The Executive Shareholder and Trustee Committee met to discuss the financial health and future strategies for several organisations and charities connected to the council. They agreed to request additional funding from the council to cover deficits for the Guildford Sports Ground Charitable Trust, and also agreed to a three-year business plan for the Guildford Sportsground Management Company Ltd. The committee also discussed the future of the Mayor of Guildford's Local Support Fund and the Arundel House trust, including potentially increasing the cap on individual grants and adjusting trusteeship arrangements.

Guildford Sports Ground Funding

The committee agreed to request additional funding from the council, in its role as trustee, for the Guildford Sports Ground Charitable Trust (the Charity) to cover deficits in accordance with the management agreement the council has with Guildford Sportsground Management Company Ltd (the Management Company).

The funding includes:

• £114,279.41 to cover the actual deficit for 2024/25
• £85,474 for the estimated financial deficit for 2025/26
• £20,572 for the estimated financial deficit for 2026/27

The committee also agreed to a three-year business plan for the Management Company, which aims to make the company self-sufficient by 2026/27, at which point further funding from the Charity should no longer be required.

The Guildford Sports Ground, which includes Guildford Pavilion, is owned by the Charity, of which the council is the sole corporate trustee. The Charity leases land to, and has a management agreement with, the Management Company, which is responsible for the day-to-day management of the facilities, bookings and events. The Management Company's members are the council, Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC) and Guildford Cricket Club (GCC).

Councillor Richard Lucas, Lead Councillor for Finance, is the chair of the board of directors, with Councillor Tom Hunt, Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for Economy & Place, and Sue Owen, an independent director, also representing the council on the Company's Board.

The committee heard that the Management Company had presented updated accounts for the trading year 2024/25, detailing a financial shortfall of £114,279.31 on budgeted performance. The report stated that:

A request has therefore been made to the Charity to provide further funding in accordance with the management agreement.

The report also noted that a previous request for funding in relation to 2024/25 was refused by the Charity until the business plan had been provided.

Mayor of Guildford's Local Support Fund and Arundel House Trust

The committee discussed the annual review of the Mayor of Guildford's Local Support Fund and the Arundel House trust, and considered a number of recommendations.

The Mayor of Guildford's Local Support Fund offers small grants to Guildford residents facing financial problems. The committee discussed increasing the cap on individual grants from £250 to £500, and up to £1,000 in exceptional circumstances. They also considered increasing the number of organisations eligible to make referrals to the fund.

The Arundel House trust was created in 1919, and the property is currently leased by A2 Dominion Ltd, who provide supported housing for young parents. The committee discussed the future of the trust, including a full options appraisal, and the possibility of the Mayor stepping down as a trustee.

The committee resolved to:

• Note the annual financial reports of both charities.
• Delegate authority to the Joint Assistant Director for Democracy & Governance to attend trustee meetings and take day-to-day decisions about the operation of the charities and the awarding of grants.
• 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:
  • Amend the Mayor of Guildford's Local Support Fund distribution policy to increase the cap on individual grants from £250 to £500, and up to £1,000 in exceptional circumstances.
  • 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.
  • Increase the number of organisations eligible to make referrals to the Local Support Fund.
• Note the proposed promotion and engagement campaign to encourage applications to the Mayor of Guildford's Local Support Fund.
• Instruct officers to work up more detailed options for the future of the charities for consideration by trustees when the implications of Local Government Reorganisation¹ are sufficiently clear – to include a full options appraisal regarding Arundel House carried out by the assets & regeneration teams.
• 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).
• 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 will of course continue, albeit outside of the formal trustee role.

The report noted a discrepancy between the Mayor's Local Support Fund annual report, which claimed that the number of grant applications referred to other organisations was zero, and the annual report of Arundel House, which listed five grants made. The only route for grants to come in to Arundel House is as referrals from the Mayor's Local Support Fund. The committee requested that this be reviewed before the annual report is finalised for submission in January.

Leases of Charitable Land at Sutherland Memorial Park

The committee authorised the Joint Assistant Director (Assets & Property) to expend £1,550 to undertake a rental valuation of a storage shed and small area of land at Sutherland Park on behalf of the Trustees. They also agreed to allow them to subsequently enter into negotiations and agree lease terms for two lettings to local sports clubs on the basis that the rental terms agreed accord with the market rent value. The sports clubs in question are Burpham Football Club and Burpham Juniors Football Club jointly, and Guildford City Cricket Youth Project.

The report noted that the local ward councillors had been consulted and did not support the proposed grant of these leases, as they did not agree with charging community sports groups a market rent. However, the Lead Councillor for Finance was supportive.

The report warned that a risk would be to proceed with the proposed grant of these two leases without first obtaining an independent rental valuation, as this would be in contravention of the Charity Commission Act 2022.

Audited Company Accounts for Guildford Borough Council Holdings Ltd

The committee noted the audited accounts for Guildford Borough Council Holdings Limited (GBCH) for the financial year ending 31 March 2024.

At its meeting on 19 June 2025, the committee resolved to note the draft accounts for the Company's financial year ending 31 March 2024 and note the progress made to wind up the Company following the report on the Company in November 2024.

The report noted that certain costs have been incurred at the Company level on behalf of itself and its subsidiary North Downs Housing Limited (NDH), associated with preparation by the auditors of the accounts, together with certain service costs of the Council. It is anticipated that NDH will make a distribution of available funds to the Company in order to allow the Company to meet those costs.