Finance Score: -2

Governance Score: -6

Support Score: 8

Accounts filed more than 5 days late: -2 times
No PartB

Only 4 Trustees: -1
Narrow trustee age band: -2
All male board: -3

Grant maker support: +8

Overall GiG Score: 0

FORWARD ASSIST LIMITED

To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing ex service personnel from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

The charity has received backing from several 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
The Board has little diversity in terms of age

Financial issues to consider:

A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data
Accounts have been filed late on 2 occasions over the last 5 years and the current period appears to have been extended

Established: 11 years

www.forward-assist.com

admin@forward-assist.com

01912504877

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
31/08/23		£397	£287	£110	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	15
31/08/22		£126	£253	£-127	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	15
31/08/21	*	£279	£199	£80	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	24
31/08/20		£167	£162	£5	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	22
31/08/19	*	£189	£180	£9	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	50
31/08/18	*	£251	£236	£15	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/08/17		£251	£236	£15	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/08/16		£295	£263	£32	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/08/15		£220	£188	£32	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/08/14		£132	£96	£36	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/08/13		£22	£0	£22	£0	£0	£0	NAN	0	0

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Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Listed activities

General Charitable Purposes
The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides services

Where it operates

Throughout England And Wales,

Who it helps

Other Defined Groups

Who works here?

Unknown number of employees
15 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

Department of Health	£52,216
Cabinet Office	£40,000
Ministry of Defence	£35,000
National Lottery Community Fund	£10,000

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
National Lottery Community Fund - Forward Assist 'Salute Cafe'
£10,000	18/08/2023	The funding will be used to raise awareness about the benefits of healthy eating and encourage people to make healthier food choices from their veteran led community cafe. They will create a cookbook ....more The funding will be used to raise awareness about the benefits of healthy eating and encourage people to make healthier food choices from their veteran led community cafe. They will create a cookbook and provide educational materials infographics videos and articles on the importance of healthy eating. The project aims to improve the health of residents whilst providing volunteer opportunities for veterans enabling them to access support services and become active members of the community.
Cabinet Office - Forward Assist (co-applicant Salute Her)
£25,000	14/11/2022	The aims of this research are to: a) Identify the mental health support needs of veterans who experience suicidal ideation; b) Co-design and produce practical guidance for Mental Healthcare ....more The aims of this research are to: a) Identify the mental health support needs of veterans who experience suicidal ideation; b) Co-design and produce practical guidance for Mental Healthcare Professionals, Social Workers and the Military Charity Sector and make recommendations for commissioners to enhance veteran-specific mental health support for who have served in the British Armed Forces; and c) Develop a clear understanding of the multiple and complex issues faced by military veterans with lived experience of sexual assault whilst identifying gaps in service provision.
Cabinet Office - GRANT TO SUPPORT VETERANS ENGAGE WITH THE LGBT VETERANS INDEPENDENT REVIEW
£15,000	03/10/2022	To provide pastoral care to help veterans engage the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, and submit a final report by 31 March 2023
Ministry of Defence - £10M Veterans' Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund
£35,000	12/02/2021	The Positive Pathways programme funded projects that develop and run activities supporting the mental health and wellbeing of ex-Forces.
Department of Health - Salute Her
£52,216	14/03/2020	To investigate whether an autism-specific health check is feasible and acceptable to use in the NHS, and whether it improves access to primary healthcare for all autistic adults
DCMS - Forward Assist
£72,778	01/04/2019	Ensuring that the VAT received from sanitary products is used to support vulnerable and underrepresented women and girls.
National Lottery Community Fund - Line of Sight Veterans Art Project
£6,400	24/05/2018 12	The group will deliver structured art sessions for male veterans. This will provide arts therapy, and creative and social activities, to help improve the emotional and mental health of men from the ....more The group will deliver structured art sessions for male veterans. This will provide arts therapy, and creative and social activities, to help improve the emotional and mental health of men from the community.
DCMS - Forward Assist
£74,114	01/04/2018	Ensuring that the VAT received from sanitary products is used to support vulnerable and underrepresented women and girls.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Forward Assist Limited
£4,090	29/11/2017	We want to fund a number of day trips for military veterans from the Dudley or Cramlington areas who are inactive and socially isolated.
DCMS - Forward Assist
£37,603	13/11/2017	Ensuring that the VAT received from sanitary products is used to support vulnerable and underrepresented women and girls.
County Durham Community Foundation - Salute! Coffee Towards to redevelop the existing kitchen.
£4,709	15/12/2016	Towards to redevelop the existing kitchen.
National Lottery Community Fund - About Turn Veterans Support CIC
£287,548	17/06/2013 48	This is a continuation and expansion of an existing project by About Turn CIC that offers holistic support for ex-service men and women who are experiencing difficulties making the transition back to ....more This is a continuation and expansion of an existing project by About Turn CIC that offers holistic support for ex-service men and women who are experiencing difficulties making the transition back to civilian life. It aims to improve confidence, develop new skills, improve health and well being, and reduce the isolation experienced. It also aims to reduce offending or re-offending for those in the criminal justice system through support to complete probation orders.
National Lottery Community Fund - About Turn Veterans Angling Academy
£10,000	18/01/2012 12	This project is by a Community Interest Company in North Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. The organisation will use the funding to deliver a 12 month Angling Academy to members or retired members of the ....more This project is by a Community Interest Company in North Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. The organisation will use the funding to deliver a 12 month Angling Academy to members or retired members of the Armed Forces. This will reduce isolation of veterans, enable them to gain new skills and abilities, provide a potential means of employment and reinforce discipline and motivational skills.

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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: 40-55

NICHOLAS PRESTON Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Operations Manager

STUART HONOR Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Researcher

BRIAN HEGARTY Appointed: 2013, Occupation: Company Director

GARETH EDWARDS Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Operations Manager

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 09/01/2013, number: 1150408
Registered at Companies House on 24/08/2012, number: 08190905

Gift Aid

NOT 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
Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds 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
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Filing Record

11 returns made; AR21: 8 days late, AR19: 93 days late, AR18: 63 days late,

Main office

c/o The John Willie Sams Centre
Market Street
Dudley
Cramlington
Northumberland
NE23 7HS

Objectives

TO RELIEVE THE NEED OF FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND THEIR DEPENDENTS WHO ARE IN NEED BY VIRTUE OF THEIR PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH OR THEIR ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES.IN FURTHERANCE OF THE ABOVE THE CHARITY WILL:ENSURE THAT ANY FORMER MEMBER OF HER MAJESTIES ARMED FORCES CAN ACCESS SPECIALIST INFORMATION ADVICE AND GUIDANCE AND HOLISTIC SUPPORT TO REDUCE THE PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL OR SOCIAL HARM EXPERIENCED BY INDIVIDUALS AS A RESULT OF MILITARY SERVICE AND THEIR ASSIMILATION BACK INTO THE CIVILIAN COMMUNITY.PROMOTE SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY PREVENTING EX SERVICE PERSONNEL FROM BECOMING SOCIALLY EXCLUDED, RELIEVING THE NEEDS OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE SOCIALLY EXCLUDED AND ASSISTING THEM TO INTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY.FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS CLAUSE SOCIALLY EXCLUDED MEANS BEING EXCLUDED FROM SOCIETY, OR PARTS OF SOCIETY, AS A RESULT OF ONE OF MORE OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: UNEMPLOYMENT; FINANCIAL HARDSHIP; YOUTH OR 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 OR GENDER RE-ASSIGNMENT; POOR EDUCATIONAL OR SKILLS ATTAINMENT; RELATIONSHIP AND FAMILY BREAKDOWN; POOR HOUSING (THAT IS HOUSING THAT DOES NOT MEET BASIC HABITABLE STANDARDS; CRIME (EITHER AS A VICTIM OF CRIME OR AS AN OFFENDER REHABILITATING INTO SOCIETY).DEVELOP THE CAPACITY AND SKILLS OF EX SERVICE PERSONNEL BOTH [SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY] SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND OTHER DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES IN UK IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY ARE BETTER ABLE TO IDENTIFY, ANDHELP MEET, THEIR NEEDS AND TO PARTICIPATE MORE FULLY IN SOCIETYPROMOTE SUCH OTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSES AS MAY FROM TIME TO TIME BE DETERMINED.

Data Sources