FIRST CHOICE HOUSING

Registered charity 1139863 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as FCH

Providing accommodation to the homeless.

Objects

THE OBJECTS OF THE ORGANISATION ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC: THE RELIEF OF POVERTY, HARDSHIP AND DISTRESS AMONG HOMELESS PERSONS, PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND/OR ASYLUM SEEKERS IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY THOSE LIVING IN THE SWINDON BOROUGH, BY PROVISION OF, OR ASSISTANCE WITH THE PROVISION OF ACCOMMODATION, SUPPORT AND ADVICE.

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

Causes: Accommodation/housing · website · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2026 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted cash reserves amounted to £123,679, which the trustees consider adequate but below their stated policy target of three months of regular operating expenses. The charity reported a net income surplus of £24,691 for the year, driven by significant growth in charitable activity income and donations.

Automated summary of the FY2026 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 6 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
• Financial reserves policy and procedures
• Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
• Internal risk management policy and procedures
• Investing charity funds 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

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/01/2026)

Reported reserves equal ~1.8 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (56% 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: 0.2% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

• Archibald Patrick Newall · trustee of 1 other charity
• Christine Obiero · trustee of 2 other charities
• Nelson Mandela · trustee of 1 other charity
• RUTH DEACON · trustee of 1 other charity

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

Operates in: Swindon · Wiltshire

Income and spending

Common questions

Government & lottery funding

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