Finance Score: 0

Governance Score: 3

Support Score: 6

Strong growth: +2
Deficit latest year: -2
No PartB

Gender balanced board: +3

Grant maker support: +6

Overall GiG Score: 9

BETTER LIVES - STRENGTHENING INDEPENDENCE LTD

Provision of advocacy services and support to enable the elderly in Knowsley to obtain their full rights and privileges as citizens.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
There have been no material income shortfalls in recent 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 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
Income was 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	Volun- teers
31/03/23		£109	£122	£-13	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
31/03/22		£143	£134	£10	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	6
31/03/21		£101	£106	£-4	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	4
31/03/20		£92	£70	£22	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	4
31/03/19		£61	£61	£0	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	6
31/03/18		£73	£63	£9	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/17		£85	£88	£-3	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/16		£104	£109	£-6	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/15		£112	£110	£2	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/14		£50	£115	£-65	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/13		£141	£125	£16	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/12		£162	£123	£39	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/11		£119	£113	£6	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/10		£102	£102	£0	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/09	*	£97	£97	£0	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/08		£91	£88	£3	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/07	*	£58	£70	£-12	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/06		£77	£76	£0	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/05		£83	£76	£7	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/04		£71	£78	£-7	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Established: 26 years

www.better-lives.org.uk

01514493706

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Listed activities

General Charitable Purposes

GiG Classification

Other individual and family services

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information

Where it operates

Knowsley,

Who it helps

Elderly/Old People

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	£340,945
DCMS	£17,659
CAF	£2,850

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
National Lottery Community Fund - CORE
£330,945	12/12/2022	The funding will support Better Lives-strengthening Independence ( BLSI ) to deliver outreach home based support services including practical support and advice information and help with daily living ....more The funding will support Better Lives-strengthening Independence ( BLSI ) to deliver outreach home based support services including practical support and advice information and help with daily living for older people based in Knowsley. The organisation will offer practical support for older people through advice companionship help with benefit claims resettlement after a stay in hospital and referral to activities and services in the community. The project will reduce isolation and loneliness improve mental health increase independence community involvement and wellbeing.
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£17,659	09/09/2020	"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 ....more "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 services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."
CAF - Grant to Knowsley Pensioners Advocacy and Information Service
£2,850	01/07/2020 3	Grant to Knowsley Pensioners Advocacy and Information Service to support the organisation through COVID19
National Lottery Community Fund - S.H.O.P Supporters Helping Older People in Knowsley
£10,000	22/05/2020 3	The funding will be used to provide support to elderly people by providing a shopping provision and a virtual befriending support during the current corona virus epidemic. The project aims to connect ....more The funding will be used to provide support to elderly people by providing a shopping provision and a virtual befriending support during the current corona virus epidemic. The project aims to connect with older people by providing them with essential items and reduce loneliness.
National Lottery Community Fund - KPAIS ADVOCAFE project
£10,000	09/08/2018 12	The organisation will support four groups of older people to encourage mutual support, engagement and peer advocacy across the borough, with the aim of reducing isolation through peer support.
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to Knowsley Pensioners Advocacy & Information Service
£26,000	26/04/2013	The Charity provides advocacy and support to enable older people to obtain their full rights as citizens to enhance their quality of life. The grant will fund the Independent Advocate who will enable ....more The Charity provides advocacy and support to enable older people to obtain their full rights as citizens to enhance their quality of life. The grant will fund the Independent Advocate who will enable the voice of people over 60 to be heard.

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (5)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees:

ADELE WOOD Appointed: 2023

KARL HART Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Community Manager

PAULINE WHITTAKER Appointed: 2023

MARY SPREADBURY Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Retired

TOM BEST (Chair), Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeship: PRESCOT & WHISTON COMMUNITY ADVICE CENTRE,

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 29/07/1998, number: 1070751
Registered at Companies House on 30/06/1998, number: 03590240

Gift Aid

NOT registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
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
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
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; AR09: 3 days late, AR07: 34 days late,

Main office

The Old Schoolhouse
St Johns Road
Huyton
L36 0UX

Objectives

TO PROMOTE THE RELIEF OF THE ELDERLY IN KNOWSLEY IN ANY MANNER DEEMED CHARITABLE IN LAW AND IN PARTICULAR BY THE PROVISION OF ADVICE, COUNSELLING SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY SERVICES IN ORDER TO ASSIST SUCH PERSONS TO OBTAIN HIS OR HER FULL RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES AS A CITIZEN

Defined Area of Benefit:

KNOWSLEY

Data Sources