SUPPORTING PEOPLE ACHIEVING REAL CHOICE

Registered charity 1060095 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as SPARC, THE SPECIAL PERSONS ADVICE AND RESEARCH COUNCIL

SPARC is a charity which supports people with learning disabilities.We were first formed in July 1995.Our services in the recent past have been in the area of employment and training in independent travel skills.SPARC's main current areas of activity are concerned with personal safety training and improving the health and welfare of our members.

Objects

THE RELIEF OF PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES IN THE AREA DEFINED IN CLAUSE 2 (HEREINAFTER CALLED THE AREA OF BENEFIT). IT SHALL ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF SUCH PERSONS TO PRESERVE THEIR GOOD HEALTH, RELIEVE THEIR SICKNESS AND POVERTY AND PROVIDE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOR SUCH PERSONS WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.

Area of benefit: ENGLAND

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · Disability · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Liverpool, North West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total funds increased to £48,057, with unrestricted reserves at £18,605, reflecting a net income surplus of £27,260 for the year. The trustees report that the charity is in a strong position to continue activities, although the notes explicitly state that the going concern basis is dependent on continuing grant and donation support.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

• Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
• Complaints handling
• Complaints policy and procedures
• Conflicting interests
• Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
• Financial reserves policy and procedures
• Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
• Internal risk management policy and procedures
• Investment
• 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

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

• Awards For All — “A BIG Thank you to : Awards For All, the Postcode Lottery and the Bailey Thomas Charitable Fund. Awards For All grant: to support the “Mind …” (source page)
• People Health Trust — “SPARC has received great news that our “Picture This” project will be funded for one year by the People Health Trust.” (source page)
• Big Lottery — “This was achieved with a grant from the Big Lottery and 20 years later Naveen, Shelley and Jenny are still happily employed and valued membe…” (source page)

Trustees · trustee networks

• MICHAEL O'GORMANchair
• Kenneth Dobson
• Kevin Buckley
• SARAH MCKEOWN
• Scott McGhee
• Stephen Roberts

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout England

Income and spending

Common questions

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with SPARK SOMERSET.

• SPARK SOMERSET income £1.6m
• SACAR income £1.2m
• REACH LEARNING DISABILITY income £3.9m
• SPARC TRUST income £299k
• SPORT AND ARTS IN THE COMMUNITY (SPARC) SOUTH WEST SHROPSHIRE income £106k
• PEOPLE IN ACTION income £11.4m

Side by side with its peers

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.