The King George's Field Charity Board was scheduled to meet on Wednesday 10 June 2026 to discuss the terms of reference for the upcoming year, review financial and activity updates for the King George's Field Trust, and consider proposed changes to fees and charges for the hire of the Art and Ecology Pavilions. The meeting was also set to address public benefit guidance for the charity.

Terms of Reference for the King George's Field Charity Board

The Board was scheduled to review its terms of reference, membership, and quorum for the 2026/2027 municipal year. This is a standard practice following the establishment of Cabinet sub-bodies. The report outlined that the King George's Field Charity Board administers the affairs of the King George's Field, Mile End charity, and the King George's Field – Stepney (Tredegar Square, Bow) charity, discharging the Council's duties as sole trustee for these charities. This includes responsibility for land such as Stepney Green Park, Whitehorse Road Open Space, Tredegar Square, and much of Mile End Park, encompassing the Mile End Park Leisure Centre and Mile End Stadium, as well as ten shop units beneath the 'Green Bridge' at Mile End. The membership of the Board consists of all Members of the Cabinet, with a quorum of three members. The report also listed the scheduled meeting dates for the remainder of the year: 9 September 2026, 13 January 2027, and 14 April 2027, all at 5.30 p.m. in the Council Chamber.

King George's Field Trust Finance, Activity, and Governance Updates

An update was scheduled to be provided on the financial forecast for the King George's Field Trust for 2026/27, alongside a summary of activities delivered in the fourth quarter of 2025/26 (1 January to 31 March 2026). The report indicated that the 2025/26 year-end outturn was being finalised, with a balanced financial position expected for 2026-27. These figures were subject to confirmation following the completion of the year-end accounts and audit process.

The activity update detailed over 970 sessions delivered across key facilities, including Stay & Play, Whitehorse Adventure Playground, and Stepney Green Astroturf, with participation exceeding 29,000 attendances. This included 3,363 participants at Stay & Play sessions, 1,578 at Whitehorse Adventure Playground, and approximately 24,454 users of Stepney Green Astroturf. The report highlighted a range of community-focused activities such as children's play sessions and holiday programmes. The Art Pavilion hosted exhibitions involving 15 Tower Hamlets secondary schools, alongside community arts programmes. Events included markets, corporate functions, cultural events, and private hires. The Ecology Pavilion hosted NHS Blood and Transplant sessions, arts networking events, and community consultation activities. These activities were noted as contributing to improved health and wellbeing, supporting local artists, and enhancing park safety and biodiversity.

The report also noted that KGFT is expected to be self-financing, with operational costs offset by income generation. Any surplus is transferred to a holding code, and any deficit is managed via a drawdown from this code, keeping the Trust's financial position separate from the Council's. For 2026-27, the Trust was projected to achieve a nil position, with estimated costs covered by income.

King George's Field Trust Review of Fees and Charges 2026/27

The Board was scheduled to review and consider proposed increases to the hire charges for the Art and Ecology Pavilions in Mile End Park for the 2026/27 period. The report explained that these pavilions are assets of the King George's Field (Mile End) charity and are managed by the Council's Arts, Parks and Events team. Income generated from hiring these venues supports the upkeep of Mile End Park and enables the charity to offer subsidised and free hires for cultural and community events.

The proposed increases were based on a review of fees and charges, taking into account inflation, rising energy and staffing costs, and benchmarking against similar venues. The report noted that no fee increases were applied for the 2025/26 financial year, and the pavilions had received an 11.4% uplift in 2024/25 to address previous static rates. The recommended increase for 2026/27 was proposed to be applied from 1 July 2026, with a 3.3% increase in line with inflation, except for exhibition rates, which proposed a 10% increase for non-subsidised exhibitions and a 5% increase for subsidised exhibitions. A new block booking rate for organisations committing to a minimum number of days, a half-day weekend booking option, and a 20% discount for Tower Hamlets residents for standard pavilion bookings were also proposed. The report included a detailed comparison of proposed rates against those of other venues, indicating that the pavilions would remain competitive.

Public Benefit Guidance

The Board was scheduled to note the Charity Commission's Public Benefit Guidance. This guidance explains the duties of charity trustees, requiring them to ensure that the charity's purposes are beneficial and that any detriment or harm does not outweigh the benefit. It also stipulates that the benefit must be for the public in general, or a sufficient section of the public, and should not result in more than incidental personal benefit. Trustees are responsible for ensuring their charity's purposes are carried out for the public benefit and must consider this guidance when making decisions. The guidance also outlines requirements for trustees' annual reports, which must explain how the charity's purpose has been carried out for public benefit and state whether the trustees had due regard to the public benefit guidance.

The meeting was also scheduled to include standard procedural items such as noting apologies for absence, declarations of interest, and the confirmation of minutes from the previous meeting. Following the consideration of unrestricted reports, the press and public were to be excluded for the discussion of exempt items.