Grants Determination (Cabinet) Sub-Committee - Wednesday, 6th November, 2024 5.30 p.m.

November 6, 2024 View on council website Watch video of meeting
AI Generated

Summary

The Grants Determination (Cabinet) Sub-Committee of Tower Hamlets Council met to discuss the performance of organisations in receipt of grants. They voted to withdraw funding from the Limehouse Welfare Association, but agreed to meet any costs the organisation had incurred. They also asked officers to provide a report on other concerning organisations at their next meeting.

Performance of the Mayor's Community Grant Programme

The committee discussed the performance of the Mayor's Community Grant Programme (MCGP).

They discussed three organisations whose grant funding was at risk:

  • Platform Cricket: The committee heard that Platform Cricket were still having issues submitting monitoring returns and were at risk of having their funding withdrawn.
  • Quaker Social Action: Quaker Social Action had submitted their April to June monitoring return late but had since submitted their July to September return on time.
  • Young and Talented: Young and Talented were up to date with their monitoring returns.

Limehouse Welfare Association

The committee discussed the performance of the Limehouse Welfare Association, which had been rated 'Red' in the MCGP performance report. This meant that the organisation was considered to be at high risk of not being able to deliver on its grant commitments.

Several members of the committee raised concerns that the Limehouse Welfare Association was effectively a one-man band and that there was a risk that the organisation would not be able to function if that one person was unavailable.

Because I would be worried if it's the one man running the show. So I'm sure there is a risk there.

They also raised concerns that the organisation had not taken up offers of capacity building support from the council.

I mean, yes, we as a council, we support our third sector, but we can't. I mean, day to day running of an organisation, day to day, we can't get involved into that. And if it's one person and if they're not taken on the offers about capacity building and so on, then I think there's a huge risk, you know, there's a lot of money there.

Officers explained that they had visited the Limehouse Welfare Association on an unannounced basis in July and had found that only seven children were attending a session, despite 25 children being registered for the programme. They also said that the tutor had been unable to make the session and that a substitute had been brought in to deliver it.

The committee voted to withdraw funding from the Limehouse Welfare Association. However, they agreed to meet any costs that the organisation had incurred.

In view of that, and I think councillors have made a quite clear view, in view of that we believe option two is the best option. We're drawing funding from that organisation. However, if they have genuinely spent some money and incurred costs, we should apportion that cost and give them that money. But please do test it and make sure that cost has been incurred, but no further money should be awarded. I just want to request that.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The committee also discussed the importance of monitoring and evaluation in ensuring that grant funding is used effectively. They asked officers to provide more information on how spot checks are carried out and to step up their monitoring of grant recipients.

And third point, as the Deputy Mayor said, you know, monitoring, vigorous monitoring, evaluation, value for money, it's extremely important to you as officer, to us as members and this council. We want every single penny to be rightfully used and it's got to be value for money. And please, sir, we request you, the monitoring must be stepped up, the evaluation must be stepped up and there is room for improvement.

They also asked officers to bring a report to their next meeting on other organisations that were causing concern.

Attendees

Documents