Finance Score: 2
Governance Score: 6
Support Score: 10
  • Strong growth: +2
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Large volunteers +5
  • Grant maker support: +5
Overall GiG Score: 18 ?

HOUNSLOW EDUCATION BUSINESS CHARITY 

Hounslow Education Business Charity (trading as Spark!) aims to develop young people's employability skills so they are better prepared for the workplace. Organised around three business units: Employability and Enterprise Service, Work Experience & Internships Service, and Consultancy to Businesses.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • This charity has been very successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
  • The charity has received backing from several 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 age and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • This charity is not recognised by HMRC for Gift Aid according to its latest published return
Established: 13 years

http://www.sparkcharity.org.uk

MATTLENT@SPARKCHARITY.ORG.UK

07903305342

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseX
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£532£516£16£59£225£1764.113778
31/03/22£334£331£3n/an/an/an/an/a392
01/04/21£160£270£-109n/an/an/an/an/a248
01/04/20£260£260£0n/an/an/an/an/a541
01/04/19£229£211£18n/an/an/an/an/a359
01/04/18*£255£181£74£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/17£226£187£39£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/16£249£215£34£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/15£228£222£7£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/14£292£283£9£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/13*£385£553£-168£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/12£389£374£15£0£0£0n/a00

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 11.1%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 11.4%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 17%
Highest pay band: £70,000-£80,000
Liabilities/Assets: 28%
Liabilities/Income: 16%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 78%
Reserves/Spending: 4.1 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 5 months
Quick Ratio: 2.4
Asset Split ?
Listed activities
  • Economic/Community Development/Employment
  • Education/Training
How it operates
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides services
  • Sponsors or undertakes research
Where it operates
  • Bristol City, Surrey, Throughout London, Windsor And Maidenhead,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • The General Public/Mankind
Who works here?
  • 13 employees
  • 778 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
Garfield Weston Foundation£75,000
National Lottery Community Fund£9,370
John Lyon's Charity£8,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
John Lyon's Charity - Uplift grant to Spark!
£8,000 27/01/2023
Cost-of-Living Uplift
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£25,000 06/05/2022
Core costs to support growth to meet increased need among young people in west London
National Lottery Community Fund - CONNECT Mentoring
£9,370 07/05/2021
The funding will be used to deliver a girls mentoring programme. The project aims to help disadvantaged young women develop their employability skills.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award - COVID19 response
£25,000 24/12/2020
Core costs for supporting virtual employability activities
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£25,000 08/05/2019
Tailored Work Experience
National Lottery Community Fund - CONNECT Mentoring
£9,975 15/02/2019
12
The project will deliver a programme of mentoring activities that are designed to support women who are experiencing the effects of social and economic disadvantage. The aim is to create pathways to ....more
London Borough of Hounslow - Grant to Spark!
£12,750 08/03/2018
12
Offer work experience to six secondary schools which do not currently have a formal offer for their students. It would focus on students with Special Education Needs, those at risk of being NEET and ....more
London Borough of Hounslow - Grant to Spark!
£10,000 17/11/2017
12
To send 100 Hounslow students through KICKSTART. KICKSTART is a 3-day employability programme designed to provide students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed in employment, while ....more
London Borough of Hounslow - Grant to Spark!
£500 15/11/2017
A contribution to hold a Ted-X style event 'Youth@Hounslow' which will allow 10 students from 6 schools the chance to speak on a special subject of their choice to an audience of around 150 people. ....more
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£20,000 23/10/2017
Work Experience
National Lottery Community Fund - CONNECT Mentoring
£9,800 02/04/2017
12
This project will deliver a women's mentoring programme in which female business volunteers will mentor young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. This will include developing their leadership ....more
London Borough of Hounslow - Grant to Spark!
£10,000 07/11/2016
8
To send 100 Hounslow students through KICKSTART. KICKSTART is a 3-day employability programme designed to provide students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed in employment, while ....more
London Borough of Hounslow - Grant to Spark!
£2,000 06/08/2016
8
TEDxYouthDay is a series of events all around the world that coincide with Universal Children�s Day. Spark! is applying for funding to run the third annual TEDxYouth event in Hounslow will will ....more
London Borough of Hounslow - Grant to Spark!
£2,000 04/07/2016
5
TEDxYouthDay is a series of events all around the world that coincide with Universal Children’s Day. Spark! is applying for funding to run the third annual TEDxYouth event in Hounslow will will ....more
London Borough of Hounslow - Grant to Spark!
£20,000 04/07/2016
12
A contribution towards running 7 Careers Days in 7 Hounslow schools (2014/15 academic year) aiming to grow participant's skills, confidence, aspirations and understanding of the workplace, to help ....more
London Borough of Hounslow - Grant to Spark!
£2,500 20/07/2015
6
To host the second Hounslow TEDxYouth event in - February 2016. The grant would cover costs of recruiting, training and supporting partipants, refreshment costs and filming costs
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (6)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split
Based on 5/6 persons

Age Range of Trustees: 25-65
  • DAVID SCOTT Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Education Adviser
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 29/10/2010, number: 1138697
  • Registered at Companies House on 15/10/2010, number: 07409565
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
  • 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
12 returns made; AR18: 5 days late, AR13: 1 days late,
Main office

Venture x
1 Ariel Way
London
W12 7SL

Objectives

TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC, IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY YOUNG PEOPLE, PUPILS AND STUDENTS IN LONDON BOROUGH OF HOUNSLOW, BY THE PROVISION OF ADVICE AND GUIDANCE IN RELATION TO CAREERS, TRAINING AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THEIR EMPLOYABILITY AND TO ENABLE THEM TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL SO THEY WILL BE BETTER PREPARED FOR ADULT AND WORKING LIFE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

HOUNSLOW

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

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