Agenda and minutes

A number of council meetings are live-streamed.

All meetings are also uploaded after the event onto the our webcasting site.

Venue: Council Chamber, Council Offices, Llangefni. View directions

Contact: Mairwen Hughes 

Items
No. Item

1.

Declaration of Interest

To receive any declaration of interest by any Member or Officer in respect of any item of business.

 

Minutes:

Mr. Dylan Rees declared a personal interest with regard to Item 5 – Grant Awarding Process 2016/17 (Llangefni Social Enterprise).

 

Mr. T.V. Hughes declared a personal interest with regard to Item 5 – Grant Awarding Process 2016/17 (Llangefni Social Enterprise).

 

Mrs. Nicola Roberts declared a personal interest with regard to Item 5 – Grant Awarding Process 2016/17 (Llangefni Social Enterprise) but noted that she is not involved with the project but has shared information regarding he enterprise on social media.

 

Numerous Members of the Trust stated that they are members of local Eisteddfod Funding Appeal Committees within their communities and Members considered that the Monitoring Officers advice was that members may take part in the discussion with the principle of receiving an application by the Eisteddfod Executive.  The Legal Services Manager stated that a mere declaration of personal interest allowed members to participate and vote on the item of business.  The precise nature of future interests would depend on the circumstances of the individual member with regard when an application is received for funding towards the Eisteddfod to be held on Anglesey in 2017.  The Secretary stated that when an official application for funding is received from the Eisteddfod Committee, and if any Member of the Charitable Trust is a member of the Eisteddfod Executive, it would be appropriate to consult with the Legal Section for advice on the matter.

2.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 36 KB

To submit, for confirmation, the minutes of the meeting of the Charitable Trust held on 15 December, 2015.

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 15 December, 2015 were confirmed.

3.

Annual Report 2014/15 pdf icon PDF 401 KB

To submit a report by the Treasurer in relation to the above.

Minutes:

Submitted – the draft Annual Report 2014/15 by the Head of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer for adoption by the Charitable Trust.

 

The Head of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer reported that grants were allocated to 67 organisations using the established criteria and the Trust continues to be an important source of funding for local charities, sporting and voluntary organisations.  The Trust also continued to fund Oriel Ynys Môn art gallery and the activities held at the Oriel were noted within the report.  Members considered that the ‘Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March, 2015’ at page 5 of the report, should include under the reference of Charitable Activities (Grants in furtherance of the objects of the Charity) a reference to Oriel Ynys Môn under the heading Isle of Anglesey County Council.

 

The investment performance of the portfolio of the Charitable Trust has realised an investment income of £536,824 being £136,824 above the target of £400,000.  The total amount of the portfolio of the Charitable Trust is over £20 million which includes the £3 million from the sale of the land at Rhosgoch.

 

Members of the Charitable Trust were pleased with the performance of the portfolio but questioned as to the position of the investment income following the recent fall in the global financial markets.  The Treasurer responded that HSBC Investment Management recently reported to the Investment and Contract Committee that the portfolio was performing well even though there has been a downward turn in the financial market.  He noted that the portfolio is spread in different investment criteria and across global markets.

 

Questions were raised regarding the grant afforded to Oriel Ynys Môn on a yearly basis.  The Secretary responded that a Panel has been set up to discuss the Culture Service in its entirety by the County Council. 

 

RESOLVED to approve the Annual Report and Accounts for 2014/2015 and to authorise the Chair to sign the final version.

 

Mr. Jeff Evans and Mrs. Nicola Roberts abstained from voting.

 

4.

Exclusion of the Press and Public pdf icon PDF 16 KB

To consider adopting the following:

 

 “Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion on the grounds that it may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test”.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED to adopt the following :-

 

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during discussion on the following item on the grounds that it may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test.”

5.

Grant Awarding Process 2016/17

To submit a report by the Treasurer in relation to the above.

Minutes:

Submitted – a report by the Treasurer in relation to the process of grant allocation to the various categories of grants and to determine the process for assessing awards.

 

The Treasurer outlined the current financial position of the Charitable Trust and reported on the current grant qualifying criteria and the three main grant areas which receive grants on an annual basis.  He further noted that the Trust also funds larger grants as one off applications.  It was stated that it seems more applications for larger grants from the Charitable Trust has occurred recently.  The Charitable Trust needs to be confident that the organisations that have received grants from the Charitable Trust are viable and sustainable thereafter.  A table within the report showed the commitments the Trust has given over the next four years. 

 

The Treasurer further stated that the Chair of the Charitable Trust had requested details of the impact of using capital funding growth to fund grants in 2016/17 – 2020/21.  A table including the projected impact of using capital growth of 5%, 10% and 20% was circulated at the meeting.

 

It was noted that a two-thirds majority of the membership of the Charitable Trust i.e. 20 members will be required to allow the capital of the Trust to be spent.  (21 members of the Trust voted in favour of the recommendation as noted below).

 

RESOLVED :-

 

·           To agree in principle to the use of the capital fund to contribute to the sum available for distribution as grants but the level of contribution would be assessed each year by the Investments and Contracts Committee who would make a recommendation to the full Charitable Trust ;

·           To honour the long term commitments made to Menter Môn, the Island Games Association, the Urdd and Anglesey Young Farmers;

·           To continue to contribute a sum of £215,000 to Oriel Ynys Môn until the end of 2016/17, when the review of the Culture Service will be completed;

·           To afford the General Grants Committee the sum of £80,000 which is the current budget towards grants for Village Halls and £125,000 towards the Community and Sports Facilities.  The allocation of grants to individual organisations will be subject to the approval of the full Charitable Trust;

·           To allocate £200,000 towards the Regeneration Committee to deliberate applications received for larger grants. The allocation of grants to individual organisations will be subject to the approval of the full Charitable Trust.

 

6.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

To consider adoption of the following:-

 “Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during discussion on the following item on the grounds that it may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A (Paragraphs 13, 14 & 16) of the said Act”.

 

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED to adopt the following :-

 

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during discussion on the following item on the grounds that it may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A (Paragraphs 13, 14 and 16) of the said Act.”

7.

External Solicitors

To appoint external Solicitors to advice and act on behalf of the Trust on various issues having received the report and the recommendation of the Panel established to score the tenders.

 

The Secretary to report.

Minutes:

The Secretary reported that the Panel established to discuss the future governance and administration of the Trust has been convened to evaluate the bids received from suitable firms of Specialist Solicitors.

 

The Legal Services Manager gave a background report to the Trust on the process followed by the Panel and the bids received.

 

RESOLVED to authorise the Panel to interview the Specialist Solicitors and to report back to the full Charitable Trust in due course.