Finance Score: 3
Governance Score: 3
Support Score: 7
  • Low unrestricted reserves: -2
  • Strong growth: +2
  • Fundraising costs low: +3
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • All female board: -3
  • Overall weighted support: +7
Overall GiG Score: 13 ?

WEST MERCIA WOMEN'S AID

West Mercia Women's Aid works with women and children affected by domestic violence. We provide:24 hour helpline in Hfdshire, Shropshire & WorcsAdvice, advocacy and supportRefuge accommodationOutreach & floating support servicesChildren's support workRecruiting, training & support of volunteersProvision of training & consultancyPublic awareness raising activities
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
  • Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • Why is the Board completely female?
  • Over half the Board have joined recently

Financial issues to consider:

  • Unrestricted reserves appear to be dangerously low at the latest year end

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
31/03/23£2,873£3,141£-269£0£711£7102.78328
31/03/22£2,573£2,401£172£0£979£9724.98322
31/03/21£2,242£2,116£125£0£807£7434.2632
31/03/20£1,889£1,891£-2£1£682£6694.24210
31/03/19£1,555£1,578£-24£19£684£5914.54814
31/03/18£1,429£1,515£-86£0£707£6775.4450
31/03/17£1,368£1,431£-63£0£794£7936.6470
31/03/16*£1,344£1,430£-86£17£856£8347380
31/03/15£1,390£1,359£31£11£942£9358.3330
31/03/14£1,407£1,397£10£10£911£8967.7300
31/03/13*£1,397£1,380£17£5£901£8777.6380
31/03/12£1,550£1,326£224£6£891£8828330
31/03/11£1,567£1,364£203£7£667£6135.4350
31/03/10£1,563£1,563£0£5£464£4353.3420
31/03/09£1,567£1,477£90£9£464£4303.5290
31/03/08£1,280£1,206£74£7£374£3713.7300
31/03/07£921£779£141£4£301£851.3300
31/03/06£453£474£-21n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/05£454£464£-9n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/04*£500£433£67n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 0%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 0%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 2%
Highest pay band: £60,000-£70,000
Liabilities/Assets: 30%
Liabilities/Income: 11%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 100%
Reserves/Spending: 2.7 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 2 months
Quick Ratio: 2.5
Asset Split ?
Balance Sheet History
Established: 25 years

www.westmerciawomensaid.org

info@westmerciawomensaid.org

01432356146

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Accommodation/Housing
  • Education/Training
  • The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
GiG Classification
  • Support for victims of domestic or sexual abuse
  • Emotional support, counselling or therapy
How it operates
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides human resources
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • Other Defined Groups

Who supports them? ?

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
DCMS£58,465
Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government£51,483
Herefordshire Community Foundation£11,356
The Clothworkers Foundation£5,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Herefordshire Community Foundation - Grant to West Mercia Women's Aid
£500 25/03/2024
Grant to West Mercia Women's Aid
Herefordshire Community Foundation - What I wish you knew: increasing understanding of the impact of domestic abuse for Herefordshire’s public sector
£5,796 17/10/2023
Grant to West Mercia Women's Aid
Herefordshire Community Foundation - Laptop
£500 07/09/2022
Grant to West Mercia Women's Aid
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£58,465 03/07/2020
"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public ....more
Comic Relief - The Sotaria Project ? online training Recovery Funding
£4,748 23/06/2020
COVID19 - The development of online training materials to support the work that we are doing to promote a greater understanding of the impact of domestic abuse in relation to women's offending behaviour. The training will be primarily for ....more
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to West Mercia Women's Aid
£5,000 11/06/2020
COVID19 : Purchase furniture and equipment for a charity working providing refuge accommodation to victims and survivors of domestic abuse across West Midlands
Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government - Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation: COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund
£51,483 05/06/2020
Organisations providing services and support for vulnerable people, for which there will be increased demand as a result of the COVID-19 crisis
Herefordshire Community Foundation - Grant to West Mercia Womens Aid
£4,560 27/05/2020
6
additional cost of delivering services remotely
DCMS - The Sotaria Project
£51,126 01/04/2019
West Mercia Womens Aid and Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service will provide training, information and support to the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Company staff to raise understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on women ....more
DCMS - The Sotaria Project
£51,126 10/12/2018
West Mercia Womens Aid and Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service will provide training, information and support to the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Company staff to raise understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on women ....more
DCMS - The Sotaria Project
£34,084 10/12/2018
West Mercia Womens Aid and Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service will provide training, information and support to the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Company staff to raise understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on women ....more
Comic Relief - The Sotaria Project
£102,252 06/11/2018
24
West Mercia Women’s Aid and Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service will provide training, information and support to the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Company staff to raise understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on ....more
DCMS - Ask Me Plus
£50,000 01/11/2018
The Ask Me Plus project will expand and develop the Womens Aid Federations Ask Me pilot project which aims to prevent and reduce the harm caused by domestic abuse.
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (10)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 36-73
  • CLAIRE LOUISE HADLEY Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Accountant/Finance Manager
  • DR CATHERINE CHIMA-OKEREKE Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Retired
  • ERIN COPSEY-BRANDON Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Compliance Officer
  • HELEN SMITH Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Director, Financial Services
  • JENNY LOUISE SAWYER Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Director
  • MARGARET ANN LININGTON-PAYNE Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Self-Employed
  • REBECCA BROWN Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Manager
  • RUTH NEILSON Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Retailer
  • TRACEY DAWN BOXALL Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Legal Executive
  • VIVIAN JANE BARRACLOUGH Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Retired
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 08/12/1999, number: 1078496
  • Registered at Companies House on 07/09/1999, number: 03837084
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Policies in force
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Investment
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
20 returns made; AR16: 22 days late, AR13: 1 days late, AR04: 1 days late,
Main office

West Mercia Womens Aid
Berrows Business Centre
Bath Street
Hereford
HR1 2HE

Objectives

The Charity is established for the benefit of abused women and their children and is working to end violence against women. The Charity believes that violence against women is an obstacle to the achievement of equality and development. The Charity understands that violence against women is both a cause and a consequence of women’s unequal position in society. The Charity believes that violence against women both violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.2.1 The Charity's objects are restricted specifically, in each case only for the public benefit to:(a) relieve the distress and increase the safety of women and children who have experienced or are exposed to domestic abuse by the provision of specialist support, advice, temporary accommodation, grants of money, items, facilities and any other services or activities that may relieve their circumstances and protect their mental and physical health;(b) relieve the distress and increase the safety of anyone who has experienced or is exposed to domestic abuse by the provision of specialist support, advice, temporary accommodation, grants of money, items, facilities and any other services or activities that may relieve their circumstances and protect their mental and physical health, on the basis that such activities ultimately benefit women and children by improved understanding and the reduction of domestic violence;(c) work in partnership with third sector, statutory and other relevant agencies to promote and facilitate effective responses to domestic abuse; and(d) inform and educate agencies, organisations and the general public through talks, training and publicity about the causes, effects and prevention of domestic abuse and about the services provided by the Charity and to undertake or contribute to research into such matters and to publish the useful results of such research.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED. IN PRACTICE HEREFORDSHIRE

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

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