# Annual report and accounts 1 April 2024 — 31 March 2025 Birmingham Community Matters (BCM) is a charity registered in England & Wales: 1179442 Birmingham Community Matters **Annual report and accounts 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025** Birmingham Community Matters (BCM) is a charity registered in England and Wales: 1179442 Registered office: Stirchley Baths, 2–4 Bournville Lane, Stirchley, Birmingham B30 2JT ## Supported by **info@birminghamcommunitymatters.org.uk www.birminghamcommunitymatters.org.uk** brummatters birmingham-community-matters birminghamcommunitymatters **About** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Contents - 4 Welcome - 5 Our organisation - 6 Our objects - 7 What we do - 8 How we help - 16 Case studies - 20 Further work and impact - 21 Structure, governance and management - 23 Our partners - 26 Financial review - 9 Our values - 27 Accounts - 10 Our core work - 31 Report of the Independent Examiner **About** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Welcome As the Chair of Birmingham Community Matters I am proud to be part of a community; a city, where the people who live, work and learn here are so engaged in making life better for their fellow citizens. BCM is committed to continuing to helping those citizens reach their goals. At a time when many external pressures seek to highlight our differences, BCM and the groups we support, are working tirelessly to emphasise the benefits of community and co-operation. The success of these endeavours comes from the dedication of the volunteers trying to make change. We thank them, our host organisations and partners for enabling BCM to support communities this year. This year, thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund, Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust and our other funders, we have been able to work on a bigger scale than before, with the support of an expanded team. Emma Woolf MBE, Chair of Trustees Our wonderful BCM volunteer helpers listen, support and meet people where they are, generously offering their years of experience and knowledge to help make Birmingham a great place to live for everyone. **About** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Our organisation Our vision **Strong and connected Birmingham communities where local needs are met.** Our mission **To support small and micro community organisations in Birmingham to connect and build their skills, confidence and resources.** Our approach **We use a peer support model where our BCM helpers support people as equals, rather than as experts. They don’t give advice or answers and they nearly always end up learning something new too.** **About** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Our objects **BCM is established to promote the voluntary sector and promote the efficiency and effectiveness of other charitable organisations by:** Helping to build the capacity of small voluntary and community organisations and provide them with the necessary support, information and services to enable them to pursue or contribute to any charitable purpose Promoting, organising and facilitating cooperation and partnership working between small voluntary and community organisations, statutory and other relevant bodies in the achievement of the above purpose within the area of benefit. **Work and impact People and partners Finances** **About** ## What we do **We see** that micro and small community organisations are uniquely placed to identify and serve the needs of their communities. Whether tackling specific challenges or seizing opportunities, they have the local insight and relationships to make the changes they want to see. **We believe** that all the qualities needed to build strong, sustainable community groups already exist. Our role is to help groups share and discover the knowledge they need. **We champion** volunteers and volunteering. We seek to bring people together as peers to exchange knowledge, information, experiences and contacts, and to nurture a city of skilled volunteers. **We support** and work with Birmingham-based partners who share our interest in developing strong local networks that bring about positive change in our city. **About** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## How we help ## **We achieve our objectives by:** Sharing useful resources, templates and information to supplement peer learning and support - and distributing them via our monthly newsletter Holding events in local neighbourhoods where people involved in running micro community groups have opportunities to meet, support and learn from one another Running group learning sessions around specific topics that are important to small groups - such as fundraising, financial management, working with volunteers, and aspects of local placemaking such as Community Asset Transfer and Neighbourhood Planning Offering online support from skilled volunteers - generally around more complex issues Giving online support to people who may have difficulty accessing our in-person events. **About** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Our values **----- Start of picture text -----**
Thoughtful
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People come first. We are compassionate towards one another, and our supportive working culture encourages us to be compassionate to ourselves as individuals and to model that style of working to the groups we support. We embed inclusivity and accessibility into everything we do. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Listening
