Educational Trustees Meeting

10

Grants and Requests

10.1 We receive random and intermittent and very varied requests for funding, especially from students. We do not have a systematic and professional process for dealing with these. I propose that we ask the Education Officer to produce a set of protocols for discussion at our next meeting. 10.2 Just by way of reminder in 2018 we are supporting the Tolpuddle Martyrs Radical Film Festival, Workable Books publications Class Songs, and A graphic novel on the history of the Labour Movement, Edda Nicolson’s PhD, The Durham Miners’ Gala. 10.3 We are partners to the coalfields research project at the University of Wolverhampton and partners to the funding bid for work on radical poetry at the University of Manchester. 10.4 I am proposing to this meeting of Trustees a £10k grant for 2018 for the Shout Out Project. Their papers are attached. They bring political literacy programmes to schools. Delegates to the GFTU Union Building Conference were extremely impressed by their work. I have never previously proposed such a large grant and this is testament to the importance with which the GFTU attaches to this work this year. 11.1 The agreed strategy of the Trust is to supplement the previous exclusive source of funding for education by the GFTU through the creation of new funding streams. 11.2 The ownership of Quorn Grange and now the significant new building on site are the current main income generators. 11.3 However, it should be borne in mind that there is considerable untapped potential for fundraising directly to the education work of the trust and indeed to our interest in arts culture and heritage. Are we in a position to form a sub group to consider further funding potential? 11.4 Additionally we should bear in mind that the GFTU has opened up actual and new funding streams that directly benefit the Trust. Our most successful income generator at the moment is the expansion of the Finance functions of the GFTU to provide accounts and audit services for affiliates and others. We have just won a new tender to do all of the accounts and finance work of one national union. 11.5 We also generate income through the Education Team managing affiliated unions’ education work. 11.7 In addition, the most extensive range of support services for affiliates has now been launched. You can see this on the GFTU website. It is called win:win. Basically all unions using our services get discounts and the providers put commission into the Trust. Some services such as the ethical shop are publicly available. 11.8 The Operations Manager and I had a full day meeting to develop a strategy to see how we can get this offers taken up and start generating new income streams. 10.5 We have received a request for funding for the Birmingham 11 Fundraising 11.6 We are seeking to expand such work.