update on decisions.

1) GH to be self-financing (from next year) and located (in management terms) within the Traded Services section of the Children's Services department.   A fund is to be set up with the intention of providing subsidies for pupils to meet the difference between the current fees and the new fees (and also to subsidise fees at other centres used by schools). 

A lot of work is needed to come up with a feasible system to put this theory into practice.  Watch this space!

2) GH to be made into a Charitable Trust rather than run as a City Council service.  This is only an in-principle decision at present and a consultant is to be engaged to work with Council lawyers and accountants to work out the feasibility of this and to develop a robust business plan.

The GH Management Committee and the FoGH EC members are not happy with the above proposals, but on the positive side, 4 members of the management committee are now part of a small group (with the newly-appointed Head of Traded Services and a rep from the MIP team) working on the details, so hopefully will have opportunities to modify the proposals.  Or at least make sure that the implications of the detailed proposals are made clear to the Councillors before final decisions are taken.

3) An outdoor education strategy is to be developed. 

We all welcome this and have argued that this should be in place before any of the above decisions are taken.  The person who will take the lead on this has not yet been appointed (expected by the end of March).