The Grants Determination (Cabinet) Sub-Committee of Tower Hamlets Council met on Wednesday 18 February 2026. The meeting reviewed the Mayor's Small Grants Programme, noting recommendations for improvement including increasing the Community Chest grant amount from £500 to £1,000 and changing the frequency of grants for positive activities for young people to once a year. The committee also received performance reports on the Mayor's Community Grants Programme (MCGP) for the periods January-March 2025 and April-June 2025, noting that the majority of projects were rated as 'Green' (on track), with some rated 'Amber' due to issues that could be resolved with support, and two projects rated 'Red' due to closure or administration.

Review of the Mayor's Small Grants Programme

The committee reviewed the Mayor's Small Grants Programme, which was launched in December 2023. A key recommendation from the review was to increase the maximum grant amount available through the Community Chest theme from £500 to £1,000. This change is intended to better reflect the increased costs of delivering activities. Another significant recommendation was to change the grant rounds for Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) to once a year, rather than the current higher frequency. The review also highlighted challenges faced by small organisations regarding delays in decision-making and payments, and proposed standardised communication procedures and clearer timelines to address these issues. Furthermore, the programme's due diligence processes were deemed appropriate for the grant amounts offered, and there was a consensus that the themes were broad enough to cover key funding needs in the sector.

The review, which involved feedback from 57 internal and external stakeholders, identified several areas for improvement. These included a reduction in the number of applications per round and a decrease in the total amount of grants recommended for award. The percentage of budget allocation also dropped in rounds two and three. Common reasons for application declination included not meeting scoring thresholds, a lack of relevant insurance, and inadequate safeguarding or equality, diversity, and inclusion policies.

To address these challenges, a series of recommendations were put forward, including training for officers on grantee engagement, segregation of assessment duties to an independent team, and the development of a consistent monitoring and evaluation process. The report also noted that the Mayor's Small Grants Programme has been designed with equality principles in mind, aiming to support a wider range of services and groups to ensure all sections of the community benefit.

Mayor's Community Grants Programme (MCGP) Performance Report – January – March 2025

The committee received a performance report on the Mayor's Community Grants Programme (MCGP) for the period of January to March 2025. Out of 110 projects originally funded, 101 were rated 'Green' (on track), 7 were rated 'Amber' (issues that can be resolved with support), and one project had its funding withdrawn. The report detailed specific amber-rated projects, including St Hilda's East Community Centre's Young People's Development Programme, which had not met its participation KPI due to staff recruitment issues, but had delivered impactful activity. Other amber-rated projects included Body & Soul You Are Not Alone, Carers Centre Tower Hamlets, REAL DPO, D'awatul Islam UK & Eire Ltd, Look Ahead Care and Support, and Shadwell Trust Self Defence Classes and Creative Arts. The report also highlighted one 'Red' rated project: City Gateway Ltd's ReBuild – Pathways to Employment for Ex-Offenders, which was closing due to the organisation going into administration.

Updates were provided on each of the five themes of the MCGP. Theme 1, Tackling the Cost-of-Living Crisis, reported on 6 organisations delivering services related to advice, information, and crisis support, with key performance indicators such as the number of participants and the amount of debt written off being met. Theme 2, Accelerate Education, covered Scheme A (Education Attainment and Development of Children and Young People) and Scheme B (Lifelong Learning), with most projects rated Green. Theme 3, Culture, Business, Jobs and Skills, reported on Scheme A (Employment and Skills Opportunities for Socially Excluded Residents) and Scheme B (Sports, Local Culture and Heritage), with all projects rated Green. Theme 4, Invest in Public Services, detailed Scheme A (Physical and Mental Health Wellbeing of Older People) and Scheme B (Physical and Mental Health of Residents), with most projects rated Green, but two amber-rated projects in Scheme B. Theme 5, Empower Communities and Fight Crime, covered Scheme A (Inequalities Experienced by People and Communities Reflecting Different Equality Groups and Socio-economic Backgrounds) and Scheme B (Community Safety), with most projects rated Green, but three amber and one red-rated project in Scheme B.

The report also included a geographical breakdown of beneficiaries by ward, showing significant reach across the borough. The equalities implications were noted as being integral to the design of the programme, aiming to support a wider range of services and groups and address the challenges facing Tower Hamlets residents.

