Finance Score: 4

Governance Score: 9

Support Score: 8

Good reserves management: +3
Reasonable growth: +1

Good trustee age range: +3
Dynamic board: +3
Gender balanced board: +3

Grant maker support: +8

Overall GiG Score: 21

PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY

People First Independent Advocacy provides a wide range of support and information services across the North of England, aimed at helping people to live informed, respected, healthy and fulfilled lives.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

Reserves management has been consistently within official guidelines
There has been reasonable growth in spending since inception
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 gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

This charity is not recognised by HMRC for Gift Aid according to its latest published return
One or more trustees receive payments or benefits from the charity for providing services to the charity
Over half the Board have joined recently

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E	Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff	Volun- teers
31/03/23	£2,336	£2,013	£323	£0	£1,485	£1,342	8	100	39
31/03/22	£1,857	£1,513	£344	£0	£1,163	£1,078	8.6	66	34
31/03/21	£1,540	£1,378	£162	£0	£819	£778	6.8	56	0
31/03/20	£1,643	£1,534	£109	£0	£657	£608	4.8	58	0

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 0%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 0%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 5%
Highest pay band: £80,000-£90,000
Liabilities/Assets: 13%
Liabilities/Income: 9%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 90%
Reserves/Spending: 8 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 8 months
Quick Ratio: 5.2

Asset Split ?

Established: 5 years
(19 years as a company)

https://wearepeoplefirst.co.uk/

admin@wearepeoplefirst.co.uk

03003038037

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

Listed activities

Disability
The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives

GiG Classification

Services for people with disabilities

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information

Where it operates

Throughout England,

Who it helps

The General Public/Mankind

Who works here?

100 employees
39 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

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

Major supporters in last 5 years

National Lottery Community Fund	£465,000
BBC Children in Need	£160,008
Cumbria Community Foundation	£34,900

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
National Lottery Community Fund - Work In Progress
£445,000	20/09/2023	This funding will be used to support people with learning disabilities and Autistic people into paid permanent work. The project will be open and accessible to all Cumbria wide with centres based in ....more This funding will be used to support people with learning disabilities and Autistic people into paid permanent work. The project will be open and accessible to all Cumbria wide with centres based in Carlisle and Kendal. The Work in Progress project will support and benefit people with learning disabilities Autistic people and their families/carers by delivering positive and long-lasting change for the communities they serve.
National Lottery Community Fund - Learning Disabilities Crisis Telephone Line
£10,000	03/12/2021	The project will use the funding for its crisis support to vulnerable people with learning disabilities. It'll provide a telephone support line COVID related advice and referrals to the ....more The project will use the funding for its crisis support to vulnerable people with learning disabilities. It'll provide a telephone support line COVID related advice and referrals to the organisation’s self-advocacy networks and support services. This aims to reduce isolation and improve the mental health.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to People First Independent Advocacy
£80,500	10/08/2021	This project will deliver activities and support for young people with learning difficulties and/or autism in West Cumbria to transition through the pandemic, school and employment, leading to ....more This project will deliver activities and support for young people with learning difficulties and/or autism in West Cumbria to transition through the pandemic, school and employment, leading to improved resilience, self-awareness and self-expression.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to People First Independent Advocacy
£79,508	09/09/2020 18	COVID19 - This project will deliver support for learning disabled children and young people in North and West Cumbria, who have become anxious and isolated due to Covid-19. This will improve their ....more COVID19 - This project will deliver support for learning disabled children and young people in North and West Cumbria, who have become anxious and isolated due to Covid-19. This will improve their online technology skills, confidence and sense of belonging.
National Lottery Community Fund - Keeping People Connected- Chat and Check
£10,000	22/05/2020 6	The funding will be used provide an online buddy system to support people with learning difficulties during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Cumbria Community Foundation - Suicide and self-harm prevention
£10,000	06/05/2020 8	Suicide and self-harm prevention
Cumbria Community Foundation - Staff and telephone costs
£9,900	22/04/2020 6	Staff and telephone costs
Cumbria Community Foundation - Staff and equipment costs for Virtual Self-Advocacy Groups
£10,000	09/04/2020 12	Staff and equipment costs for Virtual Self-Advocacy Groups
Cumbria Community Foundation - Equipment for The Hospitality Cafe
£5,000	31/10/2019	Equipment for The Hospitality Cafe
Cumbria Community Foundation - The Hospitality Academy Garden
£5,985	04/04/2019	The Hospitality Academy Garden
National Lottery Community Fund - People First Conference and Centre for Learning: The Riverbank Bistro
£9,856	20/09/2018 12	The group will install a kitchen to provide a range of training, skills, and development opportunities for young adults with learning difficulties in catering, hospitality, centre management and ....more The group will install a kitchen to provide a range of training, skills, and development opportunities for young adults with learning difficulties in catering, hospitality, centre management and administration skills. This will aim to develop skills and address inequality and social exclusion.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to People First Independent Advocacy
£126,397	27/06/2018 36	The 'Young People First: Talk-active' project will work with young people with learning difficulties to access a range of creative and recreational activities afterschool, on weekends and holidays. ....more The 'Young People First: Talk-active' project will work with young people with learning difficulties to access a range of creative and recreational activities afterschool, on weekends and holidays. This programme will increase confidence and self belief.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (7)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 22-66

MIKE DEANS Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Managing Director

IMOGEN WEEKES Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Student, Other trusteeship: PEOPLE FIRST SERVICES,

KRISTINE WARD Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Head Of Hr And People, Other trusteeship: PEOPLE FIRST SERVICES,

MARK PANNONE Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Consultant - Private Business, Other trusteeship: PEOPLE FIRST SERVICES,

JOHN MARTIN MILLS Appointed: 2018, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeship: PEOPLE FIRST SERVICES,

LOUISE TOWNSON Appointed: 2018, Occupation: Unemployed, Other trusteeships: CARLISLE SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND, PEOPLE FIRST SERVICES,

STEVEN CORLETT (Chair) Appointed: 2018, Occupation: Director, Other trusteeship: PEOPLE FIRST SERVICES,

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 26/06/2019, number: 1184112
Registered at Companies House on 28/04/2005, number: 05438407

Gift Aid

NOT 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
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

4 returns made; all on time

Recent reorganisation events:

Asset transfer in from DISABILITY ASSOCIATION CARLISLE & EDEN on 17/11/2022

Main office

PEOPLE FIRST CONFERENCE CENTRE
MILBOURNE STREET
CARLISLE
CA2 5XB

Objectives

(A) THE RELIEF OF THOSE IN NEED BY REASON OF ILL-HEALTH OR DISABILITY LEADING TO A LACK OF CAPACITY INCLUDING (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) PEOPLE WITH A LEARNING DIFFICULTY OR DEMENTIA;(B) THE ADVANCEMENT OF HEALTH AND THE RELIEF OF THOSE IN NEED BY REASON OF YOUTH, AGE, ILL-HEALTH, DISABILITY OR FINANCIAL HARDSHIP BY:I) PROVIDING INFORMATION AND ADVICE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT LOCAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SERVICES;II) MAKING THE VIEWS AND EXPERIENCES OF MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWN TO HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PROVIDERS;III) ENABLING LOCAL PEOPLE TO HAVE A VOICE IN THE DEVELOPMENT, DELIVERY AND EQUALITY OF ACCESS TO LOCAL HEALTH AND CARE SERVICES AND FACILITIES;IV) PROVIDING TRAINING AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLS FOR VOLUNTEERS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY IN UNDERSTANDING, SCRUTINIZING, REVIEWING AND MONITORING LOCAL HEALTH AND CARE SERVICES AND FACILITIES;V) CONDUCTING INVESTIGATION AND RESEARCH INTO RELEVANT HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE ISSUES AND MAKING PUBLIC THE USEFUL RESULTS OF SUCH WORK.

Data Sources