Agenda item

To consider the closure of the Signor Pasquale Favale Marriage Portions Charity.

Port Health and Environmental Services Committee

(Jeremy Lewis Simons)

23 July 2019

Signor Favale’s Marriage Portions Charity

The Signor Favale Marriage Portions Charity (206949) (the Favale Charity) was established in 1882 by the Will of Italian-born Pasquale Favale, with the intent of funding dowries for ‘poor, honest young women’, aged 16-25, who were born in the City of London and who had recently been, or were about to be, married. The Port Health and Environmental Services Committee had, for some time, been responsible for administering the Favale Charity.

The objects of this very small charity were now considered to be outmoded and most likely discriminatory, with the costs of administration significantly disproportionate to the funds available for distribution.  Furthermore, the Charity Commission had written to the City Corporation, under its Revitalising Trusts Programme, to remind the City Corporation of its legal obligations to ensure that, as Trustee, it was administering the Charity and spending its funds effectively, or otherwise to consider transferring its funds or updating its objects. 

Having considered this matter, your Port Health and Environmental Services Committee now recommended that the Court of Common Council, acting as Trustee of the Favale Charity, resolved to close the Charity by updating the objects to reflect those of the receiving charity, by releasing the restrictions on expenditure of the permanent endowment, and then transferring the charity’s funds free of restrictions to the City of London Corporation Combined Relief of Poverty Charity (1073660), subject to Charity Commission consent.  The Community and Children’s Services Committee, acting for the City Corporation as Trustee of that charity, had subsequently resolved that it was in that charity’s interests for it to take receipt of the funds on the basis proposed. The Court of Common Council was now asked to take the necessary decisions to close the Favale Charity as it allowed for the most effective use of the charitable funds. 

Resolved – That the Court of Common Council, acting as Trustee of the Signor Favale’s Marriage Portions Charity (206949):

1.         Agrees to exercise the applicable statutory powers contained in the Charities Act 2011 (as outlined in the report) to close the Signor Favale’s Marriage Portions Charity (206949) by resolving to amend the Charity’s objects to reflect those of the City of London Corporation Combined Relief of Poverty Charity (1073660), to release the restrictions on the permanent endowment funds held, and to transfer all the Charity’s funds free of any restrictions to the City of London Corporation Combined Relief of Poverty Charity (1073660) with an expression of wish that Signor Favale’s name be retained in some way in future grant-giving, subject to Charity Commission consent.

2.         Authorises the Town Clerk to undertake any actions, to take any decisions and sign any documents required to make such arrangements as may be required for the closure of the Signor Favale’s Marriage Portions Charity (206949) and seeking Charity Commission consent to the resolutions and transfer of its funds to the City of London Corporation Combined Relief of Poverty Charity (1073660).