Finance Score: -2
Governance Score: 6
Support Score: 11
  • Liabilities <10%: +3
  • Large legacies income: +1
  • Multiple Deficits: -2
  • Fundraising costs high: -4
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Award winner
  • Overall weighted support: +11
Overall GiG Score: 15 ?

FREEDOM FROM TORTURE

Freedom from Torture is a human rights organisation which exists to enable survivors of torture to engage in a healing process. We provide direct care, treatment and protection services in five UK centres. We engage in activism in order to bring the plight of torture survivors to light and carry out research that underpins our policy and advocacy work.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • The charity has received backing from multiple prominent grant makers recently
  • This charity is a recent Award Winner
  • This charity has a robust balance sheet
  • This charity has received considerable income from legacies in recent years
  • Spending has increased over the last 3 years relative to the previous period
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • Over half the Board have joined recently

Financial issues to consider:

  • On several occasions in recent years income has been less than spending
  • Fundraising costs are extremely high relative to funds raised

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit £k
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/12/23£9,887£12,057£-2,170£4,069£9,349£8,7168.7175123
31/12/22£11,930£11,948£-18£4,354£11,510£10,70910.818574
31/12/21£10,313£10,422£-109£3,436£11,531£11,14912.817338
31/12/20£12,812£10,147£2,665£3,082£11,637£10,82912.818349
31/12/19*£9,990£9,744£247£2,794£8,975£2,0152.5183107
31/12/18£9,512£8,951£561£2,405£8,727£7,95310.71800
31/12/17£9,628£8,848£780£2,408£8,167£7,48410.11700
31/12/16£8,561£8,354£207£2,112£7,385£6,8409.81530
31/12/15£8,018£8,544£-526£2,672£7,175£6,5129.11240
31/12/14£8,168£7,767£401£2,179£7,701£7,120111240
31/12/13£7,759£7,693£66£2,143£7,300£6,69310.41280
31/12/12£8,282£7,612£670£2,119£7,232£6,367101630
31/12/11£7,578£7,404£174£2,030£6,562£5,8039.41210
31/12/10£7,425£7,481£-56£1,723£6,389£5,9089.51270
31/12/09£7,964£7,678£286£1,947£6,444£5,6968.91320
31/12/08£7,382£7,525£-143£1,999£6,156£5,5728.91260
31/12/07£8,189£7,214£976£1,899£6,303£5,6509.41260
31/12/06£7,040£6,968£72n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/05£6,056£6,086£-29n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/12/04£6,936£7,092£-157n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 43.6%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 33.7%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 3%
Highest pay band: £90,000-£100,000
Liabilities/Assets: 10%
Liabilities/Income: 10%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 93%
Reserves/Spending: 8.7 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 5 months
Quick Ratio: 2.3
Asset Split ?
Balance Sheet History
Established: 34 years

www.freedomfromtorture.org

rroberts@freedomfromtorture.org

02076977823

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookInstagramX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Human Rights/Religious Or Racial Harmony/Equality Or Diversity
  • Other Charitable Purposes
  • The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
GiG Classification
  • Outpatient support services
How it operates
  • Other charitable activities
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides services
  • Sponsors or undertakes research
Where it operates
  • Birmingham City, Manchester City, Newcastle Upon Tyne City, Scotland, Throughout London,
Who it helps
  • Other Defined Groups

Who supports them? ?

