Finance Score: -2

Governance Score: 3

Support Score: 7

Multiple Deficits: -2
No PartB

Gender balanced board: +3

Grant maker support: +7

Overall GiG Score: 8

COGS PREPARES 4 LIFE CIO

The goal of the CIO is to develop the capacity and skills of the Learning Disabled members by participation in user led CIO activities aimed at improving their confidence, self-esteem and general well being. Although not a commercial workplace it will adopt some of the inherent attributes of such an environment in that it will conduct itself with a sense of purpose, learning and discipline.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers

Financial issues to consider:

A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data
On several occasions in recent years income has been less than spending

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
30/09/23		£29	£37	£-9	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	5
30/09/22		£67	£55	£12	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	3
30/09/21		£25	£26	£0	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	4
30/09/20		£19	£22	£-3	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	3
30/09/19		£14	£11	£3	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	6
30/09/18	*	£14	£22	£-8	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
30/09/17		£34	£26	£8	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
30/09/16		£21	£15	£7	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
30/09/15		£5	£15	£-10	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
30/09/14	*	£23	£6	£16	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Established: 11 years

https://www.cogsprepares4lifecio.co.uk

cogspreparesforlife@gmail.com

01543676443

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Listed activities

Disability
Education/Training
Environment/Conservation/Heritage
General Charitable Purposes
Human Rights/Religious Or Racial Harmony/Equality Or Diversity
Other Charitable Purposes

GiG Classification

Services for people with disabilities

How it operates

Other charitable activities
Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides services

Where it operates

Staffordshire,

Who it helps

Elderly/Old People
People With Disabilities
The General Public/Mankind

Who works here?

Unknown number of employees
5 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

Wolfson Foundation	£26,400
National Lottery Community Fund	£13,466
DCMS	£5,000
The Foyle Foundation	£2,700
The Leathersellers' Company Charitable Fund	£1,845
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust	£1,000

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Wolfson Foundation - Grant to COGS Prepares 4 Life CIO
£26,400	08/06/2022	Installation of a greenhouse to facilitate a horticulture training programme for adults with learning disabilities
The Foyle Foundation - Small Grants
£2,700	21/04/2022	to purchase stainless steel tables to be used by learning-disabled participants learning gardening skills
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust - COGS Prepares 4 Life CIO - 16/11/21
£1,000	21/12/2021	IT for the Future
National Lottery Community Fund - Grow Cook Eat
£8,466	26/11/2021	The funding will be used to replace the groups greenhouse. The project aims to support the group with their independent living programme and will allow the community to purchase locally grown produce.
The Leathersellers' Company Charitable Fund - Grant to COGS Prepares 4 Life CIO
£1,845	08/06/2021	Small Grant Unrestricted Core Costs
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£5,000	31/07/2020	"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."
National Lottery Community Fund - COVID Outreach
£5,000	15/05/2020 12	The funding will be used to provide advice and support for vulnerable adults. The project aims to support the emotional and mental wellbeing of the local community.
National Lottery Community Fund - Accessible Grow Cook Eat
£8,925	14/12/2018 12	This funding will be used to run gardening, woodwork and cooking sessions for people living with learning disabilities, aiming to support independent living.
National Lottery Community Fund - Growing and Cooking Towards Independence
£8,130	02/08/2017 12	Cooking clubs will be funded for people with disabilities and other special needs. This will allow people to develop their life skills and socialise with their peers.
Woodward Charitable Trust - Towards equipment for a gardening project in Staffordshire
£500	06/08/2015	Towards equipment for a gardening project in Staffordshire for people with a learning disability.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (4)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

REBECCA SARAH CATHERINE FLYNN Appointed: 2019

SEAN IAN JOHNSON Appointed: 2022

TRACY KAREN BLAKEY Appointed: 2015

WILLIAM DAVID GRIFFITHS Appointed: 2014

Legal constitution

Charity registered in England & Wales on 21/10/2013, number: 1154296

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
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

10 returns made; AR18: 6 days late, AR14: 4 days late,

Main office

Cherry Orchard Gardening Services
Burntwood Memorial Institute
Rugeley Road
BURNTWOOD
Staffordshire
WS7 9BE

Objectives

THE OBJECT OF THE CIO IS TO DEVELOP THE CAPACITY AND SKILLS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY OF STAFFORDSHIRE, WALSALL AND STOKE-ON-TRENT IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY ARE BETTER ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND HELP MEET THEIR NEEDS AND TO PARTICIPATE MORE FULLY IN SOCIETY.

Data Sources