The Charities and Trusts Committee of Staffordshire Council met to discuss the Stafford Education Centre Charity and the Tamworth Youth Centre Fund. The committee approved the updated business plan for the Stafford 14-19 Partnership and its associated funding requests for the next two years. They also reaffirmed a previous decision to sell the Tamworth Youth Centre to Tamworth Borough Council and establish a grant programme with the proceeds.

Stafford Education Centre Charity

The committee approved the updated business plan for the Stafford 14-19 Partnership and the funding requests for 2025-26 and 2026-27. The funding request for 2025-26 was £161,076, a slight increase of £888 from the amount previously approved, and the anticipated value of the request for 2026-27 is £159,993. The committee also approved the continuation of the Assistant Director for Skills and Employability's authorisation to release the funds, subject to successful delivery of the 2025-26 element of the business plan.

Alison, whose last name was not provided, presented a brief overview of the Stafford Education Centre Charity (SEC), explaining that its objective is to promote education for individuals aged 14 to 19, and for children under 14 who reside or are educated in Stafford. Matthew Mason, head teacher at Sir Graham Balfour School in Stafford, and chair of the 14 to 19 partnership, then spoke about the benefits of the partnership for young people in Stafford, including a broader curriculum, high-quality pastoral care, and careers advice.

Councillor Byrne asked about the reasons for the increase in the funding request. Alison explained that it was due to a delayed invoice for IT software purchased in the last financial year. Councillor Byrne also asked if there was anything the committee needed to be aware of before approving the funding. An officer, whose name was not provided, clarified that the charity's income is around £160,000 to £170,000 per year, generated from investments, and that there was a surplus of around £125,000 in reserves.

Tamworth Youth Centre Fund

The committee reaffirmed its previous decision to sell the Tamworth Youth Centre to Tamworth Borough Council and use the proceeds to create an endowment for a grant programme. They also delegated authority to the Assistant Director for Commercial and Assets to finalise the sale documents and establish the grant programme.

An officer, whose name was not provided, provided a summary of the fund, which includes the former Tamworth Youth Centre property in the Gungate area of Tamworth, plus a small amount of endowment money. The officer explained that the Borough Council has a master plan for the redevelopment of the area, supported by future High Streets funding. The officer also gave a brief history of the property, explaining that the County Council ceased delivering youth services around 2014 and had been trying to find anchor tenants to run the property. The last anchor tenant was Humankind, a drug and alcohol service, but they never had a lease and did not contribute to larger maintenance items. The building eventually became vacant, with only a table tennis club and Tamworth Radio using it.

Councillor Byrne asked about the communication efforts to find people to use the building and whether there was a conflict of interest with Staffordshire County Council and Tamworth Borough Council being involved in the sale and redevelopment. An officer explained that the consultation process included advertising in the property, on the County Council's website, and through Skivvies, who specialise in dealing with youth groups. They added that the Charity Commission was happy with the outcome of the consultation. The officer also clarified that the County Council is not involved in the purchase and that the valuer had considered the synergistic value of the sale to Tamworth Borough Council.

Councillor Byrne also raised a potential conflict of interest, as Councillor Farrell is the managing director of Tamworth Radio, and Tamworth Council is buying the property. An officer responded that they did not believe Tamworth Borough Council had any specific interest in Tamworth Radio, and that Tamworth Radio had been given plenty of time to find other premises.

The officer explained that if the sale did not proceed, the County Council would continue to hold the lease on the property but would not be obligated to run any services from it, meaning the charity's objectives would not be met. They added that the Charity Commission had gone into a lot of detail around potential conflicts of interest and were happy with the process.

The committee discussed the proposed use of the funds from the sale, with members emphasising the importance of ensuring the money is used for the benefit of children and youth in Tamworth. The proposal is for Skivvies, Staffordshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services, to distribute the funds, initially on a request basis. The committee requested to see a plan for how the money will be spent before it is delegated. The committee also discussed the age range for the grant programme, confirming that it would be for those under 25 in the Tamworth area.

The committee were informed that the valuation of the property was valid until the end of June, giving them five months to make a decision.