were agreed.

Members further highlighted and commended the proposals in respect of Mind in Croydon and Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, as well as encouraging officers to further consider the ‘heat map’ graphs with a view to assessing whether these were providing the right information or could provide any additional context.

RESOLVED – That the that the Grants Committee of the BHE Board, in the discharge of functions for the City Corporation as Trustee of Bridge House Estates and solely in the charity’s best interests:

i)              Receive this report and note its contents;

ii)             Endorse to the BHE Board a grant of £585,125 to the Media Trust (charity no. 1042733);

iii)           Approve the following grants as recommended in:

·         The Garden Classroom (no. 1168587) - £276,120 over five years

·         Mind in Croydon (no. 1073880) - £271,000 over five years

·         Katherine Low Settlement (no. 1081248) - £425,325 over five years

·         Choice in Hackney (no. 1077287) - £294,400 over five years

·         Bromley Homeless CIO (no. 1186655) - £298,000 over five years

·         Hackney Co-operative Developments CIC (company no. 1673378) - £365,090 over three years

·         No.1 Performing Arts (NOPA) (no. 1182507) - £355,360 over five years

·         Kanlungan Filipino Consortium (no. 1077224) - £270,500 over five years; and

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