Agenda item

Report of the Chief Grants Officer and Director of City Bridge Trust (CGO)

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

Implementation of Bridging Divides

The CGO advised the Committee that the Bridging Divides strategy was now live and operational, and work was ongoing to bed in new ways of working and troubleshooting any teething problems. Suggestions from Members about the strategy were welcome.

HR Update

The CGO drew Members attention to the update set out in the report, advising that recruitment was in progress and updates would be given as soon as possible.

Cornerstone Fund

The CGO drew Members attention to the update set out in the report. Following the development of parameters for the application process, the Funders’ Panel had met in July 2018, and recommended 11 of the 21 applications received be approved by Delegated Authority for Stage 2 applications, which officers hoped to present to the November 2018 or January 2019 meetings of the City Bridge Trust Committee, although this may change. The Reference Group and Funders’ Panel proposed that a learning partner be appointed to work alongside successful applicants and group of aligned funders over a two-year period, and officers sought approval for up to £80,000 of non-grant funding to tender for a learning partner. This was agreed by the Committee.

Mayor of London’s Young Londoners Fund

The CGO drew Members attention to the update set out in the report. City Bridge Trust officers had continued to provide staff resource to support the processing of applications to the Young Londoners Fund. The Fund was due to be split between small and larger grants, with 15 small grants having already been awarded, subject to due diligence and approval by the Mayor’s team. To enable flexibility in the allocation of the funds as the detail of need was not yet known, approval was sought to delegate authority to the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman to allocate any individual sums prior to the November meeting of the Committee. The Committee approved that this authority be delegated.

RESOLVED – That the City Bridge Trust Committee:

a)    Note the report;

b)    Approve non-grant funding from the Cornerstone Fund of up to a maximum of £80,000 over two years for a Learning Partner; and

c)    Agree that any decisions to allocate individual sums for the Mayor’s Young Londoner’s Fund prior to your next meeting in November be delegated to the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman and to be reported to the subsequent Committee.