THE BIRCHALL TRUST
Registered charity 1109637 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as SOUTH CUMBRIA RAPE AND ABUSE SERVICE, SOUTH CUMBRIA RAPE AND ABUSE SERVICE LIMITED
We empower people (adults and children/young people) affected by rape, sexual abuse, or sexualised violence to recover from their trauma so they can lead safe and fulfilling lives. We cover issues including childhood abuse, child sexual exploitation, trafficking, sex workers and online abuse. We offer face to face and online counselling, play therapy, pre-trial therapy, education & peer support
Objects
THE CHARITY'S OBJECTS (THE OBJECTS) ARE TO RELIEVE THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISTRESS OF PERSONS WHO ARE VICTIMS OF RAPE, SEXUAL ABUSE AND INCEST BY THE PROMOTION OF A SERVICE WHICH OFFERS SUPPORT, INFORMATION AND COUNSELLING IN THE SOUTH CUMBRIA AND SURROUNDING DISTRICTS (HEREINAFTER CALLED THE AREA OF BENEFIT) AND TO WORK TOWARDS THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION ABOUT SEXUAL CRIMES AND THE EFFECT ON THE VICTIMS OF SUCH CRIMES IN THE AREA OF BENEFIT. TO OFFER THE SERVICE TO PERSONS AND THEIR FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND PARTNERS, WHO MAY ALSO NEED SUPPORT, COUNSELLING OR EDUCATION.
Area of benefit: SOUTH CUMBRIA AND SURROUNDING DISTRICTS
The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.
Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts
Registered contact address: Westmorland and Furness, North West, England (from the postcode on the register)
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity ended the financial year with a net deficit of £43,997, reducing its total funds to £476,820. The trustees report that unrestricted reserves of £385,903 are held to provide security for a six-month wind-down period, though they note this figure would deplete rapidly if future funding is not secured. The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme and has no trading subsidiaries.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: 6 month wind-down period (reserves figure: £386k)
“The reserves policy is calculated to accommodate a 6 month 'wind-down' period, should the charity fail to secure funding support in the future”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor
“This figure may appear substantial, however it will deplete rapidly if the charity fails to secure future funding.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 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
- Campaigns and political activity 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
- 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
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.
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025
- Volunteers: 6
- Government income: £483,062 — contracts £107,260 (4), grants £375,802 (2); 54% of the £890,524 total gross income on the same return
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024
- Volunteers: 6
- Government income: £456,599 — contracts £440,383 (7), grants £16,216 (1); 53% of the £854,247 total gross income on the same return
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023
- Volunteers: 5
- Government income: £158,321 — contracts £142,351 (5), grants £15,970 (1); 31% of the £512,923 total gross income on the same return
Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.
Corporate structure
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Birchall Trust (matched by registered charity number).
Company officers (Companies House)
Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.
- KERLEY, Victoria Mary — director, appointed 04/08/2026not on trustee list
- TALLON, Victoria Anne Christine — director, appointed 04/08/2026not on trustee list
- SISSONS, Damien — director, appointed 01/06/2025on trustee list
- WYRE, Lynne — director, appointed 22/04/2025on trustee list
- COOK, Paula, Dr — director, appointed 07/02/2023on trustee list
- BROWN, Jenna — director, appointed 15/04/2020on trustee list
- HANSON, Simon Peter — director, appointed 12/11/2009on trustee list
Official officers record.
Public-sector contracts awarded
From the official Contracts Finder and Find a Tender notices (supplier matched by exact registered name). Contract income is distinct from grants.
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): instagram · linkedin
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£191k
Reported reserves equal ~5.0 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (96% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 21.4% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.9%) (benchmarks).
- DAMIEN SISSONS
- Dr Paula Cook
- Jenna Rebecca Brown
- Lynne Wyre
- SIMON HANSON
- Victoria Anne Christine Tallon
- Victoria Mary Kerley
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Cumbria · Lancashire
Income and spending
Common questions
Is THE BIRCHALL TRUST financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity ended the financial year with a net deficit of £43,997, reducing its total funds to £476,820. The trustees report that unrestricted reserves of £385,903 are held to provide security for a six-month wind-down period, though they note this figure would deplete rapidly if future funding is not secured. The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme and has no trading subsidiaries. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.
Who funds THE BIRCHALL TRUST?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE BIRCHALL TRUST as a grant recipient include FRANCIS C SCOTT CHARITABLE TRUST, CRH CHARITABLE TRUST, THE FRIEDA SCOTT CHARITABLE TRUST, THE REED FOUNDATION.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
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 SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.