SPARK SOMERSET

Charity overview
Activities - how the charity spends its money
Our aim is to inspire strong and sustainable communities through voluntary and community action. We provide information, advice, training and support to charities and community groups and represent the sector on strategic bodies. We also run the Volunteer Service, inspiring people to make a difference in their communities.
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 31 March 2024
Total income:
£1,345,682
Donations and legacies | £175.14k | |
Charitable activities | £1.16m | |
Other trading activities | £0 | |
Investments | £5.87k | |
Other | £0 |
Total expenditure:
£1,268,729
Raising funds | £18.30k | |
Charitable activities | £1.25m | |
Other | £0 |
£5,865 investments gains (losses)
Total income includes £390,000 from 1 government contract(s) and £639,019 from 17 government grant(s)
Charitable expenditure
Charitable expenditure with investment gains
Charitable expenditure
Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.
In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.
Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.
By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.
Raising funds and other expenditure | £18.30k | |
Charitable expenditure | £1.25m | |
Retained for future use | £76.95k |
Raising funds and other expenditure | £18.30k | |
Charitable expenditure | £1.25m | |
Retained for future use | £82.82k |
People

30 Employee(s)
7 Trustee(s)
20 Volunteer(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
No employees have total benefits over £60k for this charityFundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- General Charitable Purposes
- Disability
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
- Economic/community Development/employment
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- The General Public/mankind
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Provides Services
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
- Acts As An Umbrella Or Resource Body
- Somerset
Governance
- 03 August 2018: CIO registration
No other names
- 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
Trustees
Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service
7 Trustee(s)
Name | Role | Date of appointment | Other trusteeships | Reporting status of other trusteeships | ||||
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Grahame Paine | Chair | 21 March 2022 |
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Rebecca Chandler | Trustee | 26 March 2025 |
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Joseph James Mcgregor-harper | Trustee | 24 September 2024 |
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Ian John Bramley | Trustee | 06 September 2023 |
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Debra Marie Drew | Trustee | 15 June 2023 |
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Emily Katherine Taylor | Trustee | 24 October 2021 |
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Melanie Jane Merrill | Trustee | 07 October 2019 |
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Financial history
Financial period end date
Income / Expenditure | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | ||
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Total gross income | £393.47k | £588.33k | £872.36k | £1.03m | £1.35m | |
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Total expenditure | £344.56k | £502.71k | £722.84k | £924.72k | £1.27m | |
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Income from government contracts | N/A | £39.53k | £167.50k | £236.85k | £390.00k | |
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Income from government grants | £229.53k | £218.83k | £279.10k | £279.44k | £639.02k | |
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Income - Donations and legacies | N/A | £163.69k | £233.30k | £180.80k | £175.14k | |
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Income - Other trading activities | N/A | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Charitable activities | N/A | £424.63k | £639.06k | £846.12k | £1.16m | |
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Income - Endowments | N/A | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Investment | N/A | £0 | £0 | £0 | £5.87k | |
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Income - Other | N/A | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Legacies | N/A | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Charitable activities | N/A | £484.42k | £709.88k | £903.05k | £1.25m | |
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Expenditure - Raising funds | N/A | £18.29k | £12.96k | £15.90k | £18.30k | |
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Expenditure - Governance | N/A | £9.01k | £0 | £20.00k | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Grants institution | N/A | £0 | £17.81k | £59.07k | £208.38k | |
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Expenditure - Investment management | N/A | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Other | N/A | £0 | £0 | £5.78k | £0 |
Assets and liabilities
Definitions for assets and liabilities
These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.
Long term InvestmentsInvestments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.
These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liabilityThis is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.
Total liabilitiesThese are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.
Asset / Liability | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | ||
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Own use assets | N/A | £9.74k | £6.43k | £26.53k | £26.24k | |
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Long-term investments | N/A | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Other assets | N/A | £557.79k | £824.85k | £1.30m | £1.33m | |
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Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | N/A | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Total liabilities | N/A | £326.04k | £440.27k | £830.80k | £790.14k |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
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Annual return | 31 March 2024 | 14 January 2025 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2024 | 14 January 2025 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2023 | 09 January 2024 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2023 | 09 January 2024 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2022 | 24 January 2023 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2022 | 24 January 2023 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2021 | 13 January 2022 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2021 | 13 January 2022 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2020 | 20 January 2021 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2020 | 20 January 2021 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
CIO - FOUNDATION Registered 03 Aug 2018
Charitable objects
TO PROMOTE THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC IN SOMERSET BY: I) THE PROVISION OF INFORMATION, ADVICE, TRAINING AND SUPPORT; AND II) 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.
Contact information
- Address:
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Units 3 and 4
The Courtyard
Bowdens Farm
Hambridge
LANGPORT
Somerset
- Phone:
- 01458 550973
- Email:
- support@sparksomerset.org.uk
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