Finance Score: 6

Governance Score: 6

Support Score: 5

Liabilities <10%: +3
Fundraising costs low: +3

Good trustee age range: +3
Dynamic board: +3

Grant maker support: +5

Overall GiG Score: 17

ADVOCACY MATTERS LTD

Provision of Advocacy for vulnerable people.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

This charity has a robust balance sheet
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 dynamic in terms of composition

Established: 12 years

www.advocacymatters.co.uk

info@advocacymatters.co.uk

01213212377

Charity Commission for England and Wales

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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	£664	£657	£7	£17	£592	£515	9.4	21	42
31/03/22	£674	£479	£195	£7	£584	£425	10.6	18	42
31/03/21	£573	£413	£160	£3	£390	£313	9.1	18	28
31/03/20	£491	£543	£-52	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	46
31/03/19	£360	£471	£-112	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	35
31/03/18	£395	£561	£-166	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/17	£497	£658	£-161	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/16	£701	£634	£67	£3	£720	£623	11.8	21	0
31/03/15	£597	£560	£36	£28	£653	£584	12.5	14	0
31/03/14	£686	£629	£57	£23	£617	£271	5.2	15	0
31/03/13	£333	£280	£53	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 2.5%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 2.6%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 0%
Liabilities/Income: 0%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 87%
Reserves/Spending: 9.4 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 11 months
Quick Ratio: 218.5

Asset Split ?

Listed activities

Accommodation/Housing
Disability
Human Rights/Religious Or Racial Harmony/Equality Or Diversity
The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides human resources

Where it operates

Birmingham City, Walsall,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Elderly/Old People
People With Disabilities

Who works here?

21 employees
42 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	£20,000
National Lottery Community Fund	£18,001
Heart Of England Community Foundation	£10,200
DCMS	£9,895
CAF	£9,800

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
National Lottery Community Fund - Our 'Say' Self Advocacy
£8,201	13/01/2023	The funding will be used to provide support and advice for people who are living with disabilities and aims to support vulnerable people and help them to reach their potential.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£20,000	20/08/2021	Advocacy Matters
National Lottery Community Fund - Hear to Help
£9,800	27/05/2021	The funding will be used to provide an advocacy and befriending role to vulnerable disabled and older adults in Birmingham and Walsall. The project aims to reduce isolation and increase access to ....more The funding will be used to provide an advocacy and befriending role to vulnerable disabled and older adults in Birmingham and Walsall. The project aims to reduce isolation and increase access to support.
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£9,895	18/09/2020	"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 "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 operate, thereby reducing the burden on public services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."
Heart Of England Community Foundation - Grant to Advocacy Matters
£10,200	15/06/2020 12	The grant will pay for equipment for volunteers to safely visit people in their own homes
CAF - Grant to Advocacy Matters
£9,800	23/04/2020 3	Grant to Advocacy Matters to support the organisation through COVID19
National Lottery Community Fund - You Matter Volunteers
£10,000	15/06/2018 12	A volunteer coordinator will be hired to recruit and train more volunteers. The volunteers will then work with young people living with poor mental health and other conditions to support them with ....more A volunteer coordinator will be hired to recruit and train more volunteers. The volunteers will then work with young people living with poor mental health and other conditions to support them with important life decisions.
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to Advocacy Matters
£15,000	14/09/2015 12	Solihull based charity will engage a consultant to work alongside them to review their business plan, review their structure, governance, contracts and provide support to their board and staff to ....more Solihull based charity will engage a consultant to work alongside them to review their business plan, review their structure, governance, contracts and provide support to their board and staff to develop.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (5)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 35-78

GORDON LAW Appointed: 2012, Occupation: Financial Advisor, Other trusteeship: THE WARWICKSHIRE MASONIC CHARITABLE ASSOCIATION LIMITED,

JENNY STECKLES (Chair) Appointed: 2012, Occupation: Business Consultant

PETER SHERGOLD Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Head Of Field Operations

ROBERT NETHERWAY Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Company Director

ROBERT PUNTON Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Company Director

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 19/07/2012, number: 1148198
Registered at Companies House on 12/03/2012, number: 07987156

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Campaigns and political activity 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
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Filing Record

11 returns made; all on time

Main office

Advocacy Matters
198 Boldmere Road
Sutton Coldfield
B73 5UE

Objectives

1. TO PROMOTE THE RELIEF OF THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL SICKNESS OF PERSONS IN NEED BY REASON OF ADDICTION, BEREAVEMENT OR LOSS, AND TO PROMOTE SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM BECOMING SOCIALLY EXCLUDED, RELIEVING THE NEEDS OF THOSE PEOPLE, WHO ARE SOCIALLY EXCLUDED, ASSISTING THEM TO INTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY AND IMPROVING THEIR CONDITIONS OF LIFE, BY THE PROVISION OF AN ADVOCACY SERVICE IN THE COUNTIES OF WEST MIDLANDS, WARWICKSHIRE, WORCESTERSHIRE, STAFFORDSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THEIR CONDITIONS OF LIFE.FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS CLAUSE, ‘SOCIALLY EXCLUDED’ MEANS BEING EXCLUDED FROM SOCIETY OR PARTS OF SOCIETY AS A RESULT OF ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: UNEMPLOYMENT; FINANCIAL HARDSHIP; YOUTH AND OLD AGE; ILL HEALTH, (PHYSICAL OR MENTAL); SUBSTANCE ABUSE OR DEPENDENCY, INCLUDING ALCOHOL AND DRUGS, DISCRIMINATION ON THE GROUNDS OF SEX, RACE, DISABILITY, ETHNIC ORIGIN, RELIGION, BELIEF, CREED, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER REASSIGNMENT; POOR EDUCATION OR SKILLS ATTAINMENT; RELATIONSHIP AND FAMILY BREAKDOWN; POOR HOUSING (THAT IS HOUSING THAT DOES NOT MEET BASIC HABITABLE STANDARDS); CRIME (IE. EITHER AS A VICTIM OF CRIME OR AS AN OFFENDER REHABILITATING INTO SOCIETY).2. TO ADVANCE EDUCATION IN PARTICULAR TRAINING IN ADVOCACY SKILLS AND DISABILITY ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE UK

Data Sources