Finance Score: -4

Governance Score: 3

Support Score: 3

Accounts filed more than 5 days late: -2 times
Deficit latest year: -2
No PartB

Gender balanced board: +3

Gov Income
Grant maker support: +3

Overall GiG Score: 2

THE BRISTOL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY

Provides information and promotes knowledge about the peoples and countries of the Commonwealth, providing a meeting place for members, maintains library, holds meetings, talks and lectures on the Commonwealth, supports young people and students in studies relating to the Commonwealth, cooperates with other organizations interested or working in Commonwealth countries.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

The charity has received Government grants
Spending has increased over the last 3 years relative to the previous period
There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of gender

Financial issues to consider:

A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data
Accounts have been filed late on 2 occasions over the last 5 years and the current period appears to have been extended
Income was significantly lower than spending in the latest year

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
31/12/22	*	£60	£77	£-17	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/12/21		£65	£51	£14	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/12/20		£72	£45	£27	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/12/19	*	£53	£44	£9	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/12/18		£57	£51	£6	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/17		£45	£46	£-1	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/16		£51	£64	£-14	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/15	*	£40	£67	£-27	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/14		£39	£82	£-42	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/13		£47	£83	£-35	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/12		£44	£77	£-33	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/11		£37	£52	£-16	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/10		£39	£47	£-9	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/09		£42	£59	£-17	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/08		£47	£51	£-4	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/07		£47	£45	£2	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/06		£41	£47	£-7	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/05		£41	£40	£1	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0
31/12/04		£39	£58	£-19	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0

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Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Established: 29 years

www.bcsbristol.org.uk

info@bcsbristol.org.uk

01179734720

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Listed activities

Economic/Community Development/Employment
Education/Training
General Charitable Purposes

GiG Classification

Scientific research and testing services

How it operates

Makes Grants to Individuals
Makes Grants to Organisations
Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides buildings/facilities/open space

Where it operates

Bath And North East Somerset, Bristol City, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
Other Defined Groups
People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin
The General Public/Mankind

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.

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Bristol Commonwealth Society
£250	13/02/2024	As requested by the donor towards the Society's work of raising awareness of the Commonwealth, its peoples, cultures and histories; promoting social inclusion and celebrating diversity.

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (9)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Based on 8/9 persons

SIBUSISO TSHABALALA Appointed: 2018

CHRISTOPHER EDDISON-COGAN Appointed: 2022

CHRISTOPHER SERLE Appointed: 2015

DR THOMAS FREWIN Appointed: 2021

JANET KIRK Appointed: 2011

JANIS PURDY Appointed: 2016

MICHAEL BARNARD Appointed: 2016

ROBIN DANNY ELMS Appointed: 2014

DR KAY BARNARD (Chair) Appointed: 2012, Occupation: International Development Consultant, Other trusteeship: THE BURDEN NEUROLOGICAL INSTITUTE LIMITED,

Legal constitution

Charity registered in England & Wales on 14/08/1995, number: 1048637

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Complaints handling
Conflicting interests
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Volunteer management

Filing Record

19 returns made; AR22: 107 days late, AR19: 16 days late, AR15: 4 days late,

Main office

BRISTOL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY
14 WHITELADIES ROAD
BRISTOL
BS8 1PD

Objectives

(1) THE CHARITIES OBJECTS (HEREINAFTER CALLED THE OBJECTS) ARE TO ADVANCE EDUCATION AND TO PROMOTE WITHIN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND OVERSEAS THE INCREASE AND SPREAD OF KNOWLEDGE RESPECTING THE PEOPLES AND COUNTRIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH(2) WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING SUB-CLAUSE IN FURTHERANCE OF THE OBJECTS (BUT NOT OTHERWISE) THE CHARITY MAY:(I) PROVIDE A MEETING PLACE IN BRISTOL FOR ITS MEMBERS(II) MAINTAIN A LIBRARY(III) HOLD MEETINGS AT SUCH INTERVALS AS THEY SHALL DETERMINE FOR THE DISCUSSION OF SUBJECTS OF COMMONWEALTH AND OTHER INTEREST(IV) ENCOURAGE THE STUDY OF THE GEOGRAPHY ETHNOLOGY HISTORY LITERATURE ART NATURAL RESOURCES ECONOMICS AND OTHER SUBJECTS OF COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES IN ANY MANNER THAT THE CHARITY SHALL DETERMINE(V) PROMOTE THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE WAYS OF LIFE IN COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES AND ENCOURAGE INTERCHANGE OF IDEAS(VI) ENCOURAGE MUTUAL INTEREST IN COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE(VII) CO-OPERATE WITH OTHER CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS(VIII) USE ANY OTHER CHARITABLE METHOD PROPER TO THE CARRYING OUT OF THE OBJECTS

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED

Data Sources