Agenda item

A Member queried whether the National Union of Students (NUS) provided a service similar to that proposed to the charity, and whether the charity had any connection to the NUS. A Member also queried if the proposal targeted the right areas in accordance with City Bridge Trust strategy. A Member told the Committee that having researched the charity online, employer review website Glassdoor detailed 18 complaints about the charity which included allegations of bullying and harassment within the organisation.

The Chief Grants Officer and Director of City Bridge Trust responded to Member queries. Officers were not aware of any specific provision of this nature offered by the NUS, and there was nothing in the City Bridge Trust’s guidance to exclude students as a group. There was a higher prevalence of mental ill-health amongst university students due to increased access to university in recent years. Any complaints about the charity would need to be investigated, but it was important to be cautious about information found on the internet.

The Committee noted that there was no reference to NUS funding in the charity’s grant application form. A Member added that the NUS was a confederate body which did not directly provide services at local level. While some constituent members may provide health and welfare services it would not be done nationally, as it was not within their remit.

Members discussed including a section on reputational risk in assessment reports. A Member said that it would be dangerous to start including unverified information from the internet in reports, and that officer due diligence to any serious allegations in order to flag serious problems would be satisfactory. A Member added that other charities would be likely to share information if they had it.

The Chief Grants Officer and Director of City Bridge Trust told the Committee that officers did investigate reputational implications of grant applications and performed due diligence to examine the consequences of association with a charity and any reputational risk.

APPROVED £113,000 over two years (£53,000; £60,000) towards the Step Up into University London Project Manager salary, SUU project costs, evaluation and on costs.