Finance Score: -5
Governance Score: 6
Support Score: 4
  • Multiple Deficits and declines: -5
  • No PartB
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Overall weighted support: +4
Overall GiG Score: 5 ?

SUFFOLK BEFRIENDING SCHEME FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

To provide Drop In type Centres and a care farm throughout Suffolk, whereby vulnerable people can come and have coffee, learn crafts and generally meet friends in a friendly environment. Also we provide registered Volunteer Befrienders to vulnerable adults formingbefriending links, and training opportunities that TBS provides through a structured programme of activities and events.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • 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:

  • Income has been volatile and on several occasions in recent years less than spending
  • A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data

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
31/03/24£315£444£-129n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/23*£414£558£-144n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/22£411£414£-4n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/21£544£381£163£0£565£37911.914100
31/03/20?£532£506£25£2£402£2425.720150
31/03/18£582£535£47£9£343£2605.8210
31/03/17£465£501£-36n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/16£451£502£-50n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/15£392£438£-45n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/14£495£410£85n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/13£472£367£105n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/12£408£344£64n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/11£314£292£21n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/10£203£224£-21n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/09£207£195£12n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/08£157£185£-28n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/07£163£191£-29n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/06£147£183£-36n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/05£238£164£74n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/04£203£141£62n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000
Balance Sheet History
Established: 26 years

www.thebefriendingscheme.org.uk

info@thebefriendingscheme.org.uk

01787371333

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Amateur Sport
  • Animals
  • Disability
  • Economic/Community Development/Employment
  • Education/Training
  • Other Charitable Purposes
  • The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
GiG Classification
  • Social youth organisations
How it operates
  • Acts as an umbrella or resource body
  • Other charitable activities
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides human resources
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • Elderly/Old People
  • Other Defined Groups
  • People With Disabilities

