Grants Determination (Cabinet) Sub-Committee - Wednesday 18 February 2026, 2:15pm - Tower Hamlets Council webcasts

Grants Determination (Cabinet) Sub-Committee
Wednesday, 18th February 2026 at 2:15pm 

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An agenda has not been published for this meeting.

Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our Grants Determination Cabinet subcommittee meeting.
Any apologies from anyone?
No apologies.
Members, any declarations of interest?
Nope.
Great.
Can we agree the minutes?
Yes.
We have a number of papers and I'm conscious of the time.
Good thing is a lot of them are noting papers.
So if you have some burning, bring it up.
Otherwise you don't need to talk if you don't want to talk.
So the first paper is 5 .1, review of the mayor's small grants programme.
Is there anything you want to add, Afasod, very quickly?
Just very briefly, mayor.
We did this review last year to improve the way the small grants work.
There's a number of recommendations.
Two of the key recommendations is to change to once a year for the positive activity of young people and increase the amount.
So once a year for what?
Positive activities for young people.
Yeah.
And increase the amount for community chest from 500 to 1000.
and there's a number of other officer kind of related work
we have done to improve decision making, transparency.
Hopefully this will be supporting more small groups
to access our small grants and help them.
Okay, Said, anything?
No, we've been through these ideas
and I think we did speak about half and small grants,
how we sort of overlapped each other.
So it's just a matter of streamlining stuff
and we don't want to double book stuff
and you know, double fun stuff,
So it's just a matter of getting in shape.
Okay, and just a quick one from me.
The money, where will that money difference come from?
Increasing from 500 to 1 ,000 pound.
This is existing budget, Mayor.
So, cabinet had previously agreed
the small grant annual amount is 100 ,000 a year.
So it's just because we've been under spending.
So it would come from within the existing budget.
From that, should be okay.
COVID?
Sorry, just a bit sensitive where it comes to grants and things like that.
So just to be clear from officers, can we get assurances that the rightful controls
are in place so that money can't be misappropriated and so on and so forth?
Absolutely.
I mean, I think we're not changing any of the process.
I think we have strengthened the process.
So one of the things since middle of this year we've done is there's an external team
within the council that moderates all our assessment just to reassure the organisation
and Mr Razak as the decision maker that it's not just my team that there is an external
assurance that's now been built in.
And this is one of the recommendations from that review.
And just for the record, it's important to acknowledge that in terms of allocation and award of grants,
there is no political involvement from any political parties or members within that process.
That's right. That's been delegated to the Corporate Director of Resources or Director of Finance.
Mr Azak is the boss when it comes to money.
Okay, Deputy Mayor, is there anything you want to add?
Yeah, I just wanted to...
So, page 21 says that there was some concern from small organisations regarding delays.
So, I just wanted if you can just expand on that.
Sure. So, I think there were two things.
One is in terms of our decision -making.
We were taking too long to both assess the grant application and then make the decision.
And as I said, this is something we have already improved on since the last two rounds.
We've got a clear timeline for doing that.
And the second bit was around our payments.
So once we have a decision, we make a first payment and again there was delays with those.
And again, as I said, I think while we were doing this review, we've put in those procedures
and processes in place to ensure from our end those are much more streamlined and working
effectively.
Great.
Thank you.
Everyone okay?
Yep.
Can we agree the recommendations?
Okay.
5 .2 is a note to report.
If anything you want to say quickly.
Please.
Sorry, thank you.
There are notes on the committee grant.
I think just to kind of add in terms of the mayor's committee grant, we have lost three
projects.
I think the committee will be aware, Limas Welfare Association previously was not delivering,
And so funding from that project has been withdrawn.
Quaker Social Action, they've decided as an organisation they no longer can deliver this
Mayor's Committee Grants Programme, but they've given us all the information and have informed
the council that they no longer want to deliver this project.
And we've got all the information from them.
The final one was City Gateway, which is an organisation that went into liquidation.
Unfortunately, they have gone into liquidation and they do owe the council some money.
We've just drafted a letter from the director to the organisation letting them know that all the directors that are part of that organisation,
writing to them about our disappointment as an organisation that they didn't notify us
and that they still hold some of our outstanding money.
Okay, how much are you talking about there?
Just 5 ,000.
Lot of money, lot of money.
Okay, I'm taking 5 .2, 5 .3, 5 .4 together.
Okay, they're all noting.
Anyone want to say anything on any of those papers?
You want to say something?
COVID?
Yeah.
So just page 78, St Hilda's in the east, it's in amber.
We're nearing the end of the year.
Can you just expand on that a little bit?
The organisations you mentioned,
who've withdrawn their funding,
or returned or sort of gone into administration,
is there a breakdown of how much they've returned
within the report and are they within the ragging model
or they've just been taken off the ragging model?
I'll start.
So just firstly, Limehouse Welfare Association previously,
we haven't paid them any money, so they wouldn't be,
right from the outset, the organisation couldn't deliver.
Quaker Social Action, they would be in our RAD reports
because we're reporting on a number of quarters.
So they've been fine, I think. We have no issues with them.
They've been delivering, they've been green out of our grant.
Over the lifetime, 85 ,411, we've only paid them 41 ,667.
So only half of the grant.
But they've returned all the monitoring report and we have no issue.
City Gateway is the only one where we made the final payment and they went into bankruptcy.
We haven't had that amount.
And St Hilda's?
Yes, St Hilda's. So page 78 is from the January to March 25 period.
So they were amber then due to the key performance indicators not meeting the numbers that we
expected.
And that was due to staff recruitment issues and that caused some issues in terms of getting
the numbers.
But since then they've got back on track and so for the next quarters and the most recent report which is July to September they're back to green so they've managed to get back on track.
So this is almost like a sort of historical record now of the past three quarters showing the, you know, some were amber then they got back to green, some have become amber.
but the current ones are there.
They're okay basically now.
Yes, this one's okay, but the current red and amber
as a most recent reporting.
And just assurance wise, can you let us know
since the last grants determination subcommittee meeting
we had, how many spot cheques have taken place
across the organisations.
One of the appendices
we find it has the numbers
So appendix 5 on the July, September.
As of November, so the report was July to September,
because it takes when you're sort of doing the report
to get it to the past termination,
we're able to have a slightly more up to date.
So there were 47 visits with.
Yes, there are 47 visits as of 20th November with a total of 89 undertaken and scheduled
and then there's 26 at the time still to be scheduled.
So every project just to show them that every project will get a visit Friday.
Just one quick question.
Afzal on the team, given that City Gateway went into bankruptcy,
are we monitoring all these other organisations?
It's quite a few as part of your monitoring.
Are they declaring where they are in terms of their financial position?
I think in the main, because we've got those relationships, we've got some assurance where
the organisations are.
The other organisation members may be aware is account free, so we knew early on what
their situation was, so we prevented a similar situation.
Because we've got these regular quarterly monitoring and new visit in the main, I think
we're not concerned about any organisation.
I think we were reassured by a city gateway and within a week they went into liquidation
So it was an unforeseen situation whereas any others
That have gone into liquidation. We've anticipated those and worked with them
Just come on so city gate we have gone into liquidation who are the directors of city gateway and the chief executive
So
There's a number of directors and this is information that's available.
Okay, can you just tell us who they are please?
Yeah, Rafala Amsu, Barry Disu, Mark Norman Huxley, Marwa Oriano, Adam Peasy, Florence Ponelli.
These are the companies that are listed on there.
Right, and who's the chief executive?
The chief executive is Eddie Stride.
Eddy's tried.
Okay, so can we please make note of that?
In the future dealings with organisations or individuals who have been involved with
organisations which have, especially voluntary organisations, have gone, it's very sad, but
this is a very long -standing, and it was once a very outstanding organisation, City Gateway,
But for it to be in that position, these people need to be held responsible, the chief executive
and the directors.
Can we please be mindful whether these people pop up in any other organisations or in other
capacities and it deals with council and when it comes to public finances, any grants please
there.
I do want to know, Lead Member wants to know.
I'm saying no, we don't want to have any relationship with individuals who have been part of an
organisation that has to go to liquidation.
Unless there's an exceptional reason.
That's very important.
Today I was sending money, Afasum.
They did, Mr Mayor.
How much?
Just over £5 ,000.
Over £5 ,000.
We had no clue...
Sorry?
£5 ,930.
Okay, then nearly six thousand and we had no inkling at all that they were in this kind
of mess.
They were going to go into liquidation or administration.
No.
We had no inkling at all.
How come we didn't?
Because it doesn't take a day and they drive down and organisation has to be a failure
organisation over a period of time for them to be in a position to liquidate.
Yeah, how come we... So what's our performance monitoring?
I mean, through our performance monitoring, we paid them in April, last financial year, April 2025.
I think it's only in May, end of May, 25, the chair of the board released a statement,
they were in financial difficulty and they were looking to raise 1 .5.
By this stage, obviously, we had released that payment.
Obviously, as soon as we found out, we'd asked for a visit, we'd asked for a meeting to liaise with them.
We just couldn't get anything back. By 2nd June, the organisation had gone into liquidation.
It was a very short time span by which time we found out that the organisation had gone into liquidation.
Despite our efforts, we couldn't get hold of anyone from the organisation.
and Mr Fox might be able to comment.
We did look for an illegal avenue,
given the amount and where they are.
I think the advice was we might not be able
to get any of that money back.
The statement of affairs has been...
Sorry, there's a statement of affairs,
which is a document that's published on the Company's House website
that has those details.
You can pull that up or circulate it.
We can pull it up now or we can sort of circulate it to the...
I want to avoid this consideration in the future, Mr. Azak.
And we want to see that these people popping up in other forums or in forums related to
the Council and developing another financial relationship with us.
I do want to know who the liquidators are.
How have we not been in touch with the liquidators?
6 ,000 pound is a lot of money.
And I don't know what assets they have.
So we need to put, we may not recover our money, but we need to put a claim in for our
6 ,000 pound.
Yeah?
We need to be involved in the process.
A process, one.
Two, I want to know how much, what is the total of their debt they owe and who are the
debtors that should be, that should be public documents.
We need to know who the debtors are.
And we need to know whether there is any recourse,
personal recourse against the directors
and or the chief executive.
Yeah, that's important.
So you do need, I know 6 ,000 pound,
but it's public money, it's public money.
And these people have had a long standing relationship
with us, their organisation, they've benefited from us
to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds
over the years, not just one pound if not millions, last 20 years I would say.
So we want to know how they got into this position.
We want to know what assets they have and we want to know what the total debt is and
what the liquidators are doing, proposing to do or their any action against the directors
or the CEO personally.
We need note on that please.
We just don't want to let it go.
Similarly, with account free, are they going to liquidation?
Are they a company or just a charity?
They are a company, so they have gone to liquidation.
So we need a similar note on account free too.
If people have driven down an organisation,
they pop up in another capacity, another organisation,
we need to be mindful of them. Mr Razak, please.
I can't free.
Can I just say, I can't free what's an exceptional
organisation, what's a very good organisation.
You know, it helped, it's been around for the last
30 years, 25, 30 years, and it's made a huge
contribution to the fabric of Tahemsler's and sees
that kind of organisation to be driven down and to
have to liquidate now, it is shocking, it's sad.
Please, Mr Vazak.
Thank you, Mr Mayor, and to your point about
Directors being responsible. I think going forward. We should really formalise their position as part of the
Monitoring and it's just a simple statement saying, you know, we don't have any issues with going concerns and let the director sign it
I think that'll be really helpful
Okay, happy to provide a note on both of those mayor if that's okay for the next meeting
Okay, okay
So, do you want to wait for the next meeting or do you want a separate paper to your office?
We have separate papers as soon as possible. We may want to raise this as a matter of arising in the next meeting.
We say, okay, please Mr. Wozak.
So, we just don't want a culture where people pop up before an organisation accesses public money for support.
Then the organisation is run down and they disappear and form another organisation.
I've seen it happen in Tahan this last 40 years, 50 years, where individuals, that's
their business.
That's what they do.
Okay?
And there can't be impunity in that respect.
So okay, thank you.
So 5 .2, 5 .3, 5 .4, we noted it.
So okay, noted together.
5 .5, VCS funding awarded under delegated authority.
Anything there?
Just very briefly, this is decisions made by the Director of Finance, who's been delegating
decisions on small grants, reporting on free rounds that we've done so far on this, and
grants that we've awarded under community benefits for introduction. So you've got appendices
for each of those different rounds.
Thank you. Again, it's a noting report, it's quite straightforward. Anything there, burning?
You want to ask questions on one?
No?
You're okay?
Good.
Let's start community engagement, recognition, policy.
I think we're going to withdraw this one, Mr. Mayor, from our previous conversation.
We need to have a bit more further conversation, so we'll bring it back to the next one.
Sorry, Mr. Mayor.
I think the last one, you did want to make a decision on that one.
So, who found?
Sorry, which one do you need a decision?
Not the community engagement, the children services one.
A wraparound challenge has been withdrawn.
Community engagement policy.
Wraparound child care programme.
Has been withdrawn, yeah?
Not that one.
Oh, that's not been derived for that, so drawn.
5 .7.
I'm sorry, okay.
Okay.
Okay, let's, let's, okay.
Any comments on that?
That's not our paper, that's children services.
That's what I'm saying, the paper is in here, it says to follow.
It's all drawn, it's all drawn.
Deputy Mayor, you've drawn a paper you don't know.
It's ok, that's what I've drawn Matthew.
It's not in the pack.
It says to follow, it didn't come through.
Good.
We'll take it next time, or if we have to take it urgent,
we'll take it.
Is that okay?
Thank you.
Meeting closed.
Grateful to you.