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Our motto (below) and our peer learning model reflect the value we place in each person’s knowledge and experience. We seek to nurture a diverse team of employees, associates, BCM helpers and trustees, valuing the different worldview that every individual brings. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Adaptable
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We are open to new opportunities, thoughts, and ways of doing things. We respond to the needs of the people and groups we support, as well as the changing needs of communities. We are innovative in our approach to reaching people, and keep our working systems flexible so we can react quickly to new situations — and we never assume we’ve got everything right. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Empowering
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We are generous with our knowledge, connections and experience. We work with people to explore what their next step should be, rather than telling them what to do. We are comfortable with not having the answer straight away, taking an iterative approach to solving problems. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Authentic
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We foster a culture of openness, sharing our failures as well as celebrating our achievements. We view mistakes as part of being human – and a vital way of learning. This frees us to try new things, ‘fail fast’ if needed, and find more effective ways forward. ## **Everyone has something to learn and everyone has something to teach** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Our core work ## **During the year, across all our different projects, we supported 372 unique service users.** In Year 2 of our three-year _Reaching Communities_ project, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, Birmingham Community Matters supported 372 individuals and community organisations across Birmingham. Our work continued to focus on what we know has lasting impact: confidence, competence, and connections. For 2024/25, our priorities were to strengthen delivery of our core work, explore opportunities to grow in response to the needs of the groups we support, raise our profile and extend our reach across the city, and most importantly, continue supporting small volunteer-led community groups on their journey and in making a positive impact within local communities. We continued delivering our popular get help with your community group sessions at venues across the city, where people sit down with a BCM helper and talk through their ideas and challenges, then come up with simple, suitable next steps together. Alongside this, we ran online group sessions covering key topics to help groups get started, grow, secure funding, or develop their skills. We also shared a growing bank of useful templates, like sample constitutions, key policies, and monitoring recording forms. Our monthly newsletter continues to be a trusted source of information filled with BCM updates, funding opportunities, free learning events and more. We kept up our online 121 meetings and responsive triage support by phone and email, making sure groups could access help in a way that works best for them. We know there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and we tailor our support to suit each small group’s stage and needs. **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Helping Groups Grow – Again and Again This year, we noticed a clear trend: many groups are returning to us for ongoing support. We’re proud to have built the kind of trusted relationships where groups feel comfortable coming back as their needs evolve. As their projects progressed, we supported them through key stages from developing their initial ideas and setting up governance, to drafting constitutions, applying for funding, and learning how to monitor and evaluate their impact. Our volunteer helpers, experienced people who offer guidance and a listening ear remain at the heart of what we do. This year, we grew our network, welcoming 3 additional volunteers and also including a new model where staff at host venues act as peer helpers, adding real community ownership to the support. ## **Spreading Further Across Birmingham** We continued working with local venues and organisations to widen our reach across the city – the map on page 15 shows where we’ve been active this year. To help us plan for the future our Trustees commissioned an evaluation of our services to inform BCM’s strategy through to 2026/27. As part of this, we hosted staff, trustee, helper and associate away days and ran our first ever stakeholder engagement event, helping us to co-design our future focus. ## **Changes to the Team** This year we said goodbye to Jo Burrill, our CEO, in July 2024 and welcomed Becky Coley into the role. Becky previously worked as a Project Officer with BCM. We also waved goodbye to Project Officer Claire Johnson, welcoming Francesca JarvisRouse into that role in September 2024. In May 2025, our former Delivery Support Administrator, Mansukh Kaur Dhillon, stepped up to become our new Project Officer, a brilliant development and a testament to BCM’s commitment of supporting our staff to develop and grow! I am super impressed with the session I had today. I felt welcomed and listened too. Deeply appreciated”. Feedback from an attendee at a **Get Help with your