Birmingham Churches Together
Charity 243931
Overview
Summary
Birmingham Churches Together appears to operate less as a direct-service charity than as a civic and faith-based connective structure: aligning churches across Birmingham and Solihull, translating shared Christian identity into practical community action, and making opportunities, learning and partnerships more visible. Its distinctive role may lie in linking congregations with specialist initiatives—especially around refugee inclusion—while also sustaining a wider ecosystem of prayer, social justice, workplace and community activity.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Balsall Heath West
Confidence: medium
A current Restore job description identifies a Restore office in Balsall Heath, rather than only a correspondence address. However, the supplied evidence does not directly establish the ward in which that office is located.
- Restore official website
Restore, a project of Birmingham Churches Together, gives its registered address in Balsall Heath, Birmingham. - Restore official job description: Befriending Women’s Worker and Communications Officer
The post location is stated as the Restore office at The Jericho Foundation in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, and the post is employed by Birmingham Churches Together.
Remaining uncertainties
- The evidence supports a citywide Birmingham operational identity, but does not identify the wards in which Restore befriending relationships, group activities, BCT Training, or local Churches Together groups are currently delivered. It would be inappropriate to infer these from where beneficiaries or volunteers may live.
- BCT states that there are more than 35 local church and fellowship groups across Birmingham and Solihull, but says these groups are autonomous and locally organised. This evidences a substantial partnership/network reach rather than direct BCT-operated service sites in each area.
- Restore currently describes its work as serving refugees and asylum seekers in Birmingham, Solihull and Smethwick. This confirms activity beyond Birmingham but does not establish a wider West Midlands regional footprint.
- BCT publicises City Pastors activity in the city centre and other external events, but the available evidence does not establish that BCT operates those projects or venues directly; they are therefore not recorded as BCT operational areas.
Additional evidence needed
- A current BCT or Restore service-location list, delivery map, or annual report specifying where training, group activities and other in-person services take place.
- Confirmation from BCT of which local Churches Together groups receive ongoing staff, funding, coordination or programme support, as distinct from being autonomous affiliated groups.
- Current information distinguishing BCT’s own operational venues from partner venues used occasionally for meetings, worship, training or events.
Areas of work
- Education/training
- General Charitable Purposes
- Religious Activities
Who they help
- Other Defined Groups
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Other Charitable Activities
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A network-builder with selective delivery roles
The evidence suggests BCT's core operating model is convening and enabling churches, rather than delivering a single uniform service. Restore and training indicate that it also develops or hosts selected practical interventions where collaboration can become sustained action.
Why it matters
This helps distinguish BCT from a conventional frontline charity: its influence may extend through the churches, groups and projects it connects, making its relationships as important as its directly managed activity.
Show evidence
“The charity's objects include fostering collaboration and understanding between Christian churches in Birmingham and Solihull.”
Source:Charity Commission“Across Birmingham and Solihull there are numerous groups of local Churches and fellowships who meet and work together as local expressions of Christian unity.”
Source:Organisation“Activities include supporting refugees and asylum seekers through Restore and offering family learning through BCT Training.”
Source:Charity Commission
Refugee inclusion is a strategic expression of unity
Restore appears to turn BCT's broad commitment to serving communities across difference into a focused, relationship-based response to refugee and asylum-seeker inclusion.
Why it matters
This suggests that refugee inclusion may be more than one programme among many: it is a concrete example of how BCT connects faith-community capacity with a wider civic challenge.
Show evidence
“Restore has a vision for a society into which all refugees and asylum seekers are welcomed, valued and integrated.”
Source:Organisation“Restore works by building relationships and equipping for integration, motivating for action, and working for change.”
Source:Organisation“The charity serves people regardless of religion, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability or age.”
Source:Charity Commission
BCT functions as an information and opportunity bridge
The website suggests BCT helps circulate events, vacancies, learning and themed activity across an ecumenical Christian network. This may lower the isolation of smaller organisations and make collaboration easier without BCT needing to lead every activity itself.
Why it matters
Its value may partly lie in shared visibility: connecting people to opportunities, specialist organisations and common moments of action across a fragmented local church landscape.
Show evidence
“The website publishes news, upcoming events and vacancies.”
Source:Organisation“Website categories include Prayer, Workplace, Social Justice, Learning, Mission & Evangelism and Standing in the Gaps.”
Source:Organisation“The organisation links to pages, events and vacancies with an ecumenical and Christian ethos.”
Source:Organisation
- The relative scale, funding and governance relationship of Restore and BCT Training are not clear.
- There is no evidence of which churches or communities participate, or whether some areas or denominations are less connected.
- The outcomes of BCT's convening, communications and refugee-support activity are not described.
Remaining uncertainties
- Annual reports, accounts and service data showing expenditure, staffing, beneficiary reach and outcomes by programme.
- A map or membership list of participating churches and local church-together groups, including geographic and denominational coverage.
- Evidence from partners and participants about collaborations initiated, services improved or unmet needs identified through BCT.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Foster, encourage and develop unity and cooperation between Christian Churches to better serve the wider community of Birmingham and Solihull, regardless of class, status or ethnicity. Supporting refugees and asylum seekers through Restore Offering family learning through BCT Training
Charity objects
TO FOSTER COLLABORATION AND UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IN BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL, PARTICULARLY WORKING TOGETHER IN CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES THAT WILL BENEFIT THE NEEDY IN OUR WIDER COMMUNITIES, SERVING THEM REGARDLESS OF RELIGION, CULTURE, ETHNICITY, GENDER, SEXUALITY, DISABILITY OR AGE