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
Power to Change£51,540
Suffolk Community Foundation£20,000
Sport England£8,739
BBC Children in Need£500
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Power to Change - SUFFOLK BEFRIENDING SCHEME FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES (RCF)
£10,000 12/12/2022
Grant to SUFFOLK BEFRIENDING SCHEME FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES (RCF)
BBC Children in Need - Grant to The Befriending Scheme
£500 20/10/2022
0
‘Cost of Living uplift: £500 to help projects meet their rising costs and respond to increased demand 31/10/2022’
Power to Change - Renewal - Suffolk Befriending Scheme for people with learning disabilities
£17,880 17/03/2021
Grant to Renewal - Suffolk Befriending Scheme for people with learning disabilities
Suffolk Community Foundation - Keeping in touch
£5,000 22/01/2021
2
Towards salaries so staff can continue to provide the valuable Befriending Service and activities for their vulnerable members during this third lockdown.
Suffolk Community Foundation - Grant to The Befriending Scheme
£5,000 30/10/2020
1
To enable The Befriending Scheme to continue to offer services to all their members during the Covid 19 period.
Power to Change - C-19 Response - Suffolk Befriending Scheme For People With Learning Disabilities
£23,660 22/06/2020
Grant to C-19 Response - Suffolk Befriending Scheme For People With Learning Disabilities
Suffolk Community Foundation - Keeping in touch - core running costs
£5,000 29/05/2020
3
Towards core costs for support for those with learning disabilities. Covid19
Suffolk Community Foundation - Grant to The Befriending Scheme
£5,000 02/04/2020
3
To offer alternative support for those with disabilities who are contacting The Befriending Scheme. Covid19
Sport England - Fit and Fab
£8,739 04/03/2020
19
Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled Fit and Fab. This project is a Multi Sports project, with a focus on beneficiaries with a disability.
Suffolk Community Foundation - Grant to The Befriending Scheme
£180,000 25/09/2019
36
Towards three years core funding, enabling support to adults with learning disabilities and mental health issues.
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Befriending Scheme
£180,000 11/09/2019
36
towards three years' continuation funding of a project providing befriending support to adults with learning disabilities in Suffolk
BBC Children in Need - Grant to The Befriending Scheme
£46,695 26/06/2019
36
This project offers twice weekly stay and play café sessions for 0-4 year olds from military families. Children and their families will become less isolated, increase their access to support services and experience increased school readiness.
Suffolk Community Foundation - Joy Abbott Fund One to One befriending
£3,000 03/06/2019
12
Towards core costs for the Sudbury area.
Suffolk Community Foundation - Social Activity club/ respite breaks
£18,584 26/03/2019
11
Towards social activities and respite care for carers.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to The Befriending Scheme
£3,066 19/11/2018
We offer a befriending service for adults with learning disabilities and the elderly. Money will go on staff, training and marketing.
Power to Change - Suffolk Befriending Scheme For People With Learning Disabilities
£282,250 22/10/2018
Grant to Suffolk Befriending Scheme For People With Learning Disabilities
Suffolk Community Foundation - Friends Farm Hub
£4,910 03/10/2018
11
Towards creating a Friends Farm Hub for those with learning disabilities.
National Lottery Community Fund - MYSOUND (Music Project for young people)
£8,896 19/07/2018
12
The project will run a programme of music based sessions for adults with learning disabilities in order to provide new skills and reduce isolation.
Suffolk Community Foundation - Keeping Safe on Line
£5,501 13/06/2018
6
Towards online safety training workshops for members with learning disabilities.
Power to Change - The Befriending Scheme
£4,951 01/01/2018
Grant to The Befriending Scheme
Suffolk Community Foundation - Friends Farm HUB
£3,822 14/12/2017
11
Towards the start up costs of a new Farm Hub
Suffolk Community Foundation - Friends Farm Hub ( Submission agreed with Andrea)
£5,000 23/11/2017
10
Towards equipment for a Friends Farm Hub used to provide training and work experience for members with learning disabilities.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£7,500 24/07/2017
Core costs
National Lottery Community Fund - TPP2 - Young Person's Songwriting Project
£49,852 13/04/2017
12
The group will deliver music workshops for young people with learning disabilities, giving them the opportunity to work together to write, record and perform their own songs. Many of these young people have experienced marginalisation or have felt ....more
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Befriending Scheme
£60,000 09/06/2016
36
towards three years' continuation funding for the Operations Manager at a project providing befriending services for adults with learning disabilities in Suffolk
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Befriending Scheme
£45,000 14/03/2013
36
towards three years' salary of a Team and Projects Manager to develop befriending services for adults with learning disabilities in Suffolk
National Lottery Community Fund - Continuation Funding for Community Volunteer and Advice Centres
£155,146 11/02/2013
12
A one stop community advice place and support facilities for vulnerable adults, predominantly those with learning disabilities, at seven centres across Suffolk. Assisted by a large and varied volunteer bank, the centres offer various services ....more
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (6)
Current Trustees appointed

Age Range of Trustees: 37-64
  • FIONA JANE BERRY Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Senior Contracts Manager
  • FRANCES TORRINGTON Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Retired
  • JAMIE PHYTHIAN Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Front Of House
  • LIGHT ONYEKACHI EBUKA Appointed: 2023
  • MICHAEL NICHOLLS Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Consultant (Security And Management)
  • PIERS ROBERTS Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Retired
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 23/03/1999, number: 1074800
  • Registered at Companies House on 17/07/1998, number: 03599476
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
  • 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
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
20 returns made; AR23: 7 days late,
Main office

Above Northcroft Social Club
1 The Croft
Sudbury
Suffolk
CO10 1HN

Objectives

For the public benefit, to relieve people and their families who are disadvantaged by reason of age, learning disability, physical disability, ill mental health or financial hardship in particular but not exclusively by the provision of community, recreational, educational and befriending services in the region of East Anglia

Defined Area of Benefit:

SUFFOLK AND THE ANGLIAN AREA

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

Tips for Selecting Charities

Which areas of philanthropy are most effective?
The text of this post is taken from an article on the Effective Altruism forum. It suggests that you can achieve the most impact by supporting causes that fight extreme poverty, improving animal welfare....more
Our Top Tips for Philanthropy
Here are some ideas to help you gain more satisfaction from your philanthropy and confidence that the causes you have selected are impactful. Engage your brain, as well as your heart You....more
How to become a Philanthropist
In this Blog we outline a strategy to help people who are new to philanthropy and for those who feel dissatisfied with the impact they are having. Effective philanthropy is immensely rewarding for donors,....more

Giving is Great