Community Group session** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Helping Groups Grow – Again and Again ## **Partnering with Neighbourhood Network Schemes and Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust** We continued to work with Neighbourhood Network Schemes. These are Birmingham City Council funded initiatives to strengthen communities, beat social isolation, and help older adults in Birmingham (as well as younger adults with additional needs) to lead happy, healthy lives. They do this in lots of ways. One way is by giving support and small grants to local community groups, recognising their vital role in bringing people together. We worked with Neighbourhood Network Schemes in the constituencies of Selly Oak, Perry Barr, Northfield, Yardley, Erdington, Sutton Coldfield and Edgbaston to boost the capacity and sustainability of identified community groups. Thanks to new funding from Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust. BCM has been able to enhance our core offer to deliver focussed support for Sutton Coldfield groups at all stages of their development. We delivered topic-based learning sessions and networking events. Using a mix of You have provided a clear road map for us to create our first funding application for our charity.” Feedback from attendees of our Bidwriting for small groups session our existing materials and new resources shaped by triage conversations and 121 feedback, we’ve helped groups at all stages of their journey. ## **Supporting Local Campaigns** We have continued our support to the Save Birmingham campaign, supporting assets of community value workshops, fundraising efforts and promoting the localism act to small groups and how they can protect the spaces and services in their community. **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Learning and Growing Ourselves BCM also took steps to strengthen our own growth and sustainability by joining the Social Economy Growth Programme, led by the Aston Centre for Growth. Through the GROW programme, we participated in expert-led workshops and peer coaching, gaining valuable insights into how we can increase our trading income while continuing to maximise our impact for the communities we support. This experience has played a key role in shaping our strategy for 2025/26. It’s helped us explore new ways to diversify our income and evaluate the effectiveness of our services, ensuring we remain responsive, resilient, and relevant. ## **Looking Ahead** As we reflect on another busy and rewarding year, we’re proud of how Birmingham Community Matters continues to evolve in response to the needs of the groups we serve. From 121 conversations to citywide learning sessions, everything we do is rooted in a belief in the power of small community groups and the volunteers who lead them. This year we have strengthened our foundations, deepened our relationships, and broadened our reach. With the support of our funders, volunteers, partners, and the wider BCM network, we’ve had the privilege of supporting groups at every stage of their journey watching them grow, overcome challenges, and make a real, lasting difference in their communities. Very helpful and informative session. Staff were very knowledgeable and provided us with information as to how we could move our organisation forward. ” Feedback from attendees at a Get Help with your Community Group session As we move into the final year of our Reaching Communities project, we do so with energy, purpose, and optimism. We remain committed to building confidence, growing competence, and making connections. **We recorded the legal structure of the groups for whom we delivered more in-depth support:** - Individuals with no structure: **13%** - Informal group without governing document: **14%** - Constituted group/ **Groups supported by BCM** - unincorporated association: **16%** - Charity Incorporated Organisation - CIO: **6%** - Registered charity: **13%** - Community interest company - CIC: **15%** - Private limited company: **3%** - Company limited by guarantee: **3%** - Public sector body: **1%** - Not known/Don’t know: **16%** Governance: **31%** First steps: **2%** Compliance: **6%** Financial: **3%** **Support needs on first contact** - Fundraising: **32%** - Project support and delivery: **3%** - Policies and procedures: **7%** - Volunteering: **2%** - Partnerships and networks: **3%** - Marketing and promotion: **1%** - Organisational development: **10%** Digital tools: **0%** - Individuals are those at the very start of their journey, exploring options and yet to connect with others around their ideas - ** Although our governing document precludes us from offering in-depth support to CICs, we did accommodate some social enterprises through attendance at webinars and by signposting them to support. This included CICs which were embarking on a change of legal structure to become CIOs. **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** During the period we supported 372 individuals and group representatives across Birmingham (some of whom attended more than one of our events): **33 17 31 facilitated in-person online small group in-person peer support group learning sessions, supporting sessions, providing sessions, supporting 78 people one-to-one support 112 people to 113 people** **facilitated in-person online small group in-person peer support group learning sessions, supporting sessions, providing sessions, supporting 78 people one-to-one support** 9 **112 people to 113 people** networking events **13 195 337 270 95% people received people received people were supported people accessed our of people said they one-to-one triage support with information support more than 2 times would recommend support and resources in a 12 month period the support to others** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## **Groups and individuals we helped** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Sutton Coldfield
