Tower Hamlets Council is set to review the finances of the King George's Field Trust (KGFT), which manages several green spaces and properties in the borough. The board's responsibilities include ensuring that the KGFT carries out its purposes for the public benefit.

The King George's Field Charity Board is scheduled to discuss the trust's financial activities, governance, and commercial property recommendations at its meeting on Wednesday, 29 October 2025, according to the meeting agenda.

The board will also review the KGFT's fees and charges for the 2025/26 municipal year and receive an update on funding from Fields in Trust, a UK charity that protects parks and green spaces. Councillors will consider approving an agreement with Fields in Trust regarding associated grant funding. The board agreed on options for the allocation of Fields in Trust funding at its previous meeting.

The King George's Field Charity Board is responsible for administering the affairs of the King George's Field, Mile End charity, and the King George's Field – Stepney (Tredegar Square, Bow) charity. This includes managing land such as Stepney Green Park, Whitehorse Road Open Space, Tredegar Square, and most of Mile End Park, including Mile End Park Leisure Centre and Mile End Stadium.

The terms of reference of the King George's Field Charity Board outlines that the board consists of all members of the Cabinet, and the quorum is three members.

Councillors have been asked to declare any interests, including those that would restrict their voting rights under Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as detailed in the declarations of interest note. This section deals with restrictions on voting rights for councillors who are in arrears with their council tax payments. They have also been asked to note the public benefit guidance, which explains their duties when acting for the King George's Field Trust. As a charity trustee, this means being able to show that they are aware of the guidance, have taken it into account when making a decision to which the guidance is relevant, and if they have decided to depart from the guidance, they have a good reason for doing so.

The public benefit requirement has two aspects: satisfying the 'benefit aspect' and the 'public aspect'. It is the trustees responsibility to ensure that the King George's Field Mile End Charity and King George's Field -Stepney (Tredegar Square, Bow) charity in a way that carries out its purposes for the public benefit. This means, you should:

  • Make decisions to ensure your charity's purpose provides benefit understanding how the purpose is beneficial and carrying it out so as to benefit the public in that way.
  • Make decisions to manage risks of detriment or harm to your charity's beneficiaries or to the public in general that might result from carrying out the purpose identifying risks of harm, minimising the risks and making sure that any harm that might arise is a minor consequence of carrying out the purpose.
  • Make decisions about who benefits in ways that are consistent with the purpose Knowing who can potentially benefit from the purpose and giving proper consideration to the full range of ways in which you could carry out your charity's purpose.
  • Make decisions to make sure any personal benefits are no more than incidental This means making sure that any personal benefits people receive (having regard both to its nature and to its amount) are no more than a necessary result or by-product of carrying out the purpose.

The board will also confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 November 2024. At that meeting, the board:

  • Noted that no declarations of interest were declared.
  • Noted the Charity Commission's Public Benefit Guidance.
  • Approved the minutes of the Board meeting held on Wednesday 29 May 2024.
  • Approved the audited accounts 2022/23 for submission to the Charity Commission.
  • Approved the annual report for 2022/23 for submission to the Charity Commission.
  • Approved the Letter of Representation from Arnold Hill & Co LLP.
  • Noted the Management Letter 2023 from Arnold Hill & Co LLP and management response.
  • Noted the Letter of Ownership Confirmation sign off required by the charity's auditors, Arnold Hill & Co LLP from the Mayor of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, before the accounts can be signed off by the charity's auditors.
  • Noted the Letter of Support from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
  • Granted permission to officers to appoint Arnold Hill & Co LLP to audit the accounts for 2023/24.
  • Noted the current financial position for 2024/25.
  • Noted the activities update for 2024/25.
  • Noted the governance update.
  • Noted the proposed investment programme for Mile End Park and Stepney Green Park including options for leveraging in external funding.
  • Agreed the options on the allocation of Fields in Trust funding shown in Appendix 1 of the report submitted.
  • Noted the ongoing discussions with Tenant A in respect of outstanding arrears and their lease arrangements and rejects the proposal from the tenant to assign their lease and to offset their arrears as part of the proposed lease assignment and asks that officers investigate recovering the lease and remarketing it.
  • Noted the additional information provided in respect of the lease arrangements for Tenant B .
  • Noted the current position with Tenant C and agrees their request to assign their lease.
  • Approved the marketing of an arch located in Mile End Park with the outcome to be reported back to the Board at a future meeting to decide on the tenant to be selected and the granting of the lease.

The meeting will be held in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall, Whitechapel.