Allen'S Cross Community Association
Charity 522842
http://www.allenscrosscommunity.co.uk/
Overview
Summary
Allen'S Cross Community Association appears to be a broad community-development organisation whose central role is to convene people and institutions around local quality of life. Rather than being defined by one client group or service area, it seems positioned as shared civic infrastructure: combining facilities, staff capacity, services and advice to support residents across generations and needs. Its remit suggests an organisation seeking to turn community spirit into practical educational, recreational and wellbeing opportunities.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Allens Cross
Confidence: high
Direct evidence shows that the association runs and hosts a regular programme of services, activities and community facilities at Allens Cross Community Centre. Birmingham City Council records identify that centre as a polling venue in the Allens Cross ward. The association's current partnership with ecobirmingham also includes ward-wide sustainability activity in Allens Cross, reinforcing that its operational reach extends beyond a single building but remains locally focused.
- Allens Cross Community Association, What's On
The current programme lists regular activities at the centre and its community garden, including stay-and-play sessions, lunch club, arts and wellbeing activity, women's refugee-group activity, friendship club, Men’s Shed, baby café and community-garden volunteering. - Allens Cross Community Association, Home and Get Directions pages
The association identifies Allens Cross Community Centre as its location and describes providing spaces, projects and opportunities for local residents. - Birmingham City Council, polling district and polling-place records
The council lists Allens Cross Community Centre as a polling venue in polling district ALC2 within the Allens Cross ward. - Allens Cross Community Association, ecobirmingham – Building Greener Communities
The association states that its three-year project with ecobirmingham will bring sustainability-focused activities and improvements to Allens Cross ward, including workshops, activities and a ward-wide sustainability action plan.
Remaining uncertainties
- The available current evidence identifies one principal physical operating base: Allens Cross Community Centre and its adjoining community garden. It does not demonstrate that the association directly delivers regular services from additional sites.
- The association describes an area of benefit covering Allens Cross, Northfield, Bartley Green, Frankley and Weoley Castle for affiliation purposes. This supports a wider local network and potential beneficiary reach, but does not by itself establish direct current delivery in each of those areas.
- The ecobirmingham partnership is explicit about activity in Allens Cross and Sparkhill wards. The available wording does not clearly show that Allen's Cross Community Association itself delivers activity in Sparkhill, rather than its partner The Springfield Project doing so; Sparkhill is therefore not recorded as an operational area.
Additional evidence needed
- A current annual report, impact report or project delivery plan identifying the locations of services, outreach and beneficiaries beyond Allens Cross Community Centre.
- A current list of affiliated groups and the places where the association directly supports or co-delivers their activity.
- Confirmation from the association or ecobirmingham of which partner is responsible for delivery in each ward under the Building Greener Communities project.
Areas of work
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Disability
- Economic/community Development/employment
- Education/training
- Environment/conservation/heritage
- General Charitable Purposes
- Recreation
Who they help
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- People With Disabilities
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Provides Human Resources
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A convening organisation, not only a provider
The association appears to define its role partly through bringing residents, businesses, public authorities and voluntary organisations into a common effort. This may make it an intermediary capable of connecting local needs with institutional resources.
Why it matters
Understanding it as a connector helps identify potential value beyond its own activities: it may enable collaborations, shared planning and access to opportunities that individual residents or smaller groups could not create alone.
Show evidence
“Aiming to bring together residents, businesses, statutory authorities, voluntary and other organisations.”
Source:Organisation“Associating the local authorities, voluntary organisations and residents in a common effort.”
Source:Charity Commission
Community infrastructure spans social and practical support
Its combination of buildings or open space, human resources, services, and advice suggests an operating model that may blend place-based access with direct support, rather than relying on a single programme type.
Why it matters
This indicates potential resilience and reach: facilities can create a local base for activity, while staff and advice functions may help residents navigate needs that cannot be met through recreation or events alone.
Show evidence
“Provides human resources, buildings/facilities/open space, services, and advocacy/advice/information.”
Source:Charity Commission“Making social, educational and leisure facilities available to all.”
Source:Organisation
A deliberately broad remit may create both reach and prioritisation pressure
The association appears to serve children and young people, older people, disabled people and the wider public across education, recreation, culture, environment and community development. This breadth may reflect an intention to act on interconnected local needs rather than separate issues into silos.
Why it matters
Its broad role could make it a valuable bridge between groups, but it also raises a useful question about which needs, places and populations receive the greatest sustained attention.
Show evidence
“Children/young people, elderly/old people, people with disabilities, and the general public/mankind.”
Source:Charity Commission“Education/training, disability, arts/culture/heritage/science, environment/conservation/heritage, economic/community development/employment, and recreation.”
Source:Charity Commission
- Which activities are currently delivered directly, and which are enabled through partner organisations.
- Whether particular neighbourhoods or population groups experience stronger access or outcomes than others.
- How the association prioritises its wide charitable remit when resources are limited.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports, service plans or activity data showing programmes, participation and changes over time.
- Information on partner organisations, facility use and referral pathways.
- Resident feedback or outcome evidence showing which local needs the association is helping address.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Our mission is to improve the quality of life for the residents of Allen's Cross and surrounding neighbourhood; aiming to bring together residents, businesses, statutory authorities, voluntary and other organisations to make social, educational and leisure facilities available to all.
Charity objects
A) TO PROMOTE THE WELL-BEING OF THE COMMUNITY FOR SUCH PURPOSES AS MAY, BY LAW, BE DEEMED TO BE CHARITABLE AND IN PARTICULAR BY ASSOCIATING THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES, VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AND RESIDENTS IN A COMMON EFFORT TO ADVANCE EDUCATION, PROVIDE FACILITIES FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TRAINING AND RECREATION, AND SOCIAL MORAL AND INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT AND TO FURTHER HEALTH, AND TO FOSTER A COMMUNITY SPIRIT FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THESE AND OTHER CHARITABLE OBJECTS.