Charity Of Matthias Royce Griffin
Charity 246080
Overview
Summary
The Charity Of Matthias Royce Griffin appears to be a small, place-based grant-making charity focused on relieving hardship among residents of the ancient parish of Handsworth, including people with disabilities. Its role seems less like that of a direct service provider and more like a local safety-net fund: identifying or receiving referrals for individuals in acute need and providing financial assistance. The supplied website points to a regional United Reformed Church network, suggesting a possible faith-sector connection, but this relationship and its practical significance remain unconfirmed.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Handsworth
Confidence: medium
The charity's governing object limits relief grants to people resident in the ancient parish of Handsworth. Birmingham City Council identifies the southern half of that ancient parish as Handsworth. This supports potential beneficiary eligibility within Handsworth, but the historic parish boundary does not align precisely with current ward boundaries.
- Charity Commission record supplied for Charity of Matthias Royce Griffin (charity 246080)
Its object is the relief of people resident in the ancient parish of Handsworth who are in need, hardship or distress; its stated activity is making grants to individuals. - Birmingham City Council, Handsworth local history
States that the ancient parish of Handsworth had a southern part known simply as Handsworth.
Remaining uncertainties
- The evidence establishes an eligibility area for grant beneficiaries, but does not identify current grant recipients, delivery venues, referral routes or the precise parts of modern Birmingham wards covered by the historic ancient parish.
- The ancient parish extended beyond the present Handsworth ward, including the historic Perry Barr half; available evidence is insufficient to map its full boundary reliably onto the supplied current ward list.
- The address appears to be an administrative or trustee address associated with United Reformed Church West Midlands Trust Ltd, rather than evidence of a service site or beneficiary catchment.
- No evidence was found of current operational partnerships, premises operated by the charity, or activity delivered through the wider West Midlands Synod network.
Additional evidence needed
- The charity's current governing scheme or a current application form specifying the ancient parish boundary, eligible areas or mapped catchment.
- A recent trustees' annual report or grant-making record showing where grants have been awarded and whether applications are supported through partner organisations.
- Confirmation from the trustee or charity administrator of whether it maintains any physical delivery, meeting or referral site separate from its correspondence address.
Areas of work
- General Charitable Purposes
- Religious Activities
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
Who they help
- People With Disabilities
How they help
- Makes Grants To Individuals
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A narrowly bounded local hardship fund
The charity appears designed to concentrate limited resources on individual need within a historically defined locality rather than serving a broad thematic or regional population.
Why it matters
This suggests its distinctive value may lie in local knowledge and responsiveness. It may fill small but consequential gaps that larger disability, poverty or public services do not reach.
Show evidence
“The charity's objects are to relieve persons resident in the ancient parish of Handsworth who are in need, hardship or distress.”
Source:Charity Commission“The charity makes grants to individuals.”
Source:Charity Commission
Disability may be a priority within a broader poverty-relief role
People with disabilities appear to be an identified beneficiary group, but the objects indicate that eligibility may be based more broadly on hardship or distress rather than disability alone.
Why it matters
This distinction affects how the charity may complement specialist disability organisations: it may offer flexible financial help where disability intersects with low income, crisis or unmet practical needs.
Show evidence
“The charity helps people with disabilities.”
Source:Charity Commission“The charity's purposes include the prevention or relief of poverty.”
Source:Charity Commission
A possible church-network connection needs clarification
The recorded website may indicate a relationship with the United Reformed Church's West Midlands Synod, potentially providing institutional links or referral routes; however, it may also be an imprecise website association.
Why it matters
If the connection is substantive, faith communities could be important to how the charity is governed, known locally or connected to people in need.
Show evidence
“The listed website is the West Midlands Synod website.”
Source:Organisation“The charity lists religious activities among its activities and purposes.”
Source:Charity Commission
- How people apply for grants, and whether referrals are required.
- The size, frequency and typical purpose of grants.
- Whether the West Midlands Synod website is an official operational link for the charity.
Remaining uncertainties
- The charity's governing scheme, annual report and accounts.
- Grant criteria, application guidance and anonymised grant-making data.
- Evidence of trustees, delivery partners and local referral relationships.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Religious activities
Charity objects
FOR THE RELIEF OF EITHER GENERALLY OR INDIVIDUALLY PERSONS RESIDENT IN THE ANCIENT PARISH OF HANDSWORTH WHO ARE IN CONDITIONS OF NEED, HARDSHIP OR DISTRESS. PLEASE SEE SCHEME FOR FURTHER DETAILS.