Content

Decision:
 

(1)        
To note the annual financial reports of both
charities (at Appendices 1 and 2) with particular reference to:
-      
Paragraphs 6.24 about referrals from one charity to
the other;
-      
Paragraphs 6.25, 6.51 and 10.1-10.2 about LGR, Best
Value and the costs of officer support; and
-      
Paragraph 6.44 about trusteeship.
 

(2)        
To delegate authority to the Joint Assistant
Director for Democracy & Governance 
to attend the trustee meetings of Arundel House and the Mayor of
Guildford’s Support Fund and take day-to-day decisions about
the operation of the charity and the awarding of grants (noting
that aspects of this would be further sub-authorised to finance
officers as per the current arrangements).

(3)        
To delegate authority to the Joint Assistant
Director for Democracy & Governance to approve revised
Distribution Policies for both Arundel House and the Mayor of
Guildford’s Support Fund, in consultation with the Chair of
the Executive Shareholder and Trustee Committee, to include the
following changes:
 
(a)        
Amend the Mayor of Guildford’s Local Support
Fund distribution policy (see Appendix 3 to the report submitted to
the Committee) to increase the cap on individual grants from
£250 to £500, and up to £1,000 in exceptional
circumstances.

(b)        
Amend both policies so that applicants under the age
of 21 will be handled by the Local Support Fund rather than
referred to the Arundel House Trust.

(c)        
Increase the number of organisations eligible to
make referrals to the Local Support Fund.
 

(4)        
To note the proposed promotion and engagement
campaign to encourage applications to the Mayor of
Guildford’s Local Support Fund.
 

(5)        
To instruct officers to work up more detailed
options for the future of the charities for consideration by
trustees when the implications of LGR are sufficiently clear
– to include a full options appraisal re: Arundel House
carried out by the assets & regeneration teams.
 

(6)        
To approve the Mayor standing down as a trustee of
Arundel House Trust, leaving the Council as
the sole trustee of the Charity (as was envisaged by the Vesting
Deed).
 

(7)        
To record the Committee’s thanks to the Mayor
and past Mayors for their work as trustees of Arundel House,
acknowledging that his and future Mayors’ close involvement
in the charity would continue, albeit outside of the formal trustee
role.
 
Reasons:

1.    
As a trustee the Council has a responsibility to
ensure it has in place robust mechanisms for making trustee
decisions which are in the best interests of the
charities.

2.    
The recommendations were designed to assist the
Committee with fulfilling its role as trustee, in compliance with
the relevant accounting and reporting responsibilities, whilst
supporting good governance of the charities.
 
Other options considered and
rejected by the Committee:
·     
Withdraw officer delegations and undertake all
trustee decisions in full committee.
·     
Make the proposed delegations to a different
officer.
·     
Make different delegations to those proposed, after
consultation with officers.
·     
Decide not to review the distribution
policies.
·     
Request that revised distribution policies be
brought back to ESTC and the other trustees for
approval.
·     
To indicate the Committee’s preferred
strategies for the charities immediately and to commission further
work by officers on that basis
·     
To take no action, perhaps on the basis that Local
Government Reorganisation should simply be allowed to play
out.
·     
Not to invite the Mayor to resign as a
trustee.
 
Details of any conflict of
interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any
dispensation granted:
None.