BY EMAIL & POST Please reply to: Councillor Alessandro Georgiou

Leader of the Conservative Group

Conservative Group Office
The Rt. Hon. Michael Gove M.P. Civic Centre
Silver Street
Secretary of State for Levelling Up,
Enfield EN1 3XA
Housing and Communities
House of Commons E-mail: cllr.alessandro.georgiou@enfield.gov.uk
London Tel: 07554 119283
SW1A 0AA
Date: 27 January 2023

Dear Rt. Hon. Michael Gove M.P,

I am writing to you in my capacity as Leader of the Opposition and Conservative Group in the
London Borough of Enfield to express my concerns with regard to Holiday Activity Fund and
Housing Support Grant spending being potentially inappropriately directed towards a Limited
Business which has two Directors; one of whom also serves as a Councillor and Cabinet Member
within the authority.

I will set out our concerns below on a point-by-point basis. Including the fact, a business of whom a
senior member of the administration is one of the Directors, secured certain funds promoted as for
voluntary groups /community organisations.

Background

1. Chinelo Anyanwu was selected to stand for the Labour Party in the Jubilee Ward by-
election in May 2021 and was elected, then subsequently appointed to the Cabinet in 2022
as the Cabinet Member for Public Spaces, Culture and Local Economy. I would note that
she is also the ward colleague of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Health
and Social Care.

2. Cllr Anyanwu is the Director of Smokey Okey Ltd (Companies number 08928591) which
she runs as far as I can tell with one other director. Smokey Okey is recorded as a private
limited company.

3. We would note that Smokey Okey Ltd was founded in 2014 and from our enquiries it
appears that company coincidentally received a significant amount of taxpayer money once
one of its directors became a member of the local authority.

Council Voluntary Community (VCS) funding

4. In March 2021 Smokey Okey Ltd received a grant of £1,950 to spend in August 2021; as
part of the Council Voluntary Community Sector funding under the Health, Housing & Adult
Social Care/Public Health’ budget. The relevant documents that relate to this point can be
found below:
a. https://www.enfield.gov.uk/services/your-council/community-
development#organisations-and-groups-funded-or-commissioned-by-us
b. https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/32661/VCS-Funding-2020-
21-Your-council.pdf
5. As per the link above states “On this page you can download documents showing the
voluntary organisations and community groups we have funded or commissioned to
provide services or activities to Enfield residents”.

6. We have asked the Council for the following financial year 2021/22 list of grants which they
only recently collated and published.

a. www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/32794/VCS-Funding-2021-22-Your-
council.pdf

7. This shows an additional grant of £1,200 that was granted in June 2021 for services in June
2021.

Holiday Activity Fund (HAF)

8. The funding is advertised as being open to food businesses. We raise concerns about the
potential conflicts of interest, both personal and pecuniary of these funds being issued.

9. Smokey Okey Ltd received the following HAF funding in 2021:

a. £7,200 for Winter 2021
b. £2,600 for Easter 2021
c. £40,275 for Summer 2021
d. Note: The Council has refused to provide the Winter 2022 grant figures until returns
are submitted to Government on 15th February 2023.

10. On 20th October 2021 Cllr Anyanwu chaired a meeting of the Children, Young People &
Education Scrutiny Panel with Holiday Activity Fund (HAF) as the first agenda item. We ask
that a review takes on whether the company indicated any interest in securing the Winter
2021 funds prior to this meeting. As that could mean Cllr Anyanwu should have declared a
pecuniary interest.

Household Support Fund Grant Winter 2022/23 – Together Food Funding

11. Smokey Okey Ltd received Household Support Grant funding for Winter 2022 – Together
Food Funding. Organisations received £5,000 - £8,000. We would note that the company
received £8,000. This money is promoted as for community groups and not privately
owned companies. The application can be found below:
a. https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/31199/Together-Fund-
guidance-for-applicants-benefits-and-money-advice.pdf

12. Page 5 of the application for Household Support Grant Funding is as follows: “Who can
bid? If you’re a local community group, based and operating in Enfield, whether
grassroots, voluntary sector organisation or faith group-and think you can help then
we want your bids!” Not only is Smokey Okey Ltd a privately owned business but its
website lists Tottenham as its address, which is not within the London Borough of Enfield:
a. https://www.smokeyokey.co.uk/

13. On Page 9, the Certificate of Claim includes the following “and that there is no conflict of
interest either personal nor pecuniary that affect this application, or its
implementation should it be successful”.
 Household Support Fund 2022/23 –
Voluntary organisations to improve the supply of food

14. Smokey Okey Ltd also received a grant (which we understand of £1,000 due to the
business being allocated £9,000 for HSG Winter 2022/23) meant for ‘Voluntary
organisations to improve the supply of food’:
a. https://www.enfield.gov.uk/services/benefits-and-money-advice/household-support-
fund

15. The Council listed many of those voluntary groups who received the funding on Christmas
provision page. Of the 14 organisations listed, all apart from Smokey Okey list an address –
whereas Smokey Okey states by appointment only.
a. www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/32419/Christmas-period-food-
banks-opening-hours-cost-of-living.pdf

Additional grants from Government allocated funds

16. Smokey Okey also received £1,616.79 in the previous Household Support Grant (01/04/22-
30/09/22)

17. In addition to £1,000 in the Covid Local Support Grant in 17/04/21-30/09/21.

18. We would ask that the eligibility criteria for these funds is reviewed.

In Conclusion

19. In total £64,841 of funding we have identified, even without the Council providing all
requested data. The vast majority of these funds relate to the last six months.

20. We would note that Smokey Okey Ltd was founded in 2014 and coincidentally received a
significant amount of taxpayer money once one of its directors became a member of the
local authority.

We would ask that your department investigates this matter as we do not have faith this can be
done independently by the authority given the nature of the issue at hand.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Alessandro Georgiou

Leader of the Conservative Group
Enfield Council

Members Room
Enfield Council
PO Box 50 Phone: 020 8379 1000
Civic Centre, Silver Street DX: 90615 ENFIELD
Enfield EN1 3XY Website: www.enfield.gov.uk
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