Issue - meetings

To receive and consider the report of the Director of Finance.

1.         That the William Cocker Charity, the WB Parks Charity, the HT Parkes Baths Fund and the McKnight Memorial Fund are closed, and that approval given to distribute any monies to similar charities or causes.

2.         That the determination of the recipients of the balance on each fund is delegated to the Chair of the Governance Committee and the Executive Member for Resources, the outcome of which to be reported to a future Governance Committee meeting.

Councillor Peter Wilson, Executive Member for Resources, presented the report of the Director of Finance which set out the proposal to wind up and close four small charities and/or providing an administrative service, and to ensure proper use of any resulting funds.

The outlined charities no longer met their intended purpose in any meaningful way. As only minimal amounts of interest were generated, there was little that they could practically achieve. There were also no current trustees to conduct business of the charities.

The Charities were, ‘Edward McKnight Memorial Fund’, ‘William Cocker Charity’, ‘H T Parke’s Baths Fund’, and ‘W B Park’s Charity’.  The purpose of each of the charities was set out in the report.  

Resolved:

1.         That the William Cocker Charity, the WB Parks Charity, the HT Parkes Baths Fund and the McKnight Memorial Fund are closed, and that approval given to distribute any monies to similar charities or causes.

2.         That the determination of the recipients of the balance on each fund is delegated to the Chair of the Governance Committee and the Executive Member for Resources, the outcome of which to be reported to a future Governance Committee meeting.

Reasons for recommendations

The charities no longer operate or meet the purpose they were initially set up to achieve. As well as placing an administrative burden upon the council in producing the accounts each year and managing the bank accounts, as the accounts have remained dormant, the funds have not been applied as intended.

Other options considered and rejected

The alternative option would be to keep the charities as they are now, and this has been rejected as of being no practical advantage and creating unnecessary work.