BRIDGING THE GAP (MANCHESTER)

Registered charity 1170952 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The prevention or relief of poverty and the relief of those in need, hardship or distress in Greater Manchester by providing services and activities aimed at alleviating the social exclusion of those disadvantaged by their social and/or economic circumstances, reducing inequality and building strong, sustainable communities that empower people to be independent and in control of their lives.

Objects

THE PREVENTION OR RELIEF OF POVERTY AND THE RELIEF OF THOSE IN NEED, HARDSHIP OR DISTRESS IN GREATER MANCHESTER, IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY THE CITY OF MANCHESTER AND TRAFFORD, BY PROVIDING SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING THE OPERATION OF A FOODBANK) AIMED AT ALLEVIATING THE SOCIAL EXCLUSION OF THOSE DISADVANTAGED BY THEIR SOCIAL AND/OR ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES, REDUCING INEQUALITY AND BUILDING STRONG, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES THAT EMPOWER PEOPLE TO BE INDEPENDENT AND IN CONTROL OF THEIR LIVES.NOTHING IN THIS CONSTITUTION SHALL AUTHORISE AN APPLICATION OF THE PROPERTY OF THE CIO FOR THE PURPOSES WHICH ARE NOT CHARITABLE.

Area of benefit: LOCAL

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 · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

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

Latest income

£185k

Latest spending

£110k

Registered

2017

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £7,683 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £255,246 to £252,424. Per the reserves statement, the charity's unrestricted funds are £78,959, which is below the stated policy target of £45,000 to £90,000 (six to twelve months of operating costs). The trustees note that the charity continues to rely on diverse income streams and has modernized its accounting systems to manage financial receipts.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: six to twelve months of operating costs, which is approximately £45,000 to £90,000 (reserves figure: £79k)

“We continue to work towards building our target for reserves equivalent to six to twelve months of operating costs, which is approximately £45,000 to £90,000.” — page 24

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
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
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: 50
Government income: £11,896 — grants £11,896 (11,896); 6% of the £184,563 total gross income on the same return

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

Volunteers: 50
Government income: £54,454 — grants £54,454 (10); 23% of the £238,447 total gross income on the same return

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

Volunteers: 50
Government income: £20,500 — grants £20,500 (4); 8% of the £244,739 total gross income on the same return

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

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

Trustees · trustee networks

MICHELLE MCHALE BEMchair
Brian Nicholson
Lee-Ann Mary Igbon
MARIE GRACE BRINDLE HAWKINS
Martin Pilkington
Matthew David Kay

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

Operates in: Manchester City · Trafford

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£185k	£110k
31/03/2024	£238k	£214k
31/03/2023	£245k	£157k
31/03/2022	£101k	£74k
31/03/2021	£154k	£71k

Common questions

Is BRIDGING THE GAP (MANCHESTER) financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £7,683 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £255,246 to £252,424. Per the reserves statement, the charity's unrestricted funds are £78,959, which is below the stated policy target of £45,000 to £90,000 (six to twelve months of operating costs). The trustees note that the charity continues to rely on diverse income streams and has modernized its accounting systems to manage financial receipts. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds BRIDGING THE GAP (MANCHESTER)?

Funders whose own accounts filings name BRIDGING THE GAP (MANCHESTER) as a grant recipient include THE GEORGE AND ESME POLLITZER CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT, REVELATION CHURCH MANCHESTER, THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE GEORGE AND ESME POLLITZER CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	FY2024	£5k	Grant category header
THE GEORGE AND ESME POLLITZER CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	FY2023	£5k
REVELATION CHURCH MANCHESTER	FY2025	£2k	Grants for: Bridging the gap (Manchester)
THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED	FY2024	£950	Poverty

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	11/09/2020	£5k	Coronavirus Community Support Fund
Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council	19/05/2020	£2k	Trafford Crisis Fund Grant to Bridging the Gap
Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council	17/10/2019	£1k	Inclusive Neighbourhood Grant to Bridging the Gap (Manchester)

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE STONEYGATE TRUST	1	£46k
THE CARLTON HAYES MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY	1	£43k
UPP FOUNDATION	1	£23k
THE KATHLEEN HANNAY MEMORIAL CHARITY	1	£15k
THE MRS SMITH AND MOUNT TRUST	1	£15k
EUROPEAN UNION FOR PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM	1	£14k
CRIPPLEGATE FOUNDATION	1	£14k
THE YAPP CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£9k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES.

SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES income £176k
BRIDGE CHAPEL income £668k
THE BRIDGE GROUP income £435k
THE BRIDGE CHARITY income £133k
BRIDGING THE GAP ISLINGTON income £32k
THE BRIDGE HOMELESSNESS TO HOPE income £532k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
BRIDGING THE GAP (MANCHESTER)	£185k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES FY2025	£176k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
BRIDGE CHAPEL FY2025	£668k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE BRIDGE GROUP FY2025	£435k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE BRIDGE CHARITY FY2025	£133k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
BRIDGING THE GAP ISLINGTON FY2026	£32k	—	—	above	—	no doubt

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