Mayor's Community Grants Programme (MCGP) Performance Report – April – June 2025

The committee received the performance report for the Mayor's Community Grants Programme (MCGP) for the period April to June 2025. Out of 110 originally funded projects, 101 were rated 'Green', 8 were rated 'Amber', and three projects had closed early. The report detailed specific projects within each theme.

Under Theme 1 (Tackling the Cost-of-Living Crisis), all six projects were rated Green. Theme 2 (Accelerate Education) saw all 16 projects in Scheme A rated Green, and all 13 projects in Scheme B rated Green. Theme 3 (Culture, Business, Jobs and Skills) had all 14 projects in Scheme A rated Green, and 12 out of 14 projects in Scheme B rated Green, with two amber. Theme 4 (Invest in Public Services) had all 15 projects in Scheme A rated Green, but Scheme B had 13 Green and two Amber projects. Theme 5 (Empower Communities and Fight Crime) had seven out of eight projects in Scheme A rated Green, with one Amber, and five out of eight projects in Scheme B rated Green, with two Amber.

The report highlighted specific projects with Amber ratings, including Kayd Somali Arts & Culture for a lack of cultural events in the quarter, Platform Cricket for non-submission of monitoring returns and lack of contact, Positive East for not fully achieving KPIs, Tower Hamlets Parents Centre for needing to improve KPI reporting, and Shadwell Trust for both self-defence classes and creative arts due to reporting issues and potential venue closure. The report also noted the closure of three projects: Limehouse Welfare Association, Quaker Social Action, and City Gateway, due to withdrawal, restructuring, and liquidation respectively. The Chief Finance Officer noted that there were no direct financial implications from this performance report, and funding was within the overall grant budget. Legal Services confirmed the Council's power to make grants and the need to follow up on amber-rated projects to ensure performance improvement.

VCS Funding Awarded Under Delegated Authority

This report provided an update on funding awarded to Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations under delegated authority since the last meeting. There were no Emergency Fund awards made. Under the Community Benefit Rent Reduction (CBRR) scheme, six awards were made by the CBRR Panel on 23 January 2025 and 10 June 2025. These included awards to Shadwell Community Project (£5,545 CBRR value), Weavers Community Forum (£6,272 CBRR value), and Women's Inclusive Team (£7,212 CBRR value) in January. In June, awards were made to Legal Advice Centre (£18,400 CBRR value), Wapping Bangladesh Association (£32,792 CBRR value), and Pollyanna Training Theatre (£23,895 CBRR value). Details of these awards were set out in Appendix A.

The report also provided an update on the Mayor's Small Grants Programme for 2024/25 Round 3 and the launch of the 2025/26 Round 1. For Round 3 of 2024/25, 91 applications were received requesting £274,770.61, and 43 projects were awarded funding totalling £137,322.57. For Round 1 of 2025/26, 109 applications were received requesting £304,983.93, and 55 projects were awarded funding totalling £168,229. The report noted that two themes, Community Events and Capacity Building, had recommendations exceeding their allocated budgets in both rounds, leading to some eligible applications not being funded. Details of these awards were provided in Appendices B, C, and D.

Community Engagement Recognition Policy

The committee considered a report on the proposed Community Engagement Recognition Policy. This policy aims to support the Council's strategic priority to listen to communities and build a borough that works for everyone by recognising and rewarding the time, skills, and lived experience of residents and VCS/faith organisations who participate in community engagement activities. The policy outlines that participation will always be recognised through thanks, acknowledgement in reports, and provision of refreshments where feasible. Additionally, reward payments may be made in the form of shopping vouchers for adult residents and young people, and cash payments for VCS and faith organisations, with specific rates set for different time commitments. The policy explicitly excludes reward payments for activities such as information sharing events, consultation workshops, and responding to surveys. It also details provisions for travel and care expenses. The report noted that funding for these reward payments would need to come from existing service budgets. The policy was recommended for approval by the Mayor, with delegated authority for officers to make reward payments to residents, subject to annual reporting to the Grants Determination Sub-Committee. The equalities implications were highlighted as positive, aiming to reduce barriers to participation for underrepresented groups. Legal services confirmed the Council's power to implement the scheme and its alignment with best value principles.

Wraparound Childcare Programme

The report indicated that the Wraparound Childcare Programme was withdrawn from the agenda and would be brought back at a later date.

The meeting concluded with the noting of the reports and the agreement of the recommendations.