Perry Barr Erdington
Hodge Hill
and Solihull
Ladywood
Yardley
Edgbaston
Hall Green
and Moseley
Selly Oak
Northfield
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**Our newsletter in numbers:** **1146 mailing list subscribers by the end of this reporting year, a percentage increase of 9%** **47.7% average open rate, higher than the average 33%* for nonprofit organisations** **4.9% clickthrough rate, higher than the average 2.79%* for nonprofit organisations** * Statistics from Mailchimp, the email platform we use. **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Case study ## Helping Neuro Divas take their next steps **Neuro Divas is a warm and welcoming community group in North Birmingham. They host weekly coffee mornings at The Sanctuary, Castle Vale, creating a safe and supportive space especially for neurodivergent women.** It all began when the women attended an ADHD course run by Brews. During this time, they collectively realised there were no inclusive spaces for neurodivergent women and together, they decided to create one. These gatherings are a chance for ADHD women to come together, chat, listen, or simply enjoy the company of others who understand. They also welcome all neurodivergent women. The Neuro Divas were first highlighted to us by our colleagues at Erdington Neighbourhood Network Scheme (NNS), who saw their potential and encouraged them to apply for **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Case studies continued funding to support their sessions. But before applying, the group needed support with their structure—so Erdington NNS pointed them in BCM’s direction for support. We first met the group at one of our themed learning sessions which focused on structures and governance. This session explored different types of organisation structures and helped Neuro Divas decide what would work best for BCM has given us the support and confidence we needed to move forward with Neuro Divas. We are truly grateful for the guidance, encouragement, and opportunities they’ve provided. Thank you for believing in us. We look forward to continuing to grow together.” **Neuro Divas** them as a community group. Having gained a clearer understanding about their options from this session, the group chose their structure as a constituted group. As a newly constituted group, they were feeling confident and ready to move forward. They joined us at our “Bid writing for small groups” session, where they gained valuable skills and insights to start their funding journey. In May, Neuro Divas joined one of our Get help with your community group sessions which gave them the opportunity to speak to us about funding opportunities. We gave them some more helpful tips and support on how to write a funding application, how to search for suitable funders, and how to build a project from their current location. Realising how important financial knowledge is, they signed up for our “Working with money” session. This covered essential topics like committee roles, financial responsibilities, choosing and setting up a bank account, and understanding different funding streams—everything a growing group needs to manage money well. Neuro Divas also attended our BCM meetup event, which provided an opportunity to share their vision and connect with potential funders. They then dropped by our friendly “Cuppa and chat” session. We were impressed to hear all they had accomplished in only a few months. They started preparation on their funding application and had run a survey consultation with their members to help them demonstrate to funders ‘the need’ for their project. On the day we shared tips to help them strengthen their application and explored where to find free resources. We also chatted about reaching out to businesses for corporate volunteering, how to grow their membership, and how to promote the group more widely. Now, Neuro Divas are enthusiastically preparing to submit a funding application to the National Lottery Community Fund - and we couldn’t be prouder of how far they’ve come! **----- Start of picture text -----**
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## Case study ## From ideas to applications: the West Midlands Turkish Association’s story **The West Midlands Turkish Association (WMTA) is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered in April 2024. The charity that works to promote Turkish culture and education across the West Midlands. They organise community events and offer a range of cultural activities, such as music, dance, and language classes. Their aim is to support the Turkish community while preserving and sharing their cultural heritage.