ACFA: THE ADVICE NETWORK

Registered charity 1187070 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Our mission is to work in partnership to combat poverty and promote social justice by improving the quality & provision of free, independent advice.ACFA supports advice agencies based in and around Bristol who provide free, independent and confidential advice services. Individually and collectively, ACFA members will be more effective and efficient in order to provide great advice services

Objects

THE PROMOTION OF THE VOLUNTARY ADVICE SERVICE SECTOR IN BRISTOL AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY: -• SUPPORTING ADVICE SERVICE ORGANISATIONS;• ENCOURAGING CLOSER WORKING RELATIONSHIP AMONGST ALL ADVICE PROVIDING ORGANISATIONS;• SHARING INFORMATION WITH MEMBERS AND PROVIDING TRAINING ON A RANGE OF ISSUES INCLUDING TECHNICAL UPDATES AND WIDER SOCIAL POLICY ISSUES;• REPRESENTING THE ADVICE SECTOR IN BRISTOL TO EXTERNAL BODIES AND IN BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL ISSUES.

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 · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2026 accounts

The accounts state that total income rose to £58,834 against expenditure of £45,727, resulting in a surplus and total funds of £38,385. The trustees determined that a minimum free reserves level equivalent to four months of operating expenditure (£15,242) is appropriate, and the current level of reserves exceeds this threshold. The charity transitioned from cash-based to accruals accounting during the year to improve financial oversight.

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 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.

• Conflicting interests
• Financial reserves policy and procedures
• Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
• Internal risk management policy and procedures
• Investment
• Safeguarding policy and procedures
• Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
• Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
• Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
• Trustee expenses policy and procedures

Trustees · trustee networks

• Alice Tibbert
• Dr Rob France
• Frances Begley · trustee of 1 other charity
• Karen Bowers
• Katherine Martina Tanko
• Michael David Harris
• Rebecca Brown
• Tamra Mannin
• William Cotterill

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

Operates in: Bath And North East Somerset · Bristol City · North Somerset · Somerset · South Gloucestershire

Income and spending

Common questions