Finance Score: -7

Governance Score: -1

Support Score: 4

Accounts filed more than 5 days late: -2 times
Volatile income & significant deficit in latest year: -5
No PartB

Only 4 Trustees: -1
Static board: -3
Gender balanced board: +3

Grant maker support: +4

Overall GiG Score: -4

REAL LIVES REAL CHOICES

Real Lives: Real Choices supports adults with learning disabilities throughout County Durham and the north east of England in achieving their aspirations and goals through the provision of support, advice, information, training and learning opportunities

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

There are only 4 trustees
The Board composition appears to be rather static

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
Income has been volatile recently and was significantly lower than spending in the latest year

Established: 10 years

alisonadvocacy1@btinternet.com

07989571106

Charity Commission for England and Wales

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
31/07/22		£48	£61	£-14	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	5
31/07/21	*	£70	£55	£15	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
31/07/20	*	£52	£39	£13	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	6
31/07/19		£40	£41	£-1	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	5
31/07/18	*	£74	£67	£6	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	5
31/07/17		£66	£76	£-10	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/07/16		£46	£84	£-38	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/07/15		£204	£110	£94	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Listed activities

Disability
Human Rights/Religious Or Racial Harmony/Equality Or Diversity
Other Charitable Purposes

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides services

Where it operates

Darlington, Durham, Middlesbrough, Newcastle Upon Tyne City, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar And Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-tees, Sunderland,

Who it helps

People With Disabilities

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.

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
County Durham Community Foundation - The Cooperative Creatives
£20,000	26/07/2022	To establish ‘The Cooperative Creatives’ project.
County Durham Community Foundation - Articipants & Regeneration @ Bowes Museum
£4,992	08/02/2022	To deliver a visual arts project.
National Lottery Community Fund - Articipants
£10,000	03/12/2021	The project will use the funding to deliver an arts project that will encourage adults living with learning disabilities to engage in creative activities and will give participants an opportunity to ....more The project will use the funding to deliver an arts project that will encourage adults living with learning disabilities to engage in creative activities and will give participants an opportunity to visit local galleries. This aims to reduce isolation and improve mental wellbeing.
County Durham Community Foundation - Working Title - The Well Project - Wellbeing, Equity, Lifestyle, Lifelong
£25,000	21/06/2021	To host a network and membership based project to support positive mental health.
County Durham Community Foundation - Wellsolate & Create
£13,500	16/12/2020	Towards Wellsolate & Create project
County Durham Community Foundation - Future Focus
£10,000	29/08/2017	To support Future Focus with providing learning opportunities for people with complex needs including mental health needs, forensic needs, substance misuse and homelessness.
Community Foundation Tyne & Wear & Nthmbrlnd - Towards RecycLD - learning opportunities and skills development via furniture up cycling
£10,000	03/11/2016	Towards RecycLD - learning opportunities and skills development via furniture up cycling
County Durham Community Foundation - Working Title - powerofpaint
£8,500	13/07/2016	Running costs for a programme for young people with learning difficulties to learn how to up-cycle, re-purpose, re-paint and refurbish furniture.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (4)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

BRIAN ROBIN SMITH Appointed: 2013

MARION FRANKLIN Appointed: 2013

MRS ANNE RATCLIFFE Appointed: 2013

PAUL MCMAHON Appointed: 2017

Legal constitution

Charity registered in England & Wales on 04/12/2013, number: 1154861

Gift Aid

NOT registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Other Regulators

Ofsted (Office For Standards In Education)

Policies in force

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

Filing Record

8 returns made; AR21: 154 days late, AR20: 1 days late, AR18: 27 days late,

Main office

Unit D, The Old Haberdashery Shop
Sacriston Enterprise Workshops
Old Coop Buildings, Plawsworth Road
Sacriston
DURHAM
DH7 6PD

Objectives

THE NEW OBJECT WHICH HAS RECEIVED THE PRIOR CONSENT OF THE COMMISSION IS:TO RELIEVE THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES, LEARNING DIFFICULTIES, AUTISM/AUTISM RELATED CONDITIONS WHO LIVE IN THE NORTH EAST OF ENGLAND BY ASSISTING SUCH PERSONS TO DEVELOP THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AND OBTAIN THEIR RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES, PARTICULARLY, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY PROVIDING, OR ASSISTING IN THE PROVISION OF, INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY, SUPPORT, ADVICE, INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND TRAINING, ARTS, PAID AND UNPAID [VOLUNTEER] WORK, SOCIAL ENTERPRISE/S.

Data Sources