** The group was initially signposted to BCM by one of our host organisations, Selly Oak Quakers. They were seeking help with finding funding. In January 2025, WMTA attended one of our Get Help with your community group peer support sessions. During this initial meeting, BCM discussed how to prepare their project ideas and activities and develop them into funding applications. We helped them to identify the needs of their community members - we recommended they create a document outlining the specific **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Case studies continued needs of their community and how their proposed activities would address them. One method we discussed was carrying out a short survey to gather feedback directly from community members. We then moved on to supporting them to prepare a project budget we went through putting together a clear budget for each project, including typical costs such as venue hire, insurance, session leaders, and banking charges. During this discussion we also discussed Gift Aid and signposted the group to the UK Government resources and registration page for further information. Following the session, the group attended one of BCM’s Learning sessions about bid writing, where we explored how to communicate their ideas clearly in funding application forms and how to link their planned activities to a funder’s priorities. Later that month, the group returned to another Get Help with your community group session to share their progress. They had consulted their members and used the feedback to start to design projects that reflected member needs. We supported them in identifying costs to Birmingham Community Matters and its staff have been invaluable to our fundraising journey as a small and new charity. They have been so welcoming and supportive and always interested in what we have to say about our projects. Thanks to their help we were able to write and submit our project to the National Lottery Community Fund. Their support has also provided us with motivation to write larger project proposals that can significantly transform our charity in the future. We will definitely continue to work with BCM in the future”. ## **Dr Tuğçe Syed** Executive Assistant for Social Media and Projects at West Midlands Turkish Association include in their funding bids, such as costs for tutors and room hire, as well as helping them consider the longer-term outcome of their work. During the Get Help sessions, we also explored the group’s longer-term ambition of buying their own building. While the idea was exciting, we talked through the practicalities involved — from health and safety and fire regulations to insurance, maintenance and ongoing running costs. The group took this on board and planned to reflect further. These conversations gave them a clearer picture of what future growth might involve, helping them to plan in a thoughtful and sustainable way. The group gained significant insight and confidence thanks to their sessions with BCM. This has helped them to take the crucial steps forward to submitting their National Lottery application, which they are currently awaiting a decision on. **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Further work and impact ## Helping small groups to grow, connect and thrive **Alongside our citywide Reaching Communities programme, we have been working more with local partners to strengthen groups at a neighbourhood level. These projects have given us the chance to step in where groups needed focused support, and a little extra help was needed.** ## **Building Capacity in Sutton Coldfield** With support from the Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust, we were able to do more for small groups in the north of the city. Over the past year we ran themed learning sessions, “meet the funder” events, and informal drop-ins at local venues. This is part of a larger 2 year programme of support. The difference has been clear. 38 groups came to us for tailored support. They left feeling more confident about governance, fundraising, and managing volunteers. It wasn’t just about tools like constitutions, policies and budgets. These sessions also built trust, confidence, and peer support helping groups feel part of a wider network and a stronger, more connected community sector. ## **Neighbourhood Network Schemes** Through our work with Neighbourhood Network Schemes across Birmingham, we continued to offer practical, place-based support. This included peer learning sessions, small workshops and 121 chats. Over the duration of 2024/25, BCM’s work has grown to supporting groups in 7 NNS constituencies across the city. Over the course of the year, groups used this support to take big steps forward. Some became constituted with clear roles and responsibilities. Others opened bank accounts, wrote budgets, recruited volunteers or submitted their first funding applications. And importantly, groups also started linking up with each other forming new peer networks, sharing ideas, and finding solutions together. ## **Supporting Birmingham’s wider community voice** This year we also played our part in the Save Birmingham campaign, launched in response to the city council’s financial crisis. We worked with key partners to host workshops on Assets of Community Value (ACV) and Community Asset Transfer (CAT), giving local people practical ways to protect the places and spaces they care about. By sharing resources, running online sessions, and supporting groups to complete applications, we helped make sure small, volunteer-led organisations were not left out of the conversation about Birmingham’s future. Most importantly, it helped ensure that community voices were part of shaping the city’s future. **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Structure, governance and management ## Our people **BCM is registered as a charitable incorporated organisation (Association CIO) with the Charity Commission. Our board of trustees has responsibility for BCM’s policies, its strategic direction and priorities. It also has full financial and legal responsibilities for BCM, its staff, activities, services, contracts and assets.