Tower Hamlets Council urged to improve publicity of community grant successes

Tower Hamlets Council urged to improve publicity of community grant successes

Tower Hamlets Council has been urged to enhance how it publicises the achievements of its community grant programmes, following a recent committee meeting where the effectiveness of communication strategies was questioned.

The Grants Determination (Cabinet) Sub-Committee heard that while the Mayor's Community Grants Programme (MCGP) is funding numerous projects making a significant impact, these successes are not always effectively communicated to residents. Councillor Kabir Ahmed specifically raised concerns about corporate communications, asking if the programme's achievements were being effectively publicised. Afazul Harkad, Head of Corporate Strategy and Communities, acknowledged this as a valid point for the council to explore, noting the existing voluntary community sector award ceremony as a means of celebrating the work undertaken.

Councillor Ahmed highlighted that over 48,000 residents had been supported through cost-of-living initiatives alone in the 2025/26 period, questioning the extent to which this and other successes were being effectively communicated.

The committee reviewed performance reports for the MCGP for January-March 2026 and April-June 2026, detailing the progress of various funded projects across five themes: Tackling the Cost-of-Living Crisis, Accelerate Education, Culture, Business, Jobs and Skills, Invest in Public Services, and Empower Communities and Fight Crime.

Beyond the cost-of-living initiatives, which saw nearly 48,000 residents supported with over 15,700 receiving welfare advice, securing more than £3.1m in debt write-offs and 15,000 successful appeals, other programmes have also demonstrated significant impact. Education and lifelong learning interventions have supported over 3,200 participants, enhancing wellbeing, digital skills, and confidence. Employment, skills, culture, and heritage programmes have engaged over 5,400 residents, with 188 progressing into employment and many reporting improved health. Health and wellbeing schemes have benefited over 5,700 residents, showing measurable improvements in physical and mental health. Furthermore, community empowerment and safety initiatives have reached over 5,100 residents, fostering greater community participation, addressing inequalities, and supporting vulnerable groups.

Overall, the majority of the 105 live projects were rated 'Green', meaning they are on track to achieve their objectives. A few projects were rated 'Amber' due to issues that could be resolved with support. The RAG rating system is used for an 'at-a-glance' assessment: 'Green' indicates projects are on track, 'Amber' signifies issues resolvable with support, and 'Red' denotes serious risks to project aims.

Specific issues leading to 'Amber' ratings included:

• SocietyLinks – Rainbow Links: Pending evidence of impact measurement and clarity on outcomes compared to targets.
• Deafplus – Improving deaf and hard of hearing residents' English, Maths and digital skills: Delivery was affected by staffing instability, including the departure of the project coordinator and recruitment delays.
• Tower Hamlets Parents Centre – Women's Health Matters: Participant numbers dropped during Ramadan, and an annual impact report was not submitted, despite positive health benefits.
• Council of Mosques – CoM Community Empowerment Project: Lacked quantified data and structured evidence for robust outcome measurement, despite strong narrative information.

Officers reported actively working with these organisations to address these challenges and bring them back on track.

Councillor Abu Talha Chowdhury inquired about the possibility of reallocating underspent funds if projects were unable to deliver within their timeframe. Robert Mee, Voluntary & Community Sector Grants Lead, explained that as the programme is a three-and-a-half-year initiative, currently planned to run until March 2031, there is no mechanism to reallocate underspent funds to other projects. The current initiative was extended by three months until 30 June 2027.

Councillor Ahmed also questioned how educational attainment projects measure their output beyond simple attendance. Robert Mee clarified that organisations establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and outcomes as part of their grant applications, which are then monitored. These KPIs encompass both outputs and outcomes, with set targets. He further explained that projects often establish baselines for young people and demonstrate progress by the end of the year, for example, by showing an improvement in attainment grades.