£33,300 is requested from the Birmingham City Council to fund a charity

The Birmingham City Council held its Trust and Charities Committee meeting on the 13th of March 2023. Through their live stream, they discussed requests from charities who asked for their help in funding their organisations and projects. The job of a city council is to 'respond to constituent needs and complaints, and represent the community to other levels of government.'

Zahid Muhmood, Capital Programme Manager for Education Infrastructure, argued that “Hunters Hill has not been used for nearly 18 months” and wants to relinquish the site to Cropwood Trust.

Hunters Hill was a school that specialised in pupils with mental health needs that closed down at the end of the 2020/2021 academic year. This was a result of poor Ofsted ratings and COVID-19 having a significant effect on their March reopening along with the population of students dropping from 84 to 70.

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Nigel Oliver, a Manager for Birmingham City Council replied: “We are progressing with advisors to provide a report back to Trust and Charities and that appointment should be made in the next 2 weeks. Trust and Charities don’t have any finance to operate this site and as I understand it Properties Services will also decline to take it but that’s a discussion that education and property services can have.”

Muhmood then expressed he is “slightly disappointed” with the delay for an advisor. “We are 18 months on. Now that we have got vacant possession I think from an education perspective there was more than enough time for an advisor to be appointed and a view from the trust on how to move forward.”

Oliver summarises they “recognise” the delay but are more focused on the “security” of the site.

The Capital Programme Manager finalised: “I will, unfortunately, have to take you back to my director and also my cabinet member.”