** - AD, Operations Support Officer - � Claire Johnson, Project Officer - South and West Birmingham (resigned April 2024) **Thank you to our trustees who served BCM during the period covered by this report:** - Emma Woolf MBE, Chair - Helga Edström OBE, Vice Chair - Francesca Jarvis-Rouse, Project Officer (appointed September 2024) - David Broome, Treasurer - Sandra Cooper - Mansukh Kaur Dhillon, Delivery Support Administrator (until May 2025), Project Officer with responsibility for Marketing and Communications (from June 2025). - Dipali Chandra - Catherine De Soyza - Emma Macpherson (resigned October 2024) - Denise Peach (resigned October 2024) - Karen Cheney ## **And associates:** - Claudie Izai Lynn Richardson. - Rob Jones ## **Thank you also to our core team:** - Rob Netherway - Jo Burrill, Chief Executive (until July 2024) - Helen Harvey - Becky Coley, Project Officer - North and East Birmingham (until July 2024) Chief Executive (from July 2024) - Marie Kreft, freelance marketing and communications. Farewell and Thank You At the end July 2024, we said goodbye to our CEO, **Jo Burrill** , as she moved on to a new role within the NHS. Jo played a pivotal role in shaping the organisation into what it is today. Jo was instrumental in BCM’s development helping to build a trusted, supportive network for small and micro community groups across Birmingham. Her leadership, dedication, and belief in the power of grassroots activity have left a lasting legacy. Reflecting on her time with BCM, Jo shared: _“It has been a pleasure contributing to the establishment and growth of BCM, supporting small and micro community groups and voluntary activity across Birmingham. I have been lucky to work with a wonderful group of colleagues, trustees, volunteers and partners. I am delighted to leave BCM in a strong position and, with Becky at the helm, I know it will continue to flourish.”_ We thank Jo sincerely for her years of commitment, compassion, and vision. She left BCM in a strong and confident place, and we wish her all the very best in her new role. **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## continued Our people ## **BCM helpers** We are hugely grateful for the dedication and knowledge of our BCM helpers – the people who work with us on a voluntary basis to give 121 peer support to small and emerging community groups across Birmingham. We truly appreciate the time they give, their ability to truly listen, and their generosity in sharing their experience and contacts to make a difference. ## Stakeholder Meetup In 2024, BCM held its first-ever stakeholder meetup, bringing together community groups, funders, partners, trustees, staff, associates, and volunteers for a day of connection, learning, and collaboration. The event provided an opportunity to share experiences, celebrate achievements, and explore the challenges faced by small community organisations across Birmingham. The day featured networking sessions, small group discussions, and the launch of BCM’s Seedcorn Fund. Importantly, it helped us to gain feedback, which will help us to shape the charity’s strategic direction moving forward and ensure our support continues to reflect the real needs of local groups **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Our partners **We are grateful to our colleagues in other infrastructure and capacity-building support organisations for being BCM’s crucial supporters and collaborators.** ## **Thank you (in alphabetical order):** - 3 C Solutions - Anchor Point - Aston Centre for Growth - Birmingham and District Allotment Confederation - Birmingham LGBT Centre - Birmingham Open Spaces Forum (BOSF) - Birmingham Voluntary Sector Council (BVSC) - Bournville Quaker house - Bournville Village Trust - Brandwood Community Centre - Cherished - Cooperatives West Midlands - Dads Lane Community Centre - Digital Neighbourhood Network Scheme - Edgbaston Community Centre - Four Oaks Methodist Church - Full Gospel Tabernacle Church - Grounded Cafe - Groundwork West Midlands - Hawkesley Community Centre - Heart of England Community Foundation - Holy Cross Church - Institute for Social Entrepreneurs - Locality - Mere Green Library - Mount Zion Church - Moseley Exchange - Nishkam Centre - Neighbourhood Support and Development Unit at Birmingham City Council - Pilotlight - The Quaker meeting house - Quinborne Community Centre - Reaside Community Centre - The Sanctuary - Sandwell Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) - Save Birmingham - Sport Birmingham - St Cyprians Memorial Hall - St Germains Church - St Richards Community Centre - Thrive - The Trinity Centre - West Midlands Funders Network - Witton Lodge Community Association. **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## continued Our partners **Our work aligns with grantmaking in the region, from The National Lottery Community Fund, Heart of England Community Foundation, Heritage Lottery Fund, Severn Trent Community Fund and the Neighbourhood Development Support Unit within Birmingham City Council. We have benefited from their support, their insight into the state of the sector, and their trust in us when referring groups for help.