Finance Score: -1
Governance Score: 0
Support Score: 9
  • Volatile income
  • spending growth: -1
  • No PartB
  • Static board: -3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Large volunteers +3
  • Grant maker support: +6
Overall GiG Score: 8 ?

LOWESTOFT AND DISTRICT MENCAP SOCIETY 

The Unity Centre is a social Centre run by the Lowestoft & District Mencap Society. We are here for support, advice, befriending, signposting, hate crime support as well as running activities such as table top games, console gaming, arts & crafts. We run support groups for example for adults on the autistic spectrum. We have a small community cafe run by warm & caring volunteers & charity shop.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
  • Spending has increased over the last 3 years relative to the previous period
  • 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

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • 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
  • Income has been volatile recently but spending has been maintained

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
01/01/70£0£0£0n/an/an/an/an/a0
30/09/22*£88£97£-9n/an/an/an/an/a20
30/09/21*£45£42£3n/an/an/an/an/a15
30/09/20£43£35£9n/an/an/an/an/a25
30/09/19£45£56£-11n/an/an/an/an/a30
30/09/18*£34£53£-18£0£0£0n/a030
30/09/17£49£54£-5£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/16£79£58£21£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/15£47£45£2£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/14£24£29£-5£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/13£24£34£-10£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/12£26£37£-11£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/11£4£13£-9£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/10£9£17£-7£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/09£3£10£-7£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/08*£4£9£-5£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/07*£4£6£-2£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/06*£4£5£-1£0£0£0n/a00
30/09/05*£5£10£-4£0£0£0n/a00
01/01/70£0£0£0£0£0£0NAN00

Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000
Established: 60 years

www.lowestoftanddistrictmencap.co.uk

theunitycentre@hotmail.com

01502539810

Charity Commission for England and Wales
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Disability
  • Economic/Community Development/Employment
  • Education/Training
  • General Charitable Purposes
  • Human Rights/Religious Or Racial Harmony/Equality Or Diversity
  • Other Charitable Purposes
  • Recreation
GiG Classification
  • Mental health and addiction
How it operates
  • Acts as an umbrella or resource body
  • Other charitable activities
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides buildings/facilities/open space
  • Provides human resources
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • Suffolk,
Who it helps
  • Elderly/Old People
  • Other Defined Groups
  • People With Disabilities
  • The General Public/Mankind
Who works here?
  • Unknown number of employees
  • 20 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
BBC Children in Need£43,584
National Lottery Community Fund£41,484
Sport England£17,895
Suffolk Community Foundation£4,996
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Lowestoft and District MENCAP Society
£43,584 28/11/2023
This youth club will provide digital and non-digital gaming activities, learning, and social opportunities for young people who are neurodiverse. Young people will feel less socially isolated and ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Home From Home
£9,968 26/05/2023
The funding will be used to continue delivering art activities and music therapy sessions for vulnerable adults. The project aims to encourage self-expression and improve their confidence whilst ....more
Sport England - Jubilee Fund - Dance for the Jubilee
£9,290 31/05/2022
This project will incorporate dance and exercise activities into existing activity, from which a group of 20 participants with additional needs from The Unity Centre will learn, rehearse and perform ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Reconnecting
£9,993 15/10/2021
The funding will be used to run an art café supporting vulnerable residents to safely return to creative wellbeing activities.The project aims to re-instate contact with isolated beneficiaries begin ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - MENCAP HeART Cafe
£2,490 30/09/2021
The funding is for an art café supporting vulnerable local residents to safely return to wellbeing activities. The project aims to bring together people who have been isolated during COVID-19 ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Unity Wellbeing and Recovery Service
£9,075 22/10/2020
6
The funding will be used to reopen their centre for pre-booked appointments and deliver wellbeing activities mental health support advice on nutrition lifestyles and boosting immunity for people ....more
Suffolk Community Foundation - Unity Wellbeing and Recovery Service
£4,996 16/10/2020
6
To help customers wellbeing and recovery following Covid 19 restrictions.
Sport England - All About You
£8,605 12/02/2020
11
Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled All About You. This project is a Multi Sports project, with a focus on beneficiaries with a disability.
National Lottery Community Fund - Expressions
£9,958 06/12/2019
12
The funding will be used to deliver a variety of activities for the parents and carers of vulnerable adults, enabling participants to share experiences, create friendships and increase their ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Bang, Crash adn Groove
£9,998 08/11/2018
12
The organisation will use the funding to continue to run the music and dance sessions for adults with learning disabilities.
National Lottery Community Fund - Bang & Crash on Tour
£9,985 05/07/2017
12
The project will develop creative arts and music activities, workshops and performances to help the local community. They also aim to improve the social and economic conditions of those with learning ....more
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Lowestoft & District Mencap Society
£5,600 10/03/2016
12
towards one year's running costs of a coffee bar at a project providing a social centre and activities for people with learning disabilities in Suffolk
National Lottery Community Fund - The Unity Centre
£49,956 27/11/2014
12
Not Available
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (6)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split
Based on 5/6 persons

Legal constitution
  • Charity registered in England & Wales on 11/03/1964, number: 233331
Gift Aid
  • NOT registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Policies in force
  • Complaints handling
  • Conflicting interests
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
18 returns made; AR22: 1 days late, AR21: 1 days late, AR18: 30 days late, AR08: 76 days late, AR07: 574 days late, AR06: 939 days late, AR05: 1172 days late,
Main office

Unity
Unit 1
6 Milton Road East
LOWESTOFT
NR32 1NT

Objectives

(A) THE RELIEF OF PEOPLE WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY IN PARTICULAR BY THE PROVISION OF HELP AND SUPPORT FOR THEM AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES, DEPENDANTS AND CARERS, AND TO PREVENT LEARNING DISABILITIES FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT AND TO ADVANCE RELIGION AMONGST PERSONS WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY; AND(B) TO PROVIDED OR ASSIST IN THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR THE RECREATION OR OTHER LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEED THEREOF BY REASON OF LEARNING DISABILITY WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THEIR CONDITIONS OF LIFE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

LOWESTOFT AND DISTRICT

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving
CharityBase
Authorised officials of this charity can add information to this page (including a Donate Now button) for no cost

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