Finance Score: 8

Governance Score: 9

Support Score: 8

Good reserves management: +3
Strong growth: +2
Fundraising costs low: +3

Good trustee age range: +3
Dynamic board: +3
Gender balanced board: +3

Grant maker support: +8

Overall GiG Score: 25

CONNECTION SUPPORT

Our team of staff members and volunteers work alongside people to overcome the challenges they face in life. We do this to work towards our ultimate goal of solving homelessness and helping people achieve independence.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

Reserves management has been consistently within official guidelines
There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
There have been no material 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 well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

Over half the Board have joined recently

Established: 29 years

www.connectionsupport.org.uk

enquiries@connectionsupport.org.uk

01865711267

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		£8,585	£8,216	£369	£45	£2,650	£2,459	3.6	208	85
31/03/22		£7,507	£7,342	£164	£53	£2,281	£2,216	3.6	189	150
31/03/21		£5,857	£5,761	£96	£18	£2,123	£2,003	4.2	163	115
31/03/20		£4,749	£4,641	£108	£13	£2,027	£1,998	5.2	142	80
31/03/19		£4,778	£4,276	£502	£22	£1,919	£1,899	5.3	145	70
31/03/18		£3,899	£3,905	£-6	£15	£1,417	£1,396	4.3	140	0
31/03/17		£3,531	£3,312	£219	£8	£1,423	£1,378	5	123	0
31/03/16		£2,885	£2,621	£264	£1	£1,204	£1,144	5.2	98	0
31/03/15		£2,354	£2,288	£67	£3	£969	£917	4.8	90	0
31/03/14		£2,347	£2,241	£106	£4	£903	£822	4.4	65	0
31/03/13		£2,059	£2,041	£18	£4	£744	£709	4.2	80	0
31/03/12	*	£1,990	£1,979	£11	£2	£726	£706	4.3	78	0
31/03/11		£2,029	£1,892	£137	£4	£715	£696	4.4	65	0
31/03/10		£1,632	£1,650	£-18	£4	£578	£560	4.1	65	0
31/03/09		£1,592	£1,488	£104	£6	£596	£580	4.7	54	0
31/03/08		£1,227	£1,192	£35	£4	£492	£476	4.8	45	0
31/03/07		£1,242	£1,313	£-71	£5	£457	£440	4	42	0
31/03/06		£1,238	£1,220	£17	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/05		£1,201	£1,111	£90	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/04		£1,192	£1,052	£140	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 0.5%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 0.6%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 2%
Highest pay band: £70,000-£80,000
Liabilities/Assets: 23%
Liabilities/Income: 9%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 93%
Reserves/Spending: 3.6 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 3 months
Quick Ratio: 2.1

Asset Split ?

Listed activities

Accommodation/Housing
General Charitable Purposes
The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides buildings/facilities/open space
Provides human resources
Provides services

Where it operates

Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Elderly/Old People
Other Defined Groups
People With Disabilities

Who works here?

208 employees
85 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

Oxfordshire Community Foundation	£197,686
Rothschild Foundation	£90,000
Co-Operative Group	£3,204

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Rothschild Foundation - Grant to Connection Support
£5,000	21/11/2022	Cost of living supplementary grant
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Padstones Supported Housing for Homeless Young People
£3,204	22/10/2022	We aim to buy cooking and exercise equipment to raise awareness of the importance of healthy eating and physical exercise.
Rothschild Foundation - Grant to Connection Support
£5,000	14/10/2022	The funding will be used for food, toiletries, clothes, blankets, home energy costs, public transport for hospital and other appointments where necessary
Oxfordshire Community Foundation - Supporting People with No Recourse to Public Funds
£95,220	25/05/2022	We are seeking funding for our joint project, which is working to deliver the goals of the initiative established by Oxfordshire Homeless Movement (‘OHM’) to provide emergency support to people ....more We are seeking funding for our joint project, which is working to deliver the goals of the initiative established by Oxfordshire Homeless Movement (‘OHM’) to provide emergency support to people with No Recourse to Public Funds. The project will support a group of vulnerable individuals in Oxfordshire, who have been rough sleeping and have been temporarily housed as a result of Covid-19. They currently have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and face homelessness. Connection Support will deliver tailored individual support which will enable each individual to access the essential services they need, to maintain their medium-term tenancy, and ultimately to move on into long term secure housing. Our team will work with each individual to develop a tailored support plan, designed to equip them with the capacity to build the life skills they need to live independently, and turn their accommodation into their longer term home. At the same time, they will help ensure that each participant has access to training, work opportunities, banking, and substance misuse, health or mental health support, as appropriate. Additionally, Connection Support will provide financial hardship support to project participants receiving accommodation, as required.
Rothschild Foundation - Grant to Connection Support
£30,000	12/02/2022	Our project provides emergency support to vulnerable individuals with no recourse to public funds, who currently face homelessness.
Oxfordshire Community Foundation - Supporting individuals with No Recourse to Public Funds in Oxfordshire
£50,000	13/07/2021 11	Grant to Connection Floating Support Team
Rothschild Foundation - Grant to Connection Support
£50,000	03/06/2021 6	Salary costs of part-time volunteer coordinator to support increased demand for services and support of temporary housing for female ex-offenders.
Oxfordshire Community Foundation - NRPF Oxfordshire
£47,200	24/03/2021 59	Core staffing costs to support clients with No Recourse to Public funds whom have been accommodated as a result of the pandemic. Many homeless people have been temporarily housed under the ....more Core staffing costs to support clients with No Recourse to Public funds whom have been accommodated as a result of the pandemic. Many homeless people have been temporarily housed under the ‘Everyone In’ initiative, but once this initiative ends, a number of people will require support in order to prevent a return to rough sleeping on the streets. This initiative will use a housing first approach to help them make their new longer-term accommodation into their home.
Oxfordshire Community Foundation - Grant to Connection Floating Support Team
£5,266	22/01/2020	Signed Charter. Provide services in Oxfordshire giving advice on housing, mental health and independent living skills. Part of the Adult Homeless pathway and deliver rough sleepers outreach services ....more Signed Charter. Provide services in Oxfordshire giving advice on housing, mental health and independent living skills. Part of the Adult Homeless pathway and deliver rough sleepers outreach services in Oxfordshire districts.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (6)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 35-76

EMMA DUKE Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Pr Specialist

HELEN CATHERINE AMURA Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Health Improvement Practitioner

MIKE WORTLEY Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Retired Chartered Accountant

PAUL ASTON Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Manager

RICHARD ALLMAN Appointed: 2018, Occupation: Retired

RUMBIDZAI TAKUNDWA Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Global Health Economics & Outcomes Senior Manager

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 10/10/1995, number: 1049740
Registered at Companies House on 27/06/1995, number: 03072719

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Event History

20/04/2016 - Asset transfer in from HOUSING INTERACTION TRUST
03/04/2019 - Asset transfer in from PADSTONES HOUSING
14/08/2023 - Asset transfer in from THE FACE OF HENLEY

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
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
Volunteer management

Filing Record

20 returns made; AR12: 103 days late,

Recent reorganisation events:

Asset transfer in from THE FACE OF HENLEY on 14/08/2023

Main office

The Old School
First Turn
Wolvercote
Oxford
OX2 8AH

Objectives

TO RELIEVE POVERTY, SICKNESS AND DISTRESS IN PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 16 AND LIVING, OR ABOUT TO LIVE, IN LOCAL AUTHORITY, HOUSING ASSOCIATION OR PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION (PARTICULARLY BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IN CARE OR HAVE BEEN HOMELESS, THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AND THOSE WITH PREVIOUS OR CURRENT ADDICTION TO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL) THROUGH THE PROVISION OF ADVICE AND ADVOCACY SERVICES, COUNSELLING SUPPORT AND WHATEVER CHARITABLE MEANS THE TRUSTEES SHALL DECIDE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED

Data Sources