** **Thank you to the following organisations for helping us to support Birmingham’s small community organisations:** - Age Concern (Sutton Coldfield NNS) - Gateway Family Services (Edgbaston NNS) - Glebe Farm Library - B8 Network - Manningford Hall - Birmingham LGBT Centre - Northfield Community Partnership (Northfield NNS) - Birmingham Settlement (Ladywood NNS) - Brandwood Community Centre - The Old Post Office, Stirchley - CASE at Soho Community Hall - Pype Hayes Golf Club - Christ Church, Yardley Wood - Spring Housing (Perry Barr NNS) - Christ Church, Selly Park - Stirchley Community Market. - Communitea Cafe - Friends of Cotteridge Park @ The Shed **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## continued Our partners **Thank you to the following organisations for hosting our events and activities:** **Thank you to the following funders who have made our work possible:** - Advocacy Matters - Edgbaston Community Centre - Erdington Leisure Centre - Hawkesley Community Centre - Holloway Hall Community Assocation - ISE - Women’s Enterprise and Community Hub - Moseley Hive - Nechells POD - New Heights, Kingstanding - Our Place, Sutton Coldfield - The Pavilion, Moor Lane - Soho Community Centre - St Thomas Church and Community Project - Yardley - Stirchley Baths - Sutton Coldfield United Reformed Church - Welcome Change, Glebe Farm - West Heath Community Centre - Warstock Community Centre. - Aston Centre for Growth - � Birmingham City Council’s Neighbourhood Development Support Unit - Edgbaston Neighbourhood Network Scheme - Erdington Neighbourhood Network Scheme - National Lottery Community Fund Reaching Communities England - Northfield Neighbourhood Network Scheme - Perry Barr Neighbourhood Network Scheme - Selly Oak Neighbourhood Network Scheme - Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust - � Sutton Coldfield Neighbourhood Network Scheme - Yardley Neighbourhood Network Scheme. It felt wonderful to be connected to someone who shared their expertise on both our funding applications and community spaces. We received honest and constructive feedback which helped us to move forward as an organisation” **Jo-Anne from Noah’s Star,** a volunteer service to support children who have a premature or poorly younger sibling in neonatal hospital care in Birmingham. **26** **About** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Financial review ## **Our reserves policy** BCM has a reserves policy which is reviewed every 24 months. The current reserves policy is to hold to 14 weeks of overhead costs plus redundancy costs for existing staff. For the period 2024/2025 this would be a total of £19833 as a total. ## **Responsibilities of trustees** The trustees of Birmingham Community Matters (BCM) are responsible for keeping proper accounting records and for preparing an annual report and financial statements in line with the Charities Act 2011 and UK charity law. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the CIO’s assets and taking reasonable steps to prevent and detect fraud or other irregularities. BCM’s income in this financial year was below £250,000, as such the trustees have chosen to produce receipts and payments accounts. In preparing these accounts the trustees ensure that: - All money received and paid out by the CIO is properly recorded and explained. - Accounting records are kept up to date and accurately reflect the CIO’s financial position. - The annual statement of receipts and payments gives a clear summary of the CIO’s finances for the year. - The annual report and accounts are submitted to the Charity Commission as required. This annual report, covering the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, was approved by trustees of Birmingham Community Matters at their Annual General Meeting, held on 23rd October 2025. **Emma Woolf,** Chair of Trustees. **27** **About** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Accounts |Accounts
**Receipts and**
**payments accounts**
for the year ended 31 March 2025|**Unrestricted funds**
**Restricted funds**
**Total funds 2025**
**Total funds 2024**
**Receipts**
**_Notes_**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**| |---|---| ||Grants
_3_
–
145,098
**145,098**
126,107
Donations
1,019
–
**1,019**
–
Other income
_4_
25,902
–
**25,902**
68,916| ||**Total receipts**
**26,921**
**145,098**
**172,019**
**195,023**| ||**Payments**
Salaries and staff costs
1,728
100,960
**102,688**
121,133
Administrator’s fees
–
–
**–**
1,350
Staff recruitment
–
609
**609**
–
Staff travel & subsistence
382
902
**1,284**
2,639
Staff training & development
400
–
**400**
2,361
Consultancy/partner costs
5,006
13,857
**18,863**
12,310
Fundraising Support
–
–
**–**
360
HR Support
–
–
**–**
–
Evaluation
–
–
**–**
–
Venue hire
1,669
2,280
**3,949**
2,951
Marketing
3,854
9,535
**13,389**
14,489
Website
1,303
1,199
**2,502**
9,678
Offce costs
1,480
624
**2,104**
2,772
Insurance
885
–
**885**
747
Equipment
399
185
**584**
3,748
Independent Examiner’s fee
975
–
**975**
950
Bookkeeping/accountancy
5,580
1,104
**6,684**
5,568
Bank charges
134
–
**134**
146
Overhead allocations to projects
(7,429)
7,429
**–**
–| ||
**Total payments**
**16,366**
**138,684**
**155,050**
**181,202**| ||
**Net receipts over payments**
**10,555**
**6,414**
**16,969**
**13,821**| ||
**Cash funds as at 31 March 2024**
_6_
**58,758**
**45,135**
**103,893**
**90,072**| ||**Transfers**
**–**
**–**
**–**
**–**| ||**Cash funds as at 31 March 2025**
_6_
