Finance Score: -2

Governance Score: 6

Support Score: 11

Low unrestricted reserves: -2
Strong growth: +2
Deficit latest year: -2

Dynamic board: +3
Gender balanced board: +3

Grant maker support: +11

Overall GiG Score: 15

PLYMOUTH VCSE

PVCSE (our common name being POP+) is Plymouth's infrastructure and co-ordinating body for the voluntary and community sector. Our organisation convenes networks, delivers funding advice and capacity building and seeks strategic influence on behalf of the sector in all aspects of City life. PVCSE works collaboratively within and across all other sectors.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
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 and there are significant future grants due to be received
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of gender 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
Over half the Board have joined recently

Financial issues to consider:

Unrestricted reserves appear to be dangerously low at the latest year end
Income was lower than spending in the latest year

Established: 8 years

www.plymouthoctopus.org

Info@plymouthoctopus.org

01752 741 411

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
31/03/23		£655	£777	£-122	£0	£257	£95	1.5	13	1
31/03/22		£719	£532	£187	£0	£380	£105	2.4	10	1
31/03/21		£438	£349	£89	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
31/03/20		£405	£378	£27	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
31/03/19		£431	£436	£-5	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
31/03/18?	*	£261	£207	£53	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
01/01/17	*	£53	£24	£29	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 0%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 0%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 12%
Liabilities/Income: 5%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 37%
Reserves/Spending: 1.5 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 4 months
Quick Ratio: 8

Asset Split ?

Listed activities

Economic/Community Development/Employment
Education/Training
General Charitable Purposes

How it operates

Acts as an umbrella or resource body
Makes Grants to Organisations
Other charitable activities
Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides buildings/facilities/open space
Provides other finance
Provides services

Where it operates

Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth City, Torbay,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Elderly/Old People
Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
People With Disabilities
The General Public/Mankind

Who works here?

13 employees
1 volunteer

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

Esmee Fairbairn	£1,068,500
Alex Ferry Foundation	£30,000
The Blagrave Trust	£20,400
Devon Community Foundation	£3,600

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to PLYMOUTH VCSE
£990,000	25/04/2023	Towards unrestricted core costs to support infrastructure, connection and collaboration with grassroots groups, charities, Local Authorities, business and other community stakeholders in Plymouth
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to PLYMOUTH VCSE
£48,500	20/02/2023	Towards unrestricted core costs as a Cost of Living Uplift
Alex Ferry Foundation - AFF communuity grant
£10,000	07/01/2022	community grant
Alex Ferry Foundation - AFF communuity grant
£10,000	07/01/2022	community grant
Alex Ferry Foundation - AFF communuity grant
£10,000	21/06/2021	community grant
The Blagrave Trust - Evolving funder practice
£20,400	11/05/2021	Challenging funder practice. Additional welfare grant: total funding increased by £400 in December 2021.
Devon Community Foundation - COVID19 Reaching out & telling the story
£3,600	04/06/2020 2	Grant to POP coop Plymouth Octopus
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Plymouth Octopus Project +
£30,000	28/04/2020 6	towards unrestricted core costs as a COVID-19 Fast Response grant
Barrow Cadbury Trust - SIMPL. Plymouth (Social Investment Market Place Links)
£38,600	24/05/2018 12	A joint initiative across three infrastructure organisations to create a viable and vibrant market for social finance in Exeter and Devon.
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Plymouth Octopus Project +
£1,300,000	25/07/2017 60	Towards a place based funding programme in Plymouth that will seek to coordinate and make more effective the work of the local voluntary sector.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (8)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

DR ALAN JOHN BUTLER Appointed: 2017, Other trusteeship: THE ORAL HISTORY SOCIETY,

EMMA JANE HANDLEY Appointed: 2023

JONATHAN RICHARD DINGLE Appointed: 2023

MARTIN ERIC MILLS Appointed: 2019

PETER SPENCER DAVEY Appointed: 2023

SALLY WALKER Appointed: 2021

STUART WATSON Appointed: 2023

TANIA NANA Appointed: 2023

Legal constitution

Charity registered in England & Wales on 07/06/2016, number: 1167515

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
Investing charity funds 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

Filing Record

7 returns made; AR18: 8 days late, AR17: 48 days late,

Main office

Box Number 48
HQ Building
237 Union Street
Plymouth
PL1 3HQ

Objectives

TO PROMOTE THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR AND TO PROMOTE THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF OTHER CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC IN THE AREA OF PLYMOUTH AND ITS ENVIRONS BY:I.LIAISING BETWEEN CHARITIES, VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND OTHER GROUPS ON RELEVANT ISSUES; II.PROVIDING TRAINING, CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS ON SUBJECTS RELEVANT TO THEIR EFFICIENCY; III.IDENTIFYING THEIR NEEDS AND ESTABLISHING PROJECTS OR POLICIES TO ADDRESS THEM; IV.ASSISTING IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF FUNDING PROGRAMMES TO CHARITIES AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS, MONITORING FOR GRANTS, RECOMM ENDING GRANTS, ASSISTING IN APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS; V.PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC ON THE OPERATION OF, OR PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY THEM; VI.PROVIDING SERVICES TO THEM SUCH AS LEGAL, ACCOUNTANCY AND MANAGEMENT ADVICE SERVICES; VII.PROVIDING ADVICE AND INFORMATION ON FUND-RAISING TECHNIQUES APPROPRIATE FOR VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AND CHARITIES; VIII. ACTING AS A REPRESENTATIVE IN RELATION TO GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND LEGISLATION. THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR’ MEANS CHARITIES AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS. - CHARITIES ARE ORGANISATIONS, WHICH ARE ESTABLISHED FOR EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE PURPOSES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES. - VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS ARE INDEPENDENT ORGANISATIONS, WHICH ARE ESTABLISHED FOR PURPOSES THAT ADD VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, OR A SIGNIFICANT SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WHICH ARE NOT PERMITTED BY THEIR CONSTITUTION TO MAKE A PROFIT FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION.VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS DO NOT INCLUDE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR OTHER STATUTORY AUTHORITIES.

Data Sources