Purpose

To facilitate financial management and control of the Council's finances.

Decision

RESOLVED:

1. 1.  The overall financial position of the Council as at May 2026, were noted.
2. 2.  To delegate authority to the Director of Corporate Strategy & Transformation in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Healthy Communities and Adult Social Care and the Mayor, in order to award grants under the Crisis and Resilience Fund VCS Grants programme over the course of the CRF (2026-29).
3. 3.  To delegate authority to the Director of Corporate Strategy & Transformation in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Healthy Communities and Adult Social Care and the Mayor in order to reprofile CRF programme expenditure over the period of the current programme (2026-29) and to utilise any supplementary funding for poverty reduction over this period.

REASONS FOR DECISION

1. 1.  To facilitate financial management and control of the Council's finances and to approve the VCS grants proposal.
2. 2.  With regards to the VCS grants proposal, in March 2026, Cabinet approved the launch of the Crisis and Resilience Fund VCS Grants Programme in May 2026. The application period closed on 29th June, with due diligence and decision-making taking place during the period July - August 2026. The new grants will be awarded in September 2026, with funding commencing from October 2026 to ensure that there is no gap in provision (current grants end in September 2026). As such, delegated authority is requested to enable the Grants process to take place quickly and efficiently, to ensure that funding reaches groups to deliver their work from 1st October 2026. This is the same process that applies to our main VCS Grants Programme.
3. 3.  In March 2026, the Cabinet also approved the broader programme design of the Crisis and Resilience Fund, which extends from April 2026 – March 2029. The current administration will be reviewing this decision. The Cabinet also agreed in March 2022 to adopt the Poverty Reduction Framework, which guides the CRF programme and the Council’s broader work on poverty reduction. The March 2026 Cabinet decision approved delegated authority to deploy resources and utilise funding under the CRF programme; however, it did not explicitly cover the potential additional supplementary funding available for poverty reduction. As such, delegated authority is requested in order to fully utilise the funds available to support residents experiencing poverty.