Finance Score: 0
Governance Score: 6
Support Score: 11
  • Strong growth: +2
  • Multiple Deficits: -2
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Award winner
  • Overall weighted support: +11
Overall GiG Score: 17 ?

REFUGE

Refuge provides specialist support to women and children escaping domestic violence, modern slavery, human trafficking, forced prostitution, rape, forced marriage and 'honour' based violence. Services include: 24-hr national helpline, women's refuges, outreach and floating support, independent domestic and sexual violence advocates. We raise awareness and influence policy and legislative change.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • This charity is a recent Award Winner
  • There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
  • 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:

  • Over half the Board have joined recently

Financial issues to consider:

  • On several occasions in recent years income has been less than spending

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£25,388£30,056£-4,668£4,384£9,715£9,1663.741580
31/03/22£24,299£25,298£-999£3,322£14,446£13,4256.4356131
31/03/21£33,984£22,307£11,677£2,374£15,425£14,2517.7329150
31/03/20£17,562£18,103£-540£1,219£3,614£3,088230265
31/03/19£15,004£15,778£-774£818£4,230£3,5452.726569
31/03/18£14,436£14,580£-144£790£4,997£4,3783.62440
31/03/17£13,293£12,856£436£884£5,155£4,5484.22150
31/03/16£11,266£11,406£-140£870£4,653£4,0814.31790
31/03/15£10,148£10,184£-36£666£4,831£2,6183.11560
31/03/14£11,100£9,868£1,232£402£5,035£3,0263.71690
31/03/13£11,373£10,270£1,103£353£3,803£1,9042.21730
31/03/12£10,449£10,268£181£379£2,700£1,5591.81690
31/03/11£10,769£10,780£-11£405£1,623£8280.91620
31/03/10£10,285£10,465£-180£499£1,634£1,1041.31560
31/03/09£9,590£9,751£-161£508£1,814£1,3631.71480
31/03/08£8,215£9,674£-1,459£442£1,846£1,2891.61390
31/03/07£9,464£8,186£1,278£434£3,304£1,1161.61280
31/03/06£6,900£6,693£207n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/05£6,587£6,326£261n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/04£5,586£5,435£151n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 17.5%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 14.6%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 5%
Highest pay band: £120,000-£130,000
Liabilities/Assets: 34%
Liabilities/Income: 19%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 94%
Reserves/Spending: 3.7 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 3 months
Quick Ratio: 2
Asset Split ?
Balance Sheet History
Established: 46 years

www.refuge.org.uk

esther_brown@refuge.org.uk

02073957700

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Accommodation/Housing
  • Education/Training
  • Human Rights/Religious Or Racial Harmony/Equality Or Diversity
  • The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
  • 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 buildings/facilities/open space
  • Provides services
  • Sponsors or undertakes research
Where it operates
  • Throughout England,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • Elderly/Old People
  • Other Defined Groups
  • People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin
  • People With Disabilities

Who supports them? ?

