Anchor Church
Charity 1186793
Overview
Summary
Anchor Church appears to be a Church of England charity with a role extending beyond worship or a single congregation. Its stated powers to make grants, provide facilities and act as a resource body suggest it may operate as an enabling organisation within a wider diocesan and voluntary-sector ecosystem. The available evidence indicates a broad public-benefit remit across age groups and disability, but it does not yet show which needs, communities or partnerships are central in practice.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Balsall Heath West
Confidence: medium
Official current material describes a specific missional focus on Balsall Heath. This supports a neighbourhood-based operational identity, notwithstanding stated wider Birmingham ambitions, but the supplied evidence does not directly establish activity across the ward.
- Anchor Church trustees' report for year ended 31 December 2024, filed with the Charity Commission
The report says that Anchor Church's partnership with St Mary and St Ambrose had been established and that it was moving into a new identity as Rea Church; it also records that the Anchor community had been exploring and then joining the church. - Rea Church / A Church Near You
Rea Church states that it is merging with Anchor Church and meets for Sunday gatherings in Edgbaston, Birmingham. - Rea Church Operations Lead role description
The church describes itself as based at the intersection of Edgbaston and Balsall Heath and says it has a specific missional focus on the Balsall Heath community on its doorstep.
Remaining uncertainties
- Anchor Church remains shown as a registered charity in the supplied record, but 2024-25 evidence indicates that its church community has merged into Rea Church and that closure or transfer of Anchor's remaining charity activity was anticipated. The current legal and operational separation between Anchor Church CIO and Rea Church is therefore not fully clear.
- The latest trustees' report records previous activity across Birmingham and a weekly asylum-seekers' football outreach, but says that outreach was paused while the incoming Rea Church team reassessed its vision and local connections. There is insufficient current evidence to map a continuing service location for it.
- The merged church expresses an ambition to reach Birmingham more widely and to plant churches, but this is future-facing strategy rather than evidence of a current citywide operational footprint.
- The supplied Birmingham correspondence address should not be treated as an operational site; the accounts also identify diocesan correspondence arrangements rather than a service venue.
Additional evidence needed
- A current Rea Church programme, annual report, or service timetable confirming all active activities and their venues.
- Confirmation from Rea Church or the Charity Commission of whether Anchor Church CIO has formally transferred its activities and assets, or remains independently operational.
- Current information on whether the asylum-seekers' football outreach, city-centre hotel engagement, or other former Anchor projects have restarted and where they now operate.
Areas of work
- Religious Activities
Who they help
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- People With Disabilities
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Acts As An Umbrella Or Resource Body
- Makes Grants To Individuals
- Makes Grants To Organisations
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
An enabling role may sit alongside religious activity
Although classified under religious activities, Anchor Church appears to have an operating model that can support others through grants, facilities and resource-body functions, rather than only directly delivering faith-based activity.
Why it matters
This suggests the organisation may influence local civic capacity indirectly by equipping individuals, groups and other voluntary bodies. Its most important relationships may therefore be with organisations it supports rather than only with attendees.
Show evidence
“Makes Grants To Individuals, Makes Grants To Organisations, Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space, Acts As An Umbrella Or Resource Body.”
Source:Charity Commission“What the charity does: Religious Activities.”
Source:Charity Commission
Its remit is broad, but its practical focus is unclear
Anchor Church appears to be authorised to benefit a wide cross-section of the public, including children, older people and disabled people, rather than being narrowly defined around one demographic.
Why it matters
A broad beneficiary profile may create opportunities to connect generations and organisations, but it also leaves open whether the charity has a distinctive priority population or is responding opportunistically to local needs.
Show evidence
“Children/young People, Elderly/old People, People With Disabilities, Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies, The General Public/mankind.”
Source:Charity Commission
The organisation is positioned within a diocesan network
Its formal purpose suggests that Anchor Church may be shaped by, and potentially contribute to, a wider Church of England network across the Diocese of Birmingham, including pastoral, social and ecumenical relationships.
Why it matters
This is important because its local role may depend partly on relationships and resources beyond its immediate area. It may also be a potential bridge between faith communities, voluntary organisations and diocesan structures.
Show evidence
“To advance the Christian faith within and from the Diocese of Birmingham for the benefit of the public.”
Source:Charity Commission“By furthering its pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical activities.”
Source:Charity Commission
- Whether grants, facilities and resource support are active services or simply permitted charitable methods.
- Which communities, neighbourhoods or partner organisations benefit in practice.
- Whether social and ecumenical activity is substantial alongside worship and evangelism.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports, accounts or grant records showing delivery, spending and beneficiaries.
- Information about premises use, partner organisations and current community programmes.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
TO ADVANCE THE CHRISTIAN FAITH WITHIN AND FROM THE DIOCESE OF BIRMINGHAM FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DOCTRINES, POLICIES, PRACTICES AND PATTERNS OF WORSHIP OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, BY FURTHERING ITS PASTORAL, EVANGELISTIC, SOCIAL, AND ECUMENICAL ACTIVITIES.
Charity objects
TO ADVANCE THE CHRISTIAN FAITH WITHIN AND FROM THE DIOCESE OF BIRMINGHAM FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DOCTRINES, POLICIES, PRACTICES AND PATTERNS OF WORSHIP OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, BY FURTHERING ITS PASTORAL, EVANGELISTIC, SOCIAL, AND ECUMENICAL ACTIVITIES.