Finance Score: 2
Governance Score: 6
Support Score: 4
  • Strong growth: +2
  • No PartB
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Grant maker support: +4
Overall GiG Score: 12 ?

TOPCATS 

TOPCATS provides supported activities for 5-30yr olds with additional and complex needs in Pakefield, Suffolk. TOPCATS delivers a total of 10 bespoke groups accross 50 weeks of the year. Sessions include Weekend social groups, Supported Adult work experience opportunities, Holiday Club Sessions, Parent support group for under 5's and an evening youth group.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • The charity has received backing from multiple prominent grant makers recently
  • There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
  • There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of gender and 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
Established: 19 years

www.topcats.org.uk

annemarie@topcats.org

01502531897

Charity Commission for England and Wales
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
31/05/23£471£444£27n/an/an/an/an/a6
31/05/22£417£381£35n/an/an/an/an/a8
31/05/21£370£283£87n/an/an/an/an/a5
31/05/20£358£286£73n/an/an/an/an/a5
31/05/19£315£249£66n/an/an/an/an/a6
31/05/18*£293£224£70£0£0£0n/a00
31/05/17£230£200£30£0£0£0n/a00
31/05/16£195£200£-5£0£0£0n/a00
31/05/15£182£170£12£0£0£0n/a00
31/05/14£188£188£0£0£0£0n/a00
31/05/13*£166£194£-29£0£0£0n/a00
31/05/12£165£156£9£0£0£0n/a00
31/05/11£73£114£-40£0£0£0n/a00
31/05/10£139£101£39£0£0£0n/a00
31/05/09£75£53£22£0£0£0n/a00
31/05/08*£66£64£2£0£0£0n/a00
31/05/07*£70£43£26£0£0£0n/a00
31/05/06*£53£39£13£0£0£0n/a00

Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000
Listed activities
  • Disability
How it operates
  • Provides human resources
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • Suffolk,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • People With Disabilities
Who works here?
  • Unknown number of employees
  • 6 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
Suffolk Community Foundation£29,216
BBC Children in Need£27,741
DCMS£10,000
Co-Operative Group£2,327
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Topcats
£1,280 22/10/2022
We want to provide an opportunity to be part of a person-centred programme where young people cook and eat their own healthy food, whilst developing important life skills.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Topcats Charity
£1,047 23/10/2021
We would like to offer the young people of Topcats and the wider community access to our Poly Tunnel, to enable them to learn new skills in horticulture and sustainability.
Suffolk Community Foundation - Healthy Food and Baking Fun!!
£5,000 03/06/2021
11
Towards the Healthy Food and Baking Fun programme.
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
Suffolk Community Foundation - KEEP IN TOUCH
£5,000 10/07/2020
10
Supporting the "Keep in Touch" Project.
Suffolk Community Foundation - Choices
£4,994 06/07/2020
12
Supporting the "Choices" Skills Development Project for young people living with additional needs in Lowestoft.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to TOPCATS
£27,741 20/03/2020
36
This project provides fun school holiday activities for young people aged 5 - 18 with additional needs in Loweststoft. Funding is for 3 support workers to support children to have fun experiences, be ....more
Suffolk Community Foundation - To support the TOPCATS holiday activity club.
£10,000 20/12/2019
12
To support the TOPCATS holiday activity club.
Suffolk Community Foundation - Transitions
£4,222 01/05/2019
10
To fund the Progress/Transition programme at TOPCATS.
National Lottery Community Fund - Topcats Community Kitchen
£9,956 04/04/2019
12
The organisation will use the funding to make improvements to the community kitchen and help run more activities for people using the facilities.
Suffolk Community Foundation - Choices Community Cafe
£3,225 15/02/2019
12
Towards running Choices Community Café.
Sport England - Fit Together
£9,997 27/11/2018
11
Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled Fit Together. This project is a Adapted Sport project, with a focus on beneficiaries with a disability.
Suffolk Community Foundation - Grant to TOPCATS
£5,000 07/09/2018
12
Towards core running costs of an organisation supporting young people with disabilities.
Suffolk Community Foundation - Grant to TOPCATS
£15,100 15/12/2017
36
Afternoon club, plus therapy sessions, for young people and their families.
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Topcats
£15,100 07/12/2017
36
towards three years' salary of the Lead Support Worker at an club for young people with physical and educational disabilities in Suffolk
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Topcats
£3,135 29/11/2017
We want to buy some new interactive sensory equipment for our renovated sensory room.
National Lottery Community Fund - 'ActiviTEEN' - Holiday Group
£10,000 26/07/2017
12
This will use the funding to provide a new year-long holiday project taking place during school holidays and providing additional support for young people between age 12 -16 with disabilities and ....more
Suffolk Community Foundation - The CHOICES community cafe
£4,989 10/07/2017
12
To set up a weekly community cafe in North Lowestoft run by young people
Suffolk Community Foundation - Supported Work Experience Program
£3,500 20/03/2017
An award in recognition of the work experience programme for people with learning difficulties.
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Topcats
£9,500 12/09/2012
towards one year's salary of Playworkers for a Saturday Club for disabled young people in Suffolk
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to Topcats
£30,000 29/03/2011
the costs of the Saturday play scheme including the salary costs for the Deputy Play Leader
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (6)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

Legal constitution
  • Charity registered in England & Wales on 04/05/2005, number: 1109307
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
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
18 returns made; AR18: 172 days late, AR13: 134 days late, AR08: 15 days late, AR07: 46 days late, AR06: 100 days late,
Main office

Topcats Charity
Morton Road
South Lowestoft
LOWESTOFT
NR33 0JH

Objectives

1. THE RELIEF OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES AGED 5 -18 YEARS WITHIN THE WAVENEY AREA BY THE PROVISION OR ASSISTANCE IN THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR RECREATIONAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES.2. THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES BY THE PROVISION OF A PLAYSCHEME AND SATURDAY CLUB.

Defined Area of Benefit:

WAVENEY AREA

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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