London Councils is a cross-party organisation, funded and run by member authorities to work on behalf of them all, regardless of political persuasion. It also acts as the employers’ organisation for the 32 London boroughs, providing advice, support and training, and representing them in negotiations.
Its members - all 32 London boroughs, the City of London, the Metropolitan Police Authority and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority – fund its work through subscription.
London Councils invests £28m a year in voluntary organisations on behalf of all the London councils. It funds more than 400 organisations, with individual grants ranging from between £5,000 and £500,000. All of the grants made seek to improve the lives of people who live, work and visit London. London Councils funding is provided by the London Boroughs Grants Scheme, which was established under Section 48 of the 1985 Local Government Act. The scheme is funded and governed by all 32 London boroughs and the Corporation of London. It enables London’s local authorities to fund voluntary organisations working in more than one borough, sub-regionally or across the capital to meet the needs of London as a whole. The operation of the scheme is managed by the Grants Committee which comprises 33 representative members, one from each of London’s local councils.