Community Advice Link (Cal)

Charity 1110547

www.advicelink.org

Overview

Summary

Sources:Civic AtlasAI-assisted

Community Advice Link (Cal) appears to operate as a bridge between public and voluntary services and communities who may face language, cultural or access barriers in Milton Keynes. Its role extends beyond advice: it combines