Finance Score: 2

Governance Score: 2

Support Score: 11

Strong growth: +2
No PartB

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

Large volunteers +5
Grant maker support: +6

Overall GiG Score: 15

B:FRIEND

b:Friend matches volunteer befrienders with isolated, elderly neighbours in the community. The aim is to reduce social isolation by re-engaging at risk individuals with their community through one-to-one befriending partnerships and community group social events.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

This charity has been very successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
There have been no 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
Over half the Board have joined recently

Financial issues to consider:

A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data

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
31/10/22	£305	£249	£55	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	620
31/10/21	£211	£171	£40	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	705
31/10/20	£254	£180	£74	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	600
31/10/19	£223	£163	£59	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	250
31/10/18	£84	£81	£2	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	110
31/10/17	£17	£5	£12	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Established: 7 years

www.letsbfriend.org.uk

info@letsbfriend.org.uk

07523698530

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Listed activities

Disability
Economic/Community Development/Employment

GiG Classification

Community services

How it operates

Other charitable activities
Provides services

Where it operates

Throughout England And Wales,

Who it helps

Elderly/Old People

Who works here?

Unknown number of employees
620 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

National Lottery Community Fund	£352,207
Masonic Trust	£15,000
CAF	£9,870
Co-Operative Group	£3,881

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Co-Operative Group - Grant to b:friend
£1,234	21/10/2023	We hope to provide weekly activity sessions for neighbours that includes dance, art, design, cultural learning opportunities and trips to local nature centres.
National Lottery Community Fund - Let's Celeb:rate!
£9,991	28/03/2023	The funding will be used to host a series of celebration events covering the King's Coronation Eurovision and 75th anniversary of Windrush. The project aims to provide and increase befriending ....more The funding will be used to host a series of celebration events covering the King's Coronation Eurovision and 75th anniversary of Windrush. The project aims to provide and increase befriending support decreasing loneliness and isolation.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to b:friend
£2,646	22/10/2022	We aim to connect older people experiencing social isolation in Barnsley by training and supporting more volunteers, making new befriending pairings and inviting more older people to our social club.
Charles Hayward Foundation - Grant to b:friend
£3,000	23/09/2021	Carcroft Social Club for older people
National Lottery Community Fund - Buck the trend let's b:friend!
£342,216	26/04/2021	The funding will help to continue to match volunteer befrienders with isolated elderly neighbours in the South Yorkshire community. The aim is to reduce social isolation by re-engaging at risk ....more The funding will help to continue to match volunteer befrienders with isolated elderly neighbours in the South Yorkshire community. The aim is to reduce social isolation by re-engaging at risk individuals with their community through one-to-one befriending partnerships and community group social events.
CAF - Grant to b:friend
£9,870	18/06/2020 3	Grant to b:friend to support the organisation through COVID19
Masonic Trust - MCF Small Grant
£15,000	02/06/2020	Unrestricted core funding for small charities
DCMS - Building Connections Fund
£21,534	01/04/2019	Expansion project based in Sheffield to deliver one to one and group befriending services for older residents as well as adding additional events for people to attend. Setting up an office to ....more Expansion project based in Sheffield to deliver one to one and group befriending services for older residents as well as adding additional events for people to attend. Setting up an office to coordinate the project, they are well connected in the community and have a plan to sustain the work after the funded period.
DCMS - Building Connections Fund
£21,534	02/01/2019	Expansion project based in Sheffield to deliver one to one and group befriending services for older residents as well as adding additional events for people to attend. Setting up an office to ....more Expansion project based in Sheffield to deliver one to one and group befriending services for older residents as well as adding additional events for people to attend. Setting up an office to coordinate the project, they are well connected in the community and have a plan to sustain the work after the funded period.
National Lottery Community Fund - Let's b:Friend!
£54,813	26/11/2018 36	Let's b:Friend!
National Lottery Community Fund - We’re all neighbours, let’s b:Friend
£241,392	03/11/2017 36	The group will increase and develop their service which matches volunteer befrienders with isolated older people to provide social opportunities, individual support and companionship. They will also ....more The group will increase and develop their service which matches volunteer befrienders with isolated older people to provide social opportunities, individual support and companionship. They will also run additional weekly social club sessions for older people. This will reduce loneliness and isolation and enable people to feel more engaged with their local community.
National Lottery Community Fund - b:Friend
£9,900	12/07/2017 12	The group will create a series of short films, with a focus on befriending, for potential volunteers and the wider community. This will enable the group to recruit volunteers and raise awareness of ....more The group will create a series of short films, with a focus on befriending, for potential volunteers and the wider community. This will enable the group to recruit volunteers and raise awareness of their charity to older members of the community, with the aim of reducing isolation.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (4)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

CLARE LEGG Appointed: 2024

DR REBECCA ROBERTS Appointed: 2023

MATTHEW WALTER LOLLAR Appointed: 2023

SIMON JOHN MOXON Appointed: 2023

Legal constitution

Charity registered in England & Wales on 17/01/2017, number: 1171148

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

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

Filing Record

6 returns made; all on time

Main office

The Workstation, 15 Paternoster Row
Sheffield
S1 2BX

Objectives

1. THE PROMOTION OF SOCIAL INCLUSION AMONGST ELDERLY PERSONS, IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY PERSONS AGED OVER 65, RESIDENT IN ENGLAND AND WALES ARE EXCLUDED FROM SOCIETY, BY THE PROVISION OF:·BEFRIENDING SERVICES THROUGH WEEKLY OUTREACH TO INDIVIDUALS 2. SUCH OTHER WAYS FROM TIME TO TIME AS THE TRUSTEES SEE FIT IN FURTHERANCE OF SAID OBJECTS

Data Sources