Awards received
  • Charity Awards 2023 Overall Award for Excellence
  • Charity Awards 2023 Campaigning and Advocacy
Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
National Lottery Community Fund£310,000
Justice Together Initiative£270,000
City Bridge Trust£254,318
Joseph Rowntree Foundation£105,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Freedom From Torture
£45,000 28/09/2023
This grant will provide trauma-focused therapies for children, particularly refugees and asylum seeking children, who have experienced torture. Outcomes will include improved mental health and supporting young people to recover from trauma.
London Catalyst - Freedom from Torture - 12
£1,500 05/09/2023
Hardship Fund
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Freedom from Torture
£213,000 02/05/2023
36
£213,000 over three years (3 x £71,000) to cover the full-time salary of a Psychological Therapist, interpretation costs and travel costs and mobile top ups for remote therapy sessions for clients as well as a contribution to overheads related to ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Supporting survivors of torture through therapy and advice in the West Midlands
£300,000 24/03/2023
Funding will be used to deliver a holistic treatment programme for survivors of torture across Birmingham. The project will directly support survivors of torture through psychological therapy a pain intervention service creative group activities ....more
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Freedom From Torture
£500 20/10/2022
0
‘Cost of Living uplift: £500 to help projects meet their rising costs and respond to increased demand 31/10/2022’
The Rayne Foundation - Grant to Freedom from Torture (FfT)
£60,000 20/09/2022
Towards the provision of holistic therapeutic and practical legal and welfare support to adult and young survivors of torture in North East England.
London Catalyst - Freedom from Torture - 10
£1,500 03/05/2022
Hardship Fund
Justice Together Initiative - Promoting participatory access to justice for survivors of torture who are asylum seekers and refugees
£270,000 30/11/2021
A grant to support survivors of torture who are asylum seekers and refugees in the UK via: (1) Participatory promotion of access to justice (2) improved quality and accessibility of legal advice & representation; (3) Survivor-centred advocacy; ....more
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Freedom From Torture
£30,500 30/07/2021
30 children and young people affected by torture and organised violence will access counselling sessions in Glasgow. They will develop coping strategies, have better family and peer relationships and have increased independence.
Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland - A grant to Freedom from Torture
£2,000 24/06/2021
The organisation’s work in North East England
Manchester City Council - Covid Impact Fund 2021 grant to Freedom from Torture
£10,000 01/04/2021
to sustain core therapeutic work in Manchester Priority groups: BAME
Ministry of Justice - COVID-19 Extraordinary National Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund
£1,850 26/03/2021
To provide additional funding to allow national helpline providers and rape & sexual abuse support fund grant recipients to increase remote support in providing the Activities included in the grant agreement during the Covid-19 pandemic.
National Lottery Community Fund - Supporting Torture Survivors to Recover and Reconnect through COVID and Beyond
£10,000 19/03/2021
11
The funding will be used to deliver online remote therapeutic and practical support for torture survivors living in the West Midlands. The project aims to teach survivors coping skills to reduce trauma symptoms improve self-esteem and ....more
London Catalyst - Freedom from Torture - 9
£1,500 09/02/2021
Hardship Fund
Ministry of Justice - Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund
£94,500 01/01/2021
To provide additional funding to allow national helpline providers and rape & sexual abuse support fund grant recipients to increase remote support in providing the Activities included in the grant agreement during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Joseph Rowntree Foundation - Grant to Freedom from Torture
£105,000 10/07/2020
36
Rebuilding a popular movement to defend the absolute torture ban in Britain
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Freedom From Torture (England)
£3,000 17/06/2020
6
COVID19 - This project will adapt their therapeutic services to an online platform and deliver counselling to the young people isolated at home due to Covid-19, to help reduce their distress, encourage better relationships and support them in their ....more
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Freedom from Torture
£41,318 11/06/2020
£41,318 to fund the essential and urgent costs outlined in the application, in order to carry on providing support to Londoners.
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Freedom from Torture
£22,500 05/05/2020
6
towards unrestricted core costs as a COVID-19 Fast Response grant
Trust for London - Freedom From Torture
£5,000 07/04/2020
3
The funding is for COVID19 emergency relief packages to be made available to clients, including data and phone credit, advance cash relief payments to cover additional weeks to enable clients to stock up on essentials and look after themselves for ....more
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - COVID19 Emergency Funding
£20,000 01/04/2020
3
Support to aid the organisation in dealing with the challenges posed by COVID19.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Dialogue and advocacy for Home Office reform
£210,000 14/10/2019
36
To open dialogue between migration sector leaders and the Home Office, and to support a peer advocacy and activism programme for people with lived experience of the immigration system.
Barrow Cadbury Trust - Towards a movement of informal migrant-led campaigning
£30,000 18/09/2019
12
To support a mapping and convenings of informal migrant-led groups in the UK to explore how to increase their impact.
Trust for London - Freedom From Torture
£90,000 05/06/2019
36
The funding is for continuation of its UK policy and advocacy work, including survivor activism, supporting the rehabilitation of torture survivors and that they receive effective protection. It seeks to ensure decision-makers correctly assess (and ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Torture Survivors Improving Connectivity
£10,000 18/04/2019
12
This funding will be used to run therapeutic activities for survivors of torture. The project aims to improve participants wellbeing and treat psychological trauma that stems from their past experiences.
Ministry of Justice - Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund
£63,000 01/04/2019
To provide independent, specialist support to female and male victims of rape and sexual abuse, including victims of child sexual abuse.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Freedom From Torture (England)
£108,000 23/10/2018
36
This project will provide counselling and therapy for children and young people who have been affected by torture, helping to improve emotional wellbeing, develop relationships and increase engagement with education.
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Freedom from Torture
£135,000 29/08/2018
36
Towards the development of Survivors Speak Out (SSO), Freedom from Torture’s survivors’ advocacy and policy influencing network.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£10,000 14/09/2017
Holistic support for young torture survivors
County Durham Community Foundation - Crisis Help, Health and Disability, Social Isolation
£5,000 08/05/2017
Towards a Crisis Help, Health and Disability, Social Isolation project.
National Lottery Community Fund - Healing Neighbourhoods - integrating survivors of torture
£464,600 08/03/2017
48
This project will aim to enhance the current support model by including psycho-social support along with existing therapeutic services. Survivors will also be empowered to identify and share their own strengths, identifying then realising their ....more
The Rayne Foundation - Grant to Freedom from Torture
£60,000 08/12/2016
36
Towards therapeutic and practical support for young survivors of torture in the North West of England.
National Lottery Community Fund - Holistic Rehabilitation to help Adult Torture Survivors Recover to Reb
£455,000 30/11/2016
60
The project will help survivors of torture living in West Midlands to overcome psychological and physical trauma, giving them the best chance to rebuild their lives and become healthier and more active members of society. Various issues will be ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Helping Adult Torture Survivors Recover to Rebuild Their Lives
£450,000 02/12/2015
60
A project to provide psychological and physical therapy and practical support for adult torture survivors in the North West. The scheme will offer a comprehensive programme of intensive, long-term tailored support providing a safe and stable ....more
Comic Relief - Holistic therapeutic support for separated asylum seeking young torture survivors
£116,751 25/11/2015
36
Freedom from Torture aims to help people who have survived torture recover, heal and rebuild their lives through providing a range of emotional and practical services. The organisation also advocates on behalf of survivors to make sure their needs ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Holistic support for torture survivors
£405,704 01/07/2015
60
This project is developing its existing work to help adults who have experienced and survived torture and to overcome severe trauma. This will enable them to become healthy and to successfully integrate with society. They will overcome practical ....more
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Freedom from Torture
£75,000 13/05/2015
36
£75,000 over 3 years towards the costs of therapeutic and other support to young people in London.
David & Elaine Potter Foundation - Core funding
£25,000 01/07/2014
Core funding
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Freedom from Torture
£120,000 29/01/2014
Towards the cost of the survivor-led network, Survivor's Speak OUT.
National Lottery Community Fund - Helping Torture Survivor Families Recover to Rebuild their Lives
£351,257 15/05/2013
60
This group will continue their existing work among extremely traumatised and vulnerable families. From their centre in Glasgow this project will provide intensive and long term holistic support to families who have experienced torture and have fled ....more
Northern Rock Foundation - Grant awarded to Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture (North East)
£120,000 15/05/2012
To continue to employ the manager of a centre supporting refugees and asylum seekers in the North East who have been tortured.
National Lottery Community Fund - Casework Counselling for Torture Survivors
£375,000 10/08/2010
36
This project based in London and Manchester provides practical and emotional support to people who have experienced torture in their home countries. Casework counselling offers a dual approach, addressing mental health needs, as well as more ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Improving Health and Wellbeing of Survivors of Torture in the West Midlands
£315,029 09/06/2010
60
This project, based in the Birmingham, provides support services for torture survivors living in the West Midlands. Torture survivors will be helped to recover from their experiences through needs based, direct and outreach support.An assessment of ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Supporting Torture Survivors in North East England to Improve Health/Wellbe
£307,118 10/02/2010
36
The continuation and expansion of an existing project, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, which will provide support services for torture survivors from Africa and the Middle East living in North East England. The project will provide direct support ....more
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Freedom from Torture
£90,000 19/05/2009
36
Towards Project costs Towards the salary of a children's law and policy advisor to improve outcomes for child victims of torture through legal, policy and campaigning work.
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (11)
Current Trustees appointed

Age Range of Trustees: 36-68
  • ANGELA CLUFF Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Freelance Fundraising Consultant
  • BRIAN GARETH DUNLOP Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Digital Executive
  • CATHERINE LOIS SAYER (Chair) Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Retired
  • DR FIONA GOUDIE Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Clinical Psychologist
  • JOHN PATRICK DUNFORD Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Student / Researcher
  • MAHESH WICKRAMASINGHE Appointed: 2021, Occupation: None
  • ORLA FEE Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Communications Director
  • PHILOMENE UWAMALIYA Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Nurse
  • RASHA OBAID Appointed: 2021, Occupation: None
  • SHEHARA NATALIE SAMARASINGHE Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Global Advocacy Director
  • TIMOTHY STUART GUY Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Chief Financial Officer (Cfo)
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 13/09/1990, number: 1000340
  • Registered at Companies House on 26/06/1989, number: 02398586
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Event History
Other Regulators
  • Care Quality Commission
Policies in force
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Investing charity funds policy and procedures
  • Investment
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Social media policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
20 returns made; AR19: 20 days late,
Recent reorganisation events:
  • Asset transfer in from WALSALL REFUGEE AND ASYLUM SEEKER SUPPORT ASSOCIATION on 14/07/2021
Main office

111 ISLEDON ROAD
LONDON
N7 7JW

Objectives

3.1 THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY ARE FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT: -3.1.1 TO PROVIDE RELIEF AND REHABILITATION FOR PERSONS, AND MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES, WHO HAVE BEEN TORTURED OR WHO HAVE BEEN TRAUMATISED BY OBSERVING TORTURE OR RELATED VIOLENCE ON OTHERS CLOSE TO THEM IN RELATIONSHIP OR PROXIMITY, PARTICULARLY AT A YOUNG AGE, IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD, AND WHO, AS SURVIVORS OF TORTURE, ARE IN CONDITIONS OF NEED;3.1.2 TO EDUCATE, TRAIN AND SUPERVISE LEGAL, MEDICAL AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS AND PERSONS WHO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO SURVIVORS OF TORTURE;3.1.3 TO PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS (AS SET OUT IN THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND SUBSEQUENT UNITED NATIONS CONVENTIONS AND DECLARATIONS) AND THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, THE REFUGEE CONVENTION AND THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE (THE “CONVENTIONS”) BY THE FOLLOWING MEANS: (I) PROMOTING THE PROTECTION OF AND REDRESS FOR SURVIVORS OF TORTURE BY PROVIDING LEGAL AND WELFARE ADVICE, MEDICO-LEGAL REPORTS, RELIEF AND FINANCIAL AND OTHER ASSISTANCE;(II) RAISING AWARENESS BOTH IN THE UK AND ABROAD OF INCIDENTS AND PATTERNS OF TORTURE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD; (III) RAISING AWARENESS BOTH IN THE UK AND ABROAD OF HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES RELATING TO THE OBLIGATIONS ON STATES UNDER THE CONVENTIONS TO PREVENT AND PROHIBIT TORTURE, PUNISH THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTS OF TORTURE, PROVIDE REMEDIES TO SURVIVORS OF TORTURE AND NEVER TO EXPEL, RETURN OR EXTRADITE A PERSON TO ANOTHER STATE WHERE THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL GROUNDS FOR BELIEVING THERE IS A DANGER THEY WILL BE SUBJECTED TO TORTURE;(IV) CONTRIBUTING TO THE SOUND ADMINISTRATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS LAW AND ENSURING THAT GOVERNMENTS FULFIL THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS RELATING TO TORTURE AND TORTURE SURVIVORS.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

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