Was the new Head Honcho frog marched into Waverley?

Earlier this year, ‘Your Waverley’ decided to follow in the footsteps of London’s Westminster City Council by exploring a voluntary contribution scheme for the borough’s Band H council taxpayers.

Since then, officers and the Chief Executive—formerly Westminister Council Executive Pedro Wrobel—have engaged with his former colleagues to determine how the scheme was set up and how it works. 

Westminster Council consulted with residents of all Band H Council tax-paying properties on a proposal to allow people living in the City’s highest-value properties to contribute voluntarily to support local priorities and projects.

The consultation revealed support for the scheme. In March 2018, the Council resolved to introduce the Westminster Community Contribution scheme, allowing higher-value properties in the City to voluntarily contribute to funding local discretionary services.

Residents were invited to contribute to the City of Westminster Charitable Trust (the Trust).

As part of the consultation, residents in Band H properties were invited to suggest which discretionary services they would like the money spent on. Suggestions included funding youth services, helping rough sleepers off the streets at night, and helping lonely and isolated people living in Westminster.

Now, ‘Your Waverley’ wants to do the same. Its proposed model.

If Waverley’s Full Council backs the initiative, its Executive suggests following the Westminster model, which has a proven track record of success.

It raises around £300,000 per year.

Waverley would set up a Charity to receive the donations and administer the scheme. A charity could then enter into a governance arrangement with the local authority to administer the scheme.

WBC needs to determine the Charity’s objectives, choose Trustees, agree on the terms of trusteeship and how they would be replaced, ensure the proposed Charity will pass the “charitable purposes for public benefit test,” choose a name and structure for the Charity, create a governing document, and apply to the Charity Commission to set it up.

 Waverley has the options of a Charitable Trust, a Charitable incorporated organisation, a Charitable company (limited by guarantee), and an unincorporated association.

 Trusteeship could be crossparty plus two senior officers, with the elected mayor as chair or the Executive and senior officers or executives, with one trustee elected as chair.

 The charitable objectives should align with Waverley’s corporate strategy but must reflect what the donors hold dear.

Waverley will consult residents of Band H properties to gauge and register their support for a scheme and gather a list of discretionary local services they would like the funds generated to support. Once established that the scheme, if set up, will garner support, a Charity should be set up, and the scheme should be launched.

 The donations are voluntary, and any amount would be welcomed.