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Status
Received: 5 days late
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Income
£61.7K
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Spending
£52.1K
Public benefits
What are the direct benefits flowing from your organisation's purposes? The charity engages with vulnerable individuals in Belfast regardless of culture, background or belief helping people at their point of need. It alleviates the effects of poverty, abuse, financial hardship and loneliness by providing practical help, thereby improving
individuals’ physical and mental wellbeing. Those who are homeless receive help to reduce the hardship of living on the streets, raise self-worth and be signposted to support services, relieving the worst effects of poverty. Adults who are lonely, bereaved or socially isolated are provided an opportunity to develop new friendships and engage in planned activities. This improves peer support networks, builds community and improves collective mental wellbeing. Local schools are supported in advancing the wider education of young children. Individuals have opportunity to develop their skills in music, crafts, woodwork and retail thereby raising self-esteem, providing a diversion from anti-social behaviour and improving employability. Individuals can learn to play instruments and record music for free, providing an outlet for their creativity and developing new musical skills, helping advance and provide better access to the arts in Belfast to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Those who are not homeless, but still in acute need, receive practical support from the charity which relieves stress, anxiety and hardship for the individual(s) concerned and helps reduce pressure on the local health and social care systems. Families are provided with access to free food, low cost donated items and free, family based activities which they otherwise may not have access to, helping alleviate family hardship caused by illness, redundancy or abuse. In networking with voluntary, statutory and charitable organisations, services are improved ensuring the experience of support on the ground for individuals who need it is enhanced through better delivery or more focused signposting. How can the benefits identified above be demonstrated? Feedback is encouraged directly from individual beneficiaries and is formally recorded as volunteers and staff engage with them in the delivery of the charity’s services. It provides appraisal on the charity’s services which assists in better supporting the individual(s) at the time. An example is when a beneficiary attends the charity’s foodbank to see if there are further needs that individual has which can be addressed. It also helps by tailoring the support services going forward to more directly meet the needs of the charity’s beneficiaries. An example is when volunteers and staff go onto the streets of Belfast to engage with the homeless and the contents of free, prepacked support bags being distributed are subsequently changed in response to their feedback. Other organisations, particularly those referring people, provide written feedback through email and letter, as well as through direct meetings and conversations, which also informs the charity as it develops its services. The Board of Compassion Belfast have deemed that there is no harm arising from any of the purposes of the charity. The charity’s beneficiaries are located in the Belfast City Council area. The charity engages with men, women, young people and children at their point of need regardless of their background, culture or belief. They include those who are currently homeless and living on the streets of Belfast. The charity seeks to support those who are not homeless but find themselves trapped in poverty, acute financial or social need. They include those who are refugees, immigrants, young mothers, people who have been victims of domestic violence or people struggling following other relational breakdown or separation. The charity also benefits those who are lonely, socially isolated and suffering from poor mental health and/or low self-esteem as a result. The charity benefits those who may otherwise end up engaging in anti-social behaviour or crime, particularly young people or those in greatest financial need. The charity employs staff as a necessary and related function of providing its services to its beneficiaries and apart from this there are no other private benefits flowing from any of its purposes.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
Staff and volunteers engage with the homeless on the streets of Belfast, providing them with basic hygiene items and a hot drink as well as a listening ear. The aim is to build relationships with homeless individuals and the charity provides free clothing and other items to the homeless through the New to You shop based in the Compassion Hub
premises on the edge of Belfast city centre. Staff and volunteers provide assistance to those they come across who, for a variety of reasons, may be particularly vulnerable. As well as being for general sale, donated items in the New to You shop are made freely available directly and indirectly through networking with other charities and voluntary organisations in the Greater Belfast area to those who may not be homeless but are in need. Compassion Belfast hosts Men's Shed and Women of Worth groups. These groups for men and women primarily from the area surrounding the Compassion Hub, are a space for them to engage in productive activities and learn new skills, helping raise their self-esteem as well as providing relief for those experiencing loneliness. A recording studio is based at the Compassion Hub, seeking to help people who may have a musical talent but due to financial constraint or hardship cannot afford to play and/or record music. The ‘Fun in a Box’ programme provides an outlet for children, young people and families by providing food and fun activities on location in disadvantaged areas of Belfast. The Living Room is the charity's food bank and it provides a place for those in poverty or financial hardship to freely access donated food items and a space to relax and find relief from the pressures they may be facing and receive a hot drink or basic meal. It links in with other aspects of the charity’s work, helping support those in need. The charity has an annual Christmas Hamper appeal where food and toys are distributed to those in need, working in conjunction with schools and social workers in Belfast.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The prevention or relief of poverty
- The advancement of education
- The advancement of health or the saving of lives
- The advancement of citizenship or community development
- The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science
- The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
- Other charitable purposes
Who the charity helps
- Addictions (drug/solvent/alcohol abuse)
- Asylum seekers/refugees
- Children (5-13 year olds)
- Ethnic minorities
- Ex-offenders and prisoners
- Homelessness
- Men
- Mental health
- Older people
- Parents
- Preschool (0-5 year olds)
- Specific areas of deprivation
- Unemployed/low income
- Voluntary and community sector
- Women
How the charity works
- Arts
- Community development
- Counselling/support
- Education/training
- General charitable purposes
- Medical/health/sickness
- Relief of poverty
- Welfare/benevolent
