Finance Score: 3
Governance Score: 6
Support Score: 7
  • Fundraising costs low: +3
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Grant maker support: +7
Overall GiG Score: 16 ?

SOCIAL LIFE OPPORTUNITIES (SOLO) 

Provision of leisure/social activities for children/adults with learning disabilities living within Solihull or the surrounding areas. Provision of respite to the parents/carers of children and adults with learning disabilites receiving our leisure services. Support to other local organisations providing services to children/adults with LD. Provision of volunteering opportunities.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • Spending has increased over the last 3 years relative to the previous period, despite a decline more recently
  • There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
  • Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
  • 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 gender
Established: 20 years

www.sociallifeopportunities.org

info@sololifeopportunities.org

01217793865

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookX
UN SDGs
?

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£2,149£2,135£15£8£634£6143.51468
31/03/22£2,032£2,001£31£6£619£5873.518920
31/03/21£2,191£2,182£8£6£588£539323420
31/03/20£2,351£2,416£-66£7£579£5132.525480
31/03/19£1,932£1,902£29£27£645£5683.627290
31/03/18£1,480£1,358£122£37£616£5364.72100
31/03/17£1,229£1,219£10£29£494£3793.7700
31/03/16£1,016£1,002£14£29£484£33441850
31/03/15£1,079£944£135£43£470£2753.5120
31/03/14£931£866£65£49£335£2313.2260
31/03/13£702£710£-8£57£270£2544.3170
31/03/12£578£627£-50£54£277£2554.9190
31/03/11£624£603£21£36£327£2996130
31/03/10£589£521£69£34£306£270.6120
31/03/09£500£410£90£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/08£350£317£33£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/07£253£268£-14£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/06£303£264£39£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/05£312£222£90£0£0£0n/a00

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 0.4%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 0.4%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 18%
Liabilities/Income: 7%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 97%
Reserves/Spending: 3.5 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 2 months
Quick Ratio: 2
Asset Split ?
What it does
  • Amateur Sport
  • Arts/Culture/Heritage/Science
  • Disability
Who works here?
  • 146 employees
  • 8 volunteers
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • People With Disabilities
How it operates
  • Acts as an umbrella or resource body
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides buildings/facilities/open space
  • Provides human resources
Where it operates
  • Birmingham City, Solihull, Warwickshire,

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
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - Computer Vision and IoT for Personalised Site Monitoring Analytics in Real-Time (CV-SMART) towards Behaviour-Based Safety
£23,977 01/04/2022
Full Grant details (including summaries) can be found on the Gateway to Research website: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=106298
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - Protection and Resilience for OLE using Computer Vision Techniques (PROLECT)
£247,115 01/04/2022
Full Grant details (including summaries) can be found on the Gateway to Research website: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10039201
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£10,000 22/09/2020
"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
DCMS - Youth Investment Fund
£99,899 01/04/2020
The Youth Investment Fund aims to expand, create and strengthen the sustainability of open-access youth services in six disadvantaged regions in the country. It will also expand the evidence base of ....more
DCMS - Youth Investment Fund
£99,899 01/04/2020
The Youth Investment Fund aims to expand, create and strengthen the sustainability of open-access youth services in six disadvantaged regions in the country. It will also expand the evidence base of ....more
DCMS - Youth Investment Fund
£99,899 01/04/2019
.
DCMS - Youth Investment Fund
£99,899 01/04/2019
.
National Lottery Community Fund - Garden Makeover
£9,950 20/12/2018
12
This funding will be used to fund a sensory garden for people with additional needs. The project aims to engage individuals in outdoor activities to enhance their personal and physical development.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to SoLO Life Opportunities
£2,849 19/11/2018
We want to buy specialist equipment so members with more profound and complex disabilities can take part in our programme.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to SoLO Life Opportunities
£94,490 23/10/2018
36
This project is a weekly youth club and 6 overnight breaks per year working with disabled young people with complex needs. The project aims to reduce isolation, increase independence and enable young ....more
DCMS - Youth Investment Fund
£99,899 01/05/2018
The Youth Investment Fund aims to expand, create and strengthen the sustainability of open-access youth services in six disadvantaged regions in the country. It will also expand the evidence base of ....more
DCMS - Youth Investment Fund
£99,899 01/05/2018
The Youth Investment Fund aims to expand, create and strengthen the sustainability of open-access youth services in six disadvantaged regions in the country. It will also expand the evidence base of ....more
DCMS - Youth Investment Fund
£99,899 01/05/2018
The Youth Investment Fund aims to expand, create and strengthen the sustainability of open-access youth services in six disadvantaged regions in the country. It will also expand the evidence base of ....more
DCMS - Youth Investment Fund
£99,899 01/05/2018
The Youth Investment Fund aims to expand, create and strengthen the sustainability of open-access youth services in six disadvantaged regions in the country. It will also expand the evidence base of ....more
Wolfson Foundation - Grant to SoLO Life Opportunities
£20,000 08/12/2016
Two storey extension of day centre
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to SoLO Life Opportunities
£20,000 21/10/2016
towards refurbishing and reconstructing internal building for a charity which works with disabled people in Birmingham
National Lottery Community Fund - Accreditation for All
£10,000 05/08/2015
12
The group will use the funding to provide an opportunity for staff and volunteers to gain a foundation Care Certificate qualification in line with a change in legislation. This will allow ....more
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to Solihull Life Opportunities
£42,600 28/01/2013
A charity supporting people across Solihull with varying levels of disability to engage in meaningful social and leisure activities with support from Volunteers who in turn are supported to a high ....more
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (7)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split
Based on 6/7 persons

Age Range of Trustees: 47-69
  • JAN PRIOR (Chair) Appointed: 2006, Occupation: Unemployed
  • PAUL BEECH Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Retired La Employee
  • REHANA BEGUM Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Financial Accountant
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 25/02/2004, number: 1102297
  • Registered at Companies House on 26/01/2004, number: 05025939
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Event History
Other Regulators
  • Care Quality Commission
  • Ofsted (Office For Standards In Education)
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
  • 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
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
19 returns made; all on time
Recent reorganisation events:
  • Asset transfer in from SOLIHULL AUTISTIC SPECTRUM SUPPORT AND INFORMATION on 28/09/2021
Main office

38 Walnut Close
Chelmsley Wood
BIRMINGHAM
B37 7PU

Objectives

3.1 TO HELP PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AND TO ENCOURAGE THEIR INTEGRATION IN SOCIETY AND IN PARTICULAR BY THE PROVISION, OR ASSISTANCE IN THE PROVISION, OF FACILITIES FOR THEIR RECREATION AND LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION FOR THEM, THEIR FAMILIES AND CARERS IN THE INTEREST OF SOCIAL WELFARE IN ORDER THAT THEIR CONDITIONS OF LIFE MAY BE IMPROVED

Defined Area of Benefit:

SOLIHULL

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving
CharityBase
Authorised officials of this charity can add information to this page (including a Donate Now button) for no cost

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