Finance Score: 0

Governance Score: -1

Support Score: 6

No PartB

Only 4 Trustees: -1
Good trustee age range: +3
All male board: -3

Grant maker support: +6

Overall GiG Score: 5

THE BREN PROJECT

Providing supported employment opportunities for adults and young people with learning disabilities and autism.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

The charity has received backing from multiple prominent grant makers recently
Spending has increased over the last 3 years relative to the previous period
There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

There are only 4 trustees
The Board is completely male

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.brenproject.org.uk

aashford@brenproject.org.uk

01244313473

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

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
31/12/22	£258	£193	£65	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	10
31/12/21	£138	£158	£-20	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	12
31/12/20	£182	£161	£21	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	10
31/12/19	£190	£169	£21	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	10
31/12/18	£164	£158	£6	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	10
31/12/17	£221	£140	£81	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/16	£141	£136	£4	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/15	£159	£111	£48	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/14	£70	£86	£-16	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/13	£100	£74	£26	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/12	£49	£71	£-22	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/11	£133	£97	£36	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/10	£113	£87	£25	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/09	£40	£77	£-37	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/08	£33	£62	£-28	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/07	£75	£23	£52	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/06	£23	£3	£20	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Listed activities

Disability
Economic/Community Development/Employment
Education/Training
Environment/Conservation/Heritage
The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides human resources
Provides services

Where it operates

Cheshire East, Cheshire West & Chester,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
People With Disabilities

Who works here?

Unknown number of employees
10 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	£20,000
Cheshire Community Foundation	£17,500
Garfield Weston Foundation	£15,000
The Clothworkers Foundation	£1,300

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
National Lottery Community Fund - Bren Bikes
£10,000	14/07/2023	The organisation will employ a coordinator to support vocational training and supported work experience placements for people with learning disabilities and autism with the aim of improving ....more The organisation will employ a coordinator to support vocational training and supported work experience placements for people with learning disabilities and autism with the aim of improving employment skills improving opportunities for training and work experience and reducing social isolation.
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Bren Project
£1,300	01/07/2022	purchase of laptops for a charity supporting people with disabilities in Cheshire
Cheshire Community Foundation - Bren Bikes Supervisor
£15,000	10/06/2022	Bren Bikes Supervisor
Cheshire Community Foundation - Grant to The Bren Project
£2,500	14/04/2022	Grant to The Bren Project
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£15,000	11/03/2022	Core costs
National Lottery Community Fund - Bren Bikes
£10,000	28/01/2022	The funding will be used to contribute to staff cost for a Bren Bikes coordinators for 12 months. The project aims to offer one-to-one vocational training and supported work experience placements for ....more The funding will be used to contribute to staff cost for a Bren Bikes coordinators for 12 months. The project aims to offer one-to-one vocational training and supported work experience placements for people with learning disabilities and autism support them to reengage and provide support to increase confidence and skills.
National Lottery Community Fund - Building on Success
£178,902	26/09/2018 23	The Bren Project offers one-to-one vocational training and supported work placements for people with learning disabilities. This new project will continue to support people over two years, working ....more The Bren Project offers one-to-one vocational training and supported work placements for people with learning disabilities. This new project will continue to support people over two years, working with them to identify their interests, skills and aspirations. They will get one-to-one support to secure a work placement and develop their skills and confidence. The group will also work with people to develop video CVs as more accessible method for them to apply for volunteering and employment.
Masonic Trust - Core funding
£3,000	21/02/2018	Supported work placements for people with learning disabilties or autism.
National Lottery Community Fund - Building on Success
£6,921	17/01/2018 12	The organisation will support people with learning difficulties and autism to secure employment or volunteering opportunities by creating video CVs. This will enable participants to fulfil their ....more The organisation will support people with learning difficulties and autism to secure employment or volunteering opportunities by creating video CVs. This will enable participants to fulfil their employment potential.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£20,000	09/10/2017	Next Steps
National Lottery Community Fund - Bren Bikes
£245,728	17/06/2015 36	This new project will provide supported vocational training for people with learning disabilities and autism in Chester to provide them with the skills and experience to cope with employer ....more This new project will provide supported vocational training for people with learning disabilities and autism in Chester to provide them with the skills and experience to cope with employer expectations during work placements. It will launch a new bicycle refurbishment service and take donations of unwanted bicycles from the general public. These will be assessed and, where feasible, they will be refurbished for sale by the beneficiaries who will be supported at a workshop
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to The Bren Project
£23,700	26/04/2013	The charity supports and inspires people with learning disabilities and autism to experience and enter the world of work by providing them with 1:1 supported work experience, placements tailored to ....more The charity supports and inspires people with learning disabilities and autism to experience and enter the world of work by providing them with 1:1 supported work experience, placements tailored to a vocational area of their choice.
Woodward Charitable Trust - To provide one-to-one support for disabled people
£3,750	27/06/2007	To provide one-to-one support for disabled people on work placements, entitled the "Your Turn Project".

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (4)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 32-73

BRENDAN EDWARD JOHN HARRINGTON (Chair) Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Director

DAVID ATKINSON Appointed: 2018, Occupation: Director

IAN MICHAEL SHOTTON Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Business Consultant

ROBERT MAYNE Appointed: 2018, Occupation: Director

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 12/10/2005, number: 1111644
Registered at Companies House on 01/09/2005, number: 05551999

Gift Aid

NOT registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Complaints handling
Conflicting interests
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Volunteer management

Filing Record

17 returns made; all on time

Main office

The Bren Project
New Scene Centre
Lime Wood Close
CHESTER
CH2 2HD

Objectives

TO DEVELOP THE CAPACITY AND SKILLS OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC LIVING IN CHESHIRE AND STAFFORDSHIRE WHO HAVE DISABILITIES, OR WHO ARE AT A SOCIAL DISADVANTAGE, BY GIVING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SUPPORTED TRAINING, WORK EXPERIENCE AND EMPLOYMENT. SO THAT SUCH PERSONS CAN DEVELOP THEIR PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL CAPACITIES AND AS INDIVIDUALS AND MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, IMPROVE THEIR CONDITIONS OF LIFE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

CHESHIRE AND STAFFORDSHIRE

Data Sources