Catherine Pearce has been appointed as the new Chair of the Hackney Pension Board for the Municipal Year 2026/27.
The board met on Wednesday 8 July 2026, where it also noted its Terms of Reference for the same period. The primary function of the Hackney Pension Board is to assist Hackney Council, as the Scheme Manager of the London Borough of Hackney Pension Fund, in securing compliance with Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Regulations and other relevant legislation. The board provides oversight to ensure the effective and efficient governance and administration of the pension fund, though it is not a decision-making body for fund management.
Beyond noting the Terms of Reference, the meeting included a significant training session on the Triennial Valuation, delivered by Rhys Notman from Hymans Robertson. This session provided an in-depth look at how pension funds operate, the balance between contributions, investment returns, and benefit payments, and the results of the 2025 valuation. It also covered funding strategies for various employer types and the governance audit trail of decisions made during the valuation process.
The board also reviewed reports from previous Pensions Committee meetings held on 30 March and 24 June 2026. Miriam Adams provided an overview of key themes and outcomes, including audit opinions, system glitches, valuation reports, funding strategy statements, employer forums, bulk asset transfers, and treasury management strategies. Updates were also received on various projects, including Pension Fund Accounts and Audit Outcome, the 2025 triennial Valuation, Funding Strategy Statement and Policies, Treasury Management Strategy, Administration and Projects, Data Improvement Plan, Risk Register, and the Fit for the Future initiative.
Furthermore, the board reviewed the draft annual report, agreeing to its presentation at the next Pensions Committee. It was also resolved that the press and public would be excluded from proceedings during the consideration of exempt items on the agenda.
Further details on the meeting's proceedings can be found in the Agenda frontsheet, the Public reports pack, and the Decisions documents from the meeting.