Finance Score: -1

Governance Score: 3

Support Score: 11

Reasonable growth: +1
Multiple Deficits: -2
No PartB

Dynamic board: +3

Large volunteers +3
Grant maker support: +8

Overall GiG Score: 13

BEDFORDSHIRE REFUGEE AND ASYLUM SEEKER SUPPORT

We are a charity run by one paid co-ordinator and six and volunteers with an overall executive committee. We provide 2 drop in advice surgeries, an English Language Befriending project and an annual Summer outing, a women's social group and other social activitiesWe also provide regular website updates for our contacts and our service users.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
There has been reasonable growth in spending over the last 3 years relative to the previous period
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
The Board appears to be dynamic in terms of composition

Financial issues to consider:

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

Established: 21 years

www.brassbedford.org.uk

info@brass27b.org

01234211381

Charity Commission for England and Wales

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	£142	£165	£-23	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	50
31/03/22	£122	£171	£-49	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	23
31/03/21	£161	£159	£2	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	8
31/03/20	£162	£150	£12	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	40
31/03/19	£158	£116	£42	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	35
31/03/18	£158	£111	£47	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/17	£129	£111	£18	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/16	£144	£75	£69	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/15	£78	£69	£9	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/14	£78	£69	£9	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/13	£47	£60	£-13	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/12	£43	£50	£-6	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/11	£53	£53	£0	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/10	£37	£40	£-3	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/09	£29	£10	£20	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/08	£22	£23	£-1	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/07	£14	£5	£9	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/06	£7	£6	£2	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/05?	£10	£9	£1	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
30/09/04	£7	£9	£-2	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Listed activities

Accommodation/Housing
Disability
Economic/Community Development/Employment
Education/Training
General Charitable Purposes
The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides buildings/facilities/open space
Provides human resources
Provides services

Where it operates

Bedford, Central Bedfordshire,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Elderly/Old People
People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin
People With Disabilities

Who works here?

Unknown number of employees
50 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	£250,000
Harpur Trust	£47,916
Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation	£20,000

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation - 350 refugees and asylum seekers will have access to personalised support, advice and activities to help them integrate into the community and develop as individuals.
£20,000	22/09/2022	Post Covid - Building Better Futures
National Lottery Community Fund - Flexible Services for Future Need
£250,000	02/12/2021	The funding will be used to continue offering emotional financial and practical support for people who are refugees or seeking asylum in the Bedford Borough area. BRASS was established in 1998 as a ....more The funding will be used to continue offering emotional financial and practical support for people who are refugees or seeking asylum in the Bedford Borough area. BRASS was established in 1998 as a volunteer led service to support the growing numbers of refugees and asylum seekers arriving with no access to financial or practical support. Over the years the offer has been extended to advocacy resolving legal issues and benefits English tuition a women’s group and other social activities in order to help people improve their quality of life meet new people and enter employment or education. Services will include delivery of phone and appointment advice surgeries concerning specialist welfare benefits immigration and resettlement case support and one to one access to training and employment support.
Harpur Trust - Bedfordshire Refugee Asylum Seeker Support
£28,000	08/09/2020	BRASS -Ensuring Future Sustainability
Harpur Trust - Bedfordshire Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support
£19,916	10/09/2019 24	Strengthening BRASS - Administration Support
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£10,000	06/02/2018	Onwards and Upwards
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Bedfordshire Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support (BRASS)
£10,000	31/10/2017	£10,000 towards core costs. Bedfordshire Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support aims to overcome isolation and exclusion amongst asylum seekers and refugees. The services they provide include English ....more £10,000 towards core costs. Bedfordshire Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support aims to overcome isolation and exclusion amongst asylum seekers and refugees. The services they provide include English classes, information and advice on immigration and housing, and a weekly women's group.
National Lottery Community Fund - BRASS - Better Lives, Secure Futures
£300,000	02/12/2015 60	This is the expansion of a project to support refugees and asylum seekers in Bedfordshire facing barriers to resettlement and integration. This will provide support and advice on care services, legal ....more This is the expansion of a project to support refugees and asylum seekers in Bedfordshire facing barriers to resettlement and integration. This will provide support and advice on care services, legal issues and benefits, as well as English tuition and a womenâ€™s group and other social activities, to help people improve their quality of life, meet new people and enter employment or education. The project will be delivered by staff and volunteers, including people previously been supported by the service.
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to Bedfordshire Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support
£20,650	26/04/2013	the charity provides advice, language support and social activities to refugees and asylum seekers in Bedford. The grant will support the salary costs and enable them to support volunteers to provide ....more the charity provides advice, language support and social activities to refugees and asylum seekers in Bedford. The grant will support the salary costs and enable them to support volunteers to provide advice surgeries and develop befriending relations
National Lottery Community Fund - Onward and Upwards
£75,974	14/08/2012 48	Bedfordshire Refugee and Asylum Seekers Support receives Â£75,974 to provide a range of services including practical information, advice and guidance to refugee and asylum seekers to help them ....more Bedfordshire Refugee and Asylum Seekers Support receives Â£75,974 to provide a range of services including practical information, advice and guidance to refugee and asylum seekers to help them understand the issues associated with settling into a new community and the language and cultural barriers.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (6)

Current Trustees appointed

JAMES BIGGS Appointed: 2015

JO TESTER Appointed: 2023

MORRIS JOHNS (Chair) Appointed: 2016, Other trusteeships: ACTION BY CHRISTIANS AGAINST TORTURE, PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, Turvey Overseas Education Support,

REV SANDRA HOWES Appointed: 2023

SANJA RADIC Appointed: 2012

VICTORIA HILLIARD Appointed: 2011

Legal constitution

Charity registered in England & Wales on 07/04/2003, number: 1096874

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
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
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; all on time

Main office

C/O 27B TAVISTOCK STREET
BEDFORD
MK40 2RB

Objectives

FOR THE BENEFIT OF REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE COUNTY OF BEDFORDSHIRE TO ASSIST IN THE RELIEF OF POVERTY, HARDSHIP AND DISTRESS.

Defined Area of Benefit:

BEDFORDSHIRE

Data Sources