MD2905 Civil Society Roots 3 – Receipt and Expenditure of Funding

1.1. Civil Society Roots 3 aims to increase the support available for Londoners impacted by structural inequalities. This includes people from Black Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, disabled people, LGBT+ people, women and older Londoners.

1.2. It will achieve this by delivering a grant programme that supports the development of groups led by and for Londoners impacted by structural inequalities. This MD refers to these organisations as ‘equity-led groups’.

1.3. The programme will focus on areas where there are known to be fewer equity-led groups supporting Londoners. These areas will be referred to as geographic ‘cold spots’.

1.4. Grant funding will be targeted at a set of geographic cold spots to support groups in developing strong relationships, networks and voices. We know that where groups have strong relationships locally, have access to a range of networks and are able to advocate for their community, they are better able to meet the needs of Londoners.

1.5. GLA expenditure of £280,000 for this programme was approved by the Mayor under cover of MD2854.

1.6. The programme will be delivered in three phases:

• Phase 1: Rapid evidence review to identify cold spots (October to December 2021). The cold spots have been identified via an evidence review of key data sources including the London Civic Strength Index, 360 Giving funding data, London Community Response Funding data, the Index for Multiple Deprivation and wider demographic data. The review has highlighted gaps in provision and identified target boroughs for grant funding.
• Phase 2: Ideas Camp (January to March 2022). The Ideas Camp will bring together key organisations within the identified boroughs to facilitate dialogue, build relationships, and explore shared priorities in terms of what equity-led groups in these geographies need in order to support Londoners. The camp will also support organisations through pre-application workshops to develop their ideas and submissions to the Civil Society Roots 3 funding pot.
• Phase 3: Grant programme. Those successful in applying for funding will receive up to £50,000 over two years to strengthen and grow their organisations, networks and voices.

1.7. Following the success and impact of earlier iterations of the programme, interest in supporting the aims of the Civil Society Roots 3 programme has brought investment from City Bridge Trust.

1.8. City Bridge Trust has agreed to contribute £720,000 to the programme. This decision seeks approval for receipt of funding from the Trust, and expenditure of the same.

1.9. £500,000 of the funding will be contributed towards the grant pot, which will be given in grants in accordance with the Contracts and Funding Code.

1.10. £120,000 will be used to fund a two-year Grade 8 post within the Community Engagement team at the GLA. Once approved through the GLA’s establishment control procedures, this role will lead on the programme delivery and grant management of the Civil Society Roots programme.

1.11. £100,000 will be used to commission a programme of support for grantees through a competitive procurement round. This programme will include training, consultancy support and peer-learning opportunities throughout the duration of the grant. It will support the implementation of the community-led solutions funded through the grant programme, and build capacity within the funded organisations, ensuring learning is embedded beyond the end of the funded period.

2.1. The Civil Society Roots programme will fund and support equity-led organisations to identify, develop and implement models of support needed to strengthen relationship-building, networks and voices amongst equity-led civil society within identified geographies. This is for the ultimate purpose of increasing the support available for Londoners impacted by structural inequalities.

2.2. Civil Society Roots 3 will increase community strength through supporting equity-led collaborations, increasing connectedness and amplifying the collective voice of those who are often less heard in policymaking, civic and social life, with the aim of making the capital a fairer and more equitable city.

3.1. Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the GLA must have ‘due regard’ of the Public Sector Equality Duty; that is, the need to:

• eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation

• advance equality of opportunity

• foster good relations between people who a protected characteristic and those who do not.

3.2. The Building Strong Communities mission responds to this duty by recognising the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on London’s diverse communities and embracing London’s diversity. The mission focuses the design of projects on fostering good relations by bringing Londoners from a variety of backgrounds together in support of common causes, amplifying their voices and allowing them to play an active role in recovery from COVID-19.

3.3. The Civil Society Roots 3 programme has been designed to provide means that will advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. It acknowledges that support requirements may differ between groups, and provides appropriate support.

3.4. Civil Society Roots will aim to identify and work with actors in specific areas across the capital. A targeted community-led intervention will support the development of sustainable, community-led civil society support; and contribute to building strong communities, and advancing equality of opportunity between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. The evidence review will build on evidence gathered via ongoing programmes that are taking place as part of the Building Strong Communities mission, which is underpinned by the principle of being led by those communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The programme will focus on supporting projects addressing structural inequalities in its work with areas/communities and distributes funding.

4.1. Key risks and issues;

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

4.2. Civil Society Roots 3 sits within the Building Strong Communities mission which is one of the nine missions of the London Recovery Programme. The Building Strong Communities mission was one of the Mayor’s manifesto commitments.

4.3. Civil Society Roots 3 links to two Mayoral strategies. The Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and his Social Integration Strategy, All of Us, set out the Mayor’s expectation for creating equal opportunities for Londoners to participate in shaping the future of the capital, by tackling inequalities in voice and power.

Consultations and impact assessments

4.4. Building Strong Communities mission engagement has informed and influenced the design of the programmes. This has included:

• engagement through the Festival of Ideas, which took place in July 2021
• engagement during the first iteration of the Civic Strength Index, through both online workshops and the Talk London platform.

4.5. The are no conflicts of interest to declare for those involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision.

5.1. Approval is sought for receipt of £720,000 worth of external income from the City Bridge Trust relating to the Civil Society Roots 3 programme.

5.2. Approval is sought for expenditure of £720,000 over two financial years (2022-23 and 2023-24) as detailed in the below table:

5.3. The £720,000 expenditure (£220,000 in 2022-23 and £500,000 in 2023-24) will be funded by the external income from City Bridge Trust.

5.4. The expenditure detailed within this decision all sits within the Building Strong Communities mission. Funding for future financial years will be subject to the annual budget-setting process and is subject to change. Any contracts that commit the GLA in future years will be subject to suitable break clauses.

6.1. The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Mayor concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or that are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of social development in Greater London; and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought, officers have complied with the GLA’s related statutory duties to:

• pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people
• consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom
• consult with appropriate bodies.

6.2. In taking the decisions requested, the Mayor must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty – namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Mayor should have particular regard to section 3 of this report.

6.3. Should the Mayor be minded to make the decisions sought, officers must ensure that:

• no reliance is placed upon, and no commitments are made to, third parties in reliance of the City Bridge Trust funding until and unless they are under a legally binding obligation to provide such funding
• to the extent that proposed expenditure concerns the:
  • award of grant funding, such funding is awarded on a fair and transparent basis in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code, and appropriate funding agreements are entered into and executed by the GLA and counterparties before commencement of the same
  • purchase of works, services or supplies, those works, services or supplies must be procured by Transport for London Procurement in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code, and appropriate contracts are entered into and executed by the GLA and counterparties before commencement of the same
  • the creation and making of payments for a new post, all GLA Establishment Control procedures are followed in that regard.