**69,313**
**51,549**
**120,862**
**103,893**| **28** **About** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Accounts continued ## **Notes to the accounts** ## **1. Receipts and Payments accounts** Receipts and payments accounts are statements that summarise the movement of cash into and out of the organisation during the financial year. In this context “cash” includes cash equivalents, for example, bank accounts where cash can be readily withdrawn to pay for debts as they become due. ## **2. Grants** Grants are credited to revenue on a receivable basis, and all income is allocated to appropriate funds based on the income, and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably. Restricted funds are to be used for specified purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria’s is identified to the fund, together with a fair allocation of overheads and support costs. Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources received or generated for charitable purposes. ## **3. Grants Received** |**3. Grants Received**||| |---|---|---| ||**Total funds 2025**|Total funds 2024| ||**£**|£| |National Lottery Reaching Communities|**97,338**|95,636| |Selly Oak Neighbourhood Network Scheme (NNS)|**19,975**|–| |Sutton Coldfeld Charitable Trust|**17,785**|–| |The Social Economy Growth Programme|**10,000**|–| |Perry Bar Neighbourhood Network Scheme (NNS)|**–**|14,271| |Perry Bar NNS Younger Adults|**–**|5,000| |Seedcorn Fund|**–**|11,200| |**Total**|**145,098**|**126,107**| **29** **About** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Accounts continued **Notes to the accounts** ## **4. Other Income** |||**Total funds 2025**|Total funds 2024| |---|---|---|---| |||**£**|£| ||Birmingham City Council|**4,800**|–| ||Yardley Neighbourhood Network Scheme (NNS)|**3,300**|–| ||Heart of England Community Foundation|**8,881**|–| ||Co-Operatives West Midlands|**1,000**|2,000| ||Neighbourhood Development and Support Unit (NDSU)|**3,070**|5,000| ||Spring Housing Association|**2,870**|–| ||United by 2022 Charity|**825**|–| ||Age UK Birmingham|**743**|–| ||Witton Lodge Community Association|**413**|4,550| ||Selly Oak Neighbourhood Network Scheme (NNS)|**–**|20,000| ||Neighbourhood Planning Toolkit (Locality)|**–**|7,170| ||Northfeld NNS|**–**|9,233| ||Erdington NNS|**–**|9,103| ||Sutton Coldfeld NNS|**–**|5,280| ||Edgbaston NNS|**–**|5,000| ||Ladywood NNS|**–**|1,380| ||Universityof Birmingham|**–**|200| ||**Total**|**25,902**|**68,916**| ## **5. Trustees & Staff Costs** During the financial year there were no remunerations paid to trustees (2024: nil). No employee received emoluments of £60,000 or above (2024: nil). **30** **About** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## Accounts continued **Notes to the accounts** ## **6. Fund Analysis** |||Balance as at|Receipts|Payments|Transfer of|**Balance as at**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||1 April 2024|||Funds|**31 March 2025**| ||**Fund Name**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**| ||Unrestricted Funds|**58,758**|**26,921**|**(16,366)**|**–**|69,313| ||**Restricted Funds:**|||||| ||National Lottery Reaching Communities|36,301|97,338|(90,357)|–|43,282| ||Sutton Coldfeld Charitable Trust|–|17,785|(15,956)|–|1,829| ||Selly Oak NNS|–|19,975|(17,614)|–|2,361| ||Seedcorn Fund|8,834|–|(4,757)|–|4,077| ||The Social EconomyGrowth Programme|–|10,000|(10,000)|–|–| ||**Total**|**45,135**|**145,098**|**(138,684)**|**–**|**51,549**| ||**Total Funds**|**103,893**|**172,019**|**(155,050)**|**–**|**120,862**| ## _**Signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees**_ Signature Print name Emma Woolf Chair, Birmingham Community Matters Date 23rd October 2025 **31** **About** **Work and impact** **People and partners** **Finances** ## **Report of the Independent Examiner** Independent Examiner’s report to the trustees of Birmingham Community Matters on the receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025. I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 as set out on pages 27 to 30. ## **Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner** As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). The charity’s trustees consider an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the 2011 Act, and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility as independent examiner to: - examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act - follow the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act, and - to state whether particular matters have come to my attention ## **Basis of Independent Examiners Report** My examination was carried out in accordance with the Directions given by the Charity commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items of disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts. ## **Independent Examiners Statement** I have completed my examination for the year ended 31 March 2025. I can confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act or 2. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records to comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Miss Jacqueline Bird F.M.A.A.T. 23rd October 2025 Community Accounting Lancashire C.I.C. Foxfields 9 Norley Close Chadderton Oldham OL1 2RA Birmingham Community Matters ## **Everyone has something to learn and everyone has something to teach** **info@birminghamcommunitymatters.org.uk** **www.birminghamcommunitymatters.org.uk** brummatters birmingham-community-matters birminghamcommunitymatters Birmingham Community Matters (BCM) is a charity registered in England and Wales: 1179442 Registered office: Stirchley Baths, 2-4 Bournville Lane, Stirchley, Birmingham B30 2JT