SPARC TRUST

Registered charity 1171350 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as MERIDEN ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND ASSOCIATION

Aims and objectives: To provide, maintain and develop opportunities and facilities for children, young people and families resident in North Solihull and its surrounding areas, through the provision of play, youth and community work

Objects

To advance in life children, young people and families resident in North Solihull and its surrounding areas by providing, maintaining and developing opportunities and facilities for recreational and leisure-time activities in the interests of social welfare, which develop skills, capacities and capabilities designed to improve their conditions of life.

Area of benefit: IN CHELMSLEY WOOD AND SMITHS WOOD

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

Causes: The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Recreation · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Solihull, West Midlands, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£299k

Latest spending

£335k

Registered

2017

Accounts read

FY2026

Financial health, per its FY2026 accounts

The charity reported a deficit of £36,180 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total funds from £315,148 to £278,968. Free reserves stood at £163,722, which the trustees consider appropriate as it covers approximately nine months of expenditure against their policy target of six to twelve months. The accounts were prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: between six and twelve months expenditure (reserves figure: £164k)

“The charity's reserves policy is to hold a minimum level of free reserves equivalent to between six and twelve months expenditure” — page 7

Per its FY2026 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 31/03/2026

Volunteers: 3
Government income: £46,658 — grants £46,658 (2); 16% of the £299,181 total gross income on the same return

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025

Volunteers: 10
Government income: £75,659 — grants £75,659 (4); 20% of the £378,345 total gross income on the same return

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

Volunteers: 10
Government income: £61,786 — grants £61,786 (3); 18% of the £346,106 total gross income on the same return

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Alison Woodchair · trustee of 1 other charity
David Anthony Wood
Helen O'Connor
JOHN LOUIS FREEMAN
Mark Wilson
Mccallmont Clarke

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

Operates in: Birmingham City · Solihull

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2026	£299k	£335k
31/03/2025	£378k	£353k
31/03/2024	£346k	£350k
03/04/2023	£316k	£353k
03/04/2022	£395k	£280k

Common questions

Is SPARC TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2026 accounts: The charity reported a deficit of £36,180 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total funds from £315,148 to £278,968. Free reserves stood at £163,722, which the trustees consider appropriate as it covers approximately nine months of expenditure against their policy target of six to twelve months. The accounts were prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2026 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds SPARC TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name SPARC TRUST as a grant recipient include THE FORTE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, SIR ROBERT GEFFERY'S ALMSHOUSE TRUST, THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST, THE SAINTBURY TRUST, THE WOODWARD CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE FORTE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2021	£68k	50% of salaries and running costs over 3 years to set up a family hub providing counselling for children, young people and families in Ramsgate, Kent.
SIR ROBERT GEFFERY'S ALMSHOUSE TRUST	FY2022	£5k	Relief in Need
THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£3k	Education and Training
SIR ROBERT GEFFERY'S ALMSHOUSE TRUST	FY2023	£2k	Grant funding of activities
THE SAINTBURY TRUST	FY2024	£2k	Relief of those in Need by reason of Youth, Age, Ill-Health, Disability, Financial Hardship or other Disadvantage
THE WOODWARD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£2k
GOWLING WLG (UK) CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£1k
THE COLE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£1k	Children and Youth
THE COLE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£1k	Children and Youth
GOWLING WLG (UK) CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£500

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	24/03/2022	£375k	Meriden Adventure Play
Sport England	03/02/2020	£10k	Physical Literacy and play
The National Lottery Community Fund	08/03/2019	£10k	Community Build

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
SOMERSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUST CHARITABLE FUNDS	1	£174k
THE LOCKWOOD CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£75k
THE ASSOCIATION OF SAIL TRAINING ORGANISATIONS	1	£44k
SMALLWOOD TRUST	1	£38k
THE ELIZABETH AND PRINCE ZAIGER TRUST	1	£32k
EDWARD HOLT TRUST	1	£10k
THE MARY HOMFRAY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£5k
THE TRUEMARK TRUST	1	£5k

Charities like this

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

SPARK SOMERSET income £1.6m
THE SHARPHAM TRUST income £2.2m
SPARKS OF SUCCESS LTD income £66k
YSS income £1.0m
AROUND AGAIN income £27k
SOLIHULL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP income £277k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
SPARC TRUST	£299k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
SPARK SOMERSET FY2025	£1.6m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE SHARPHAM TRUST FY2025	£2.2m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
SPARKS OF SUCCESS LTD FY2025	£66k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
YSS FY2025	£1.0m	—	0	unclear	—	noted
AROUND AGAIN FY2024	£27k	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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