Awards received
  • Charity Times 2016 Awards Charity of the Year, income > £10m
  • Charity Awards 2023 Social Care, Advice and Support
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
Home Office£1,942,570
Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government£1,804,770
National Emergencies Trust£1,443,378
National Lottery Community Fund£497,587
Greater London Authority£479,528
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
London Borough of Hounslow - Grant to Refuge
£1,000 18/01/2024
To finance the facilitator training and the delivery of the Own My Life course to victims of domestic abuse.
Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime - Grant to Refuge
£182,800 13/03/2023
Extension of Ministry of Justice IDVA funding for FY 2023/24 and 24/25
Vision Foundation - Reducing barriers to access for blind and visually impaired survivors of Domestic Abuse
£43,977 08/03/2023
9
Our project proposes to meet your core strategic aim of empowering those at risk, by improving pathways to support for visually impaired survivors of domestic abuse nationally. We recognise the gaps highlighted in the Unseen report and have sought ....more
Garfield Weston Foundation - Multi-Year Grant (2 Years) award
£50,000 07/10/2022
24
Core Costs
Greater London Authority - Continuation Grant
£330,736 01/04/2022
Move on support  (1 worker plus budget) 
Home Office - Violence Against Women and Girls - helplines
£1,000,000 24/02/2022
The Home Office (HO) published a Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy on 8 March 2016 setting out an ambitious programme to make tackling VAWG everybodys business, ensure victims and survivors get the support they need and inspire ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Eastern European Advocacy Service
£497,587 11/02/2022
The project is using funding to support its Eastern European Advocacy Service in West London which delivers tailored culturally sensitive support for women who are survivors of domestic abuse and gender-based violence. The service provides ....more
Home Office - VAWG By and For Services
£307,874 05/01/2022
As committed in the Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, the Home Office will provide an additional £1.5 million funding for 'by and for' service provision and further increase funding for valuable specialist services for victims of ....more
Masonic Trust - MCF COVID-19 Large Grant
£200,000 08/10/2021
Supporting Refuge's helpline service in response to the pressures from the Covid-19 pandemic
Home Office - Violence Against Women and Girls - helplines
£500,000 13/05/2021
The Home Office (HO) published a Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy on 8 March 2016 setting out an ambitious programme to make tackling VAWG everybodys business, ensure victims and survivors get the support they need and inspire ....more
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Refuge
£30,000 21/12/2020
This project will provide play sessions through a Child Support Worker for children affected by domestic abuse. Activities will provide a feeling of physical safety, support dealing with the effects of trauma and increase positive relationships.
National Emergencies Trust - NET Restricted Funding for Covid-19 Domestic abuse helplines
£124,848 16/12/2020
Funding will also support the development of web-based services and CRM infrastructure. Other consortia partners include: Nexus NI, Scottish Women’s Aid, Welsh Women’s Aid
National Emergencies Trust - NET Restricted Funding for Covid-19 Domestic abuse helplines
£1,318,530 01/10/2020
Expanded capacity and co-ordination of national helplines in each of the four UK nations. Funding will also support the development of web-based services and CRM infrastructure. Other consortia partners include: Nexus NI, Scottish Women’s Aid, ....more
The London Community Foundation - Grant to Refuge
£153,454 17/07/2020
Additional costs due to COVID-19 lockdown until end of October 2020 as outlined in your application budget. Please note that your application has been part funded as confirmed with you by MOPAC.
Home Office - Covid-19 Support for Domestic Abuse Charities
£65,393 06/07/2020
Organisations providing services and support for vulnerable people, for which there will be increased demand as a result of the COVID-19 crisis
Comic Relief - Refuge Recovery Funding
£27,090 23/06/2020
6
COVID19 Recovery funding
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Refuge
£3,000 17/06/2020
6
COVID19 - This grant will contribute to the salary of a full-time Child Support Worker to provide practical telephone support to families who have experienced domestic violence who are isolated at home due to Covid-19, and support their emotional ....more
Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government - Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation: COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund
£902,385 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
Cambridgeshire Community Foundation - Grant to Refuge
£5,000 06/05/2020
9
to support refuges across Cambridgeshire which have seen an increase in demand in the current situation. This will keep 100 women and children safe from domestic abuse, maintain a basic standard of living, and support children’s education and well ....more
London Borough of Southwark - Grant to Refuge
£5,000 01/04/2020
COVID-19 community grants wave 2 grant from the Finance & Governance department
Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government - DOMESTIC ABUSE
£902,385 01/04/2020
A further 25 charities will receive a share of 1 million boost as part of the governments 10 million emergency fund.
Home Office - COVID-19 Support For Domestic Abuse Charities 20-21
£65,393 01/04/2020
This grant is intended to provide funding to organisations whose primary purpose is to improve the response to DA, either through providing support to victims who have experienced DA, or through providing support to front-line services, including ....more
Home Office - REFUGE
£3,910 01/04/2020
The purpose of this funding is to provide additional funds for DA charities to help them cope with the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic/lockdown; to enable them to continue to meet their usual levels of demand, to keep pace with rising levels ....more
Greater London Authority - Refuge
£148,792 01/01/2020
Positive activities for young people involved in crime or at risk of crime or exclusion
DCMS - Refuge
£35,678 01/04/2019
The purpose of the Tampon Tax Fund is to allocate the funds generated from the VAT on sanitary products to projects that improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£50,000 25/01/2019
Refuge Housing Provision
Ministry of Justice - Community Investment Fund
£50,000 01/01/2019
To provide emotional support to help women overcome their experiences of violence, educate them about domestic violence and the links between abuse and offending and support them in navigating the criminal justice system.
Home Office - Violence against Women & Girls Helplines 18-19
£312,500 01/04/2018
Ending Violence against Women and Girls
DCMS - Refuge
£136,538 01/04/2018
The purpose of the Tampon Tax Fund is to allocate the funds generated from the VAT on sanitary products to projects that improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls.
National Lottery Community Fund - Eastern European Independent Gender Violence Advocacy Service
£499,935 01/11/2017
35
This group will develop their project, to improve the level of support to women from Eastern European communities who are experiencing violence and domestic abuse against women and girls. They will establish an outreach service, providing a safe ....more
DCMS - Refuge
£77,784 11/09/2017
The purpose of the Tampon Tax Fund is to allocate the funds generated from the VAT on sanitary products to projects that improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls.
Comic Relief - Refuge: using tech to tackle tech abuse
£43,400 19/07/2017
12
The project has two main components:1) Improving IMPACT, which is Refuge’s cloud-based case management tool, to include tech abuse risk assessment as part of effective individual case management (including collecting evidence of criminal activity ....more
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£50,000 08/06/2017
Refuge Provision - Life Saving Support
Home Office - Violence against Women & Girls Helplines 17-18
£250,000 01/04/2017
Ending Violence against Women and Girls
National Lottery Community Fund - Safe@RAADA
£92,612 03/06/2016
30
Safe@RAADA
Comic Relief - Female offender outreach project - Derby
£127,097 16/03/2016
36
It is estimated that between 50-80% of women in prison have experienced domestic or sexual violence, with many being coerced into crime by controlling partners. Upon release from prison many do not receive the support that they need with support ....more
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Refuge
£84,600 28/01/2016
36
£84,600 over three years (£27,600; £28,200; £28,800) towards the part-time salaries (2 x 18.75 per week) of two child support workers in Lewisham.
Comic Relief - National Domestic Violence Helpline
£325,000 18/03/2015
60
In England domestic abuse and violence remains a prevalent threat to the safety of thousands of women and men each year. Two women are killed every week by a current of former partner. Since Comic Relief helped establish the National Domestic ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Refuge Eastern European independent domestic violence advocacy service
£241,219 19/09/2012
36
Support for Eastern European women experiencing domestic violence, to escape the abuse and rebuild their lives in safety. Women will be provided with information, advice, practical and emotional support to enable them to rebuild their lives and ....more
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (10)
Current Trustees appointed

Age Range of Trustees: 39-62
  • ALEXANDRA SUFIT Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Social Impact Consultant
  • AMY LAUREN NELSEN Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Director
  • AYANNA NELSON Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Barrister
  • DHEEPA BALASUNDARAM Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Chartered Accountant
  • HENRIETTA BARKWORTH-NANTON (Chair) Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Chief Executive
  • JEREMY JAMES LEWIS Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Managing Director
  • JONATHAN VINCENT DOMINIC ROWNEY Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Director Of Corporate Services
  • JUSTIN JAMES DERBYSHIRE Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Non Executive Director
  • MEERA BEDI Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Head Of New Build
  • SELINA SAGAYAM Appointed: 2018, Occupation: Lawyer
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 13/03/1979, number: 277424
  • Registered at Companies House on 30/01/1979, number: 01412276
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Other Regulators
  • Homes England
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; all on time
Recent reorganisation events:
  • Asset transfer in from THE FORBES CHARITABLE TRUST on 15/11/2024
Main office

Refuge
c/o Fora, Tintagel House (TH)
92 Albert Embankment
LONDON
SE1 7TY

Objectives

1. TO PROVIDE FOR THE RELIEF OF WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN OR OTHER VICTIMS WHO HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO: (I) PHYSICAL, SEXUAL, EMOTIONAL AND/OR MENTAL ABUSE WITHIN AN INTIMATE OR 'FAMILY' RELATIONSHIP ('DOMESTIC VIOLENCE'); OR (II) OTHER GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, WHICH TERM, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THESE ARTICLES, SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO RAPE, PROSTITUTION, GANG VIOLENCE, SEX-TRAFFICKING OR FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION, IN EITHER OF CASES (I) OR (II) ABOVE, THROUGHOUT THE UNITED KINGDOM AND ABROAD;2. TO PROVIDE SPECIALIST SUPPORTED HOUSING AND SOCIAL HOUSING AND ANY ASSOCIATED AMENITIES IN ENGLAND, DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO ARE THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND/OR OTHER GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, AND OTHER SERVICES DESIGNED TO FACILITATE THEIR ONWARD PROGRESSION; AND3. TO ADVANCE PUBLIC EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND TRAINING ON UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT THE UNITED KINGDOM AND ABROAD

Defined Area of Benefit:

UNITED KINGDOM AND ABROAD

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

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