Finance Score: 5

Governance Score: 3

Support Score: 6

Strong growth: +2
Fundraising costs low: +3

Dynamic board: +3

Grant maker support: +6

Overall GiG Score: 14

SPARK SOMERSET

Our aim is to inspire strong and sustainable communities through voluntary and communityaction. We provide information, advice, training and support to charities and community groups andrepresent the sector on strategic bodies. We also run the Volunteer Service, inspiring people to make adifference in their communities.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

There has been strong growth in spending since inception
There have been no income shortfalls in recent years
Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
The Board appears to be 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

Established: 6 years

www.sparksomerset.org.uk

support@sparksomerset.org.uk

01458 550973

Charity Commission for England and Wales

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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	£1,027	£925	£102	£16	£493	£493	6.4	27	15
31/03/22	£872	£723	£150	£13	£391	£391	6.5	27	15
31/03/21	£588	£503	£86	£18	£241	£241	5.8	21	10
31/03/20	£393	£345	£49	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1
31/03/19	£184	£77	£107	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 1.5%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 1.7%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 63%
Liabilities/Income: 81%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 100%
Reserves/Spending: 6.4 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 6 months
Quick Ratio: 1.2

Asset Split ?

Listed activities

Disability
Economic/Community Development/Employment
General Charitable Purposes
The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty

How it operates

Acts as an umbrella or resource body
Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides buildings/facilities/open space
Provides services
Sponsors or undertakes research

Where it operates

Somerset,

Who it helps

Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
The General Public/Mankind

Who works here?

27 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.

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
National Lottery Community Fund - Development of Somerset Youth Work Alliance (SYWA)
£496,385	23/03/2023	The funding will be used to support the employment of two full time experienced youth workers - one at Director level to take on a planning and co-ordination role as well as strategic discussions ....more The funding will be used to support the employment of two full time experienced youth workers - one at Director level to take on a planning and co-ordination role as well as strategic discussions with Commissioners and key stakeholders on behalf of the Alliance and a Senior Youth Development Worker to take on activities with groups across the county. The positions will be paid on the JNC pay scale to reflect the roles and responsibilities of both posts. The post-holders will work together to facilitate initiatives with existing members bring new members into the alliance and forge successful partnerships across the VCSE and statutory sectors. They will focus oni. Increasing the youth work offer across the county ensuring that youth work is accessible and inclusive and targeting groups that may find it hard to access this offer ii. Increasing young people's participation and youth voice across the county so that young people can influence decisions that impact on them.iii. developing the workforce – to bring on the next generation of youth workers grow the workforce and create a sustainable youth work workforceiv. promoting networks for peer support and sharing of best practice across the county and beyond.v. establishing a range of cross-alliance communication processes to encourage dialogue and conversations between membersvi. producing an Alliance Portfolio to explain what the Alliance and its individual partners provide and what they can offer for young people in Somersetvii. developing shared quality assurance and impact measurement frameworks to collectively report and demonstrate impact.viii. strengthening the engagement of the youth work sector with statutory partners to ‘design in’ youth work approaches in early intervention social isolation increasing rates of mental health issues addictive behaviours low social mo and other emerging issuesY
Somerset Community Foundation - Venue hire for a local carers support group
£240	21/07/2022	Venue hire for a local carers support group
Somerset Community Foundation - Research to understand the implications of Covid-19 on Somerset’s communities
£10,000	06/06/2022	Research to understand the implications of Covid-19 on Somerset’s communities
Somerset Community Foundation - Developing a new service to provide infrastructure support to youth work organisations
£15,000	24/05/2022	Developing a new service to provide infrastructure support to youth work organisations
Somerset Community Foundation - Somerset Youth Work Alliance youth worker training
£2,500	04/04/2022	Somerset Youth Work Alliance youth worker training
Somerset Community Foundation - Grant to Spark Somerset
£5,000	23/08/2021	Contribution to the costs of a research project to give a voice to a broad range of groups and organisations
Somerset Community Foundation - Building a stronger partnership of youth activity providers in Somerset
£10,000	12/02/2021 8	Grant to Spark Somerset
Somerset Community Foundation - COVID19 Advice and guidance to help local community groups re-start their activities
£10,000	11/01/2021 2	Advice and guidance to help local community groups re-start their activities
Somerset Community Foundation - Monthly forums to support groups and newsletters for group members
£3,750	03/12/2020 6	Monthly forums to support groups and newsletters for group members
National Lottery Community Fund - C-19 response - Community Recovery in Somerset - Volunteer Legacy Project
£36,835	19/10/2020 7	The funding will provide continued support for VCS organisations in the local area as well as the distribution of volunteers to maximise support given to families and individuals who need it ....more The funding will provide continued support for VCS organisations in the local area as well as the distribution of volunteers to maximise support given to families and individuals who need it throughout the pandemic.
Somerset Community Foundation - COVID19 GP Helpers to support vulnerable patients across South Somerset
£2,750	28/09/2020 5	Grant to Spark Somerset
Somerset Community Foundation - COVID19 Online training for Somerset's VCSE Sector
£4,800	22/05/2020 2	Online training for Somerset's VCSE Sector during coronavirus
Somerset Community Foundation - COVID19 Strategic infrastructure support for community groups and charities
£10,000	02/04/2020 4	COVID19 Support, advice and guidance to groups responding to the coronavirus outbreak
Somerset Community Foundation - Mental health first aid
£4,000	16/08/2019 5	Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for grassroots groups
Somerset Community Foundation - Good Fellowship Club Transport Replacement
£5,000	28/06/2018 59	Community transport for isolated older people in Yeovil

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (7)

Current Trustees appointed

DEBRA MARIE DREW Appointed: 2023, Other trusteeship: FRIENDS OF STREET LIBRARY,

EMILY KATHERINE TAYLOR Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Manager

GRAHAME PAINE (Chair) Appointed: 2022

IAN JOHN BRAMLEY Appointed: 2023

MELANIE JANE MERRILL Appointed: 2019

STEPHEN MICHAEL WOOLLETT Appointed: 2019

VICTORIA OFFORD Appointed: 2023

Legal constitution

Charity registered in England & Wales on 03/08/2018, number: 1179438

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
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Filing Record

5 returns made; all on time

Main office

Units 3 and 4
The Courtyard
Bowdens Farm
Hambridge
LANGPORT
Somerset

Objectives

TO PROMOTE THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC IN SOMERSET BY:I) THE PROVISION OF INFORMATION, ADVICE, TRAINING AND SUPPORT; ANDII) PROMOTING AND ORGANISING PARTNERSHIP AND CO-OPERATION IN THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR.VOLUNTARY SECTOR IS DEFINED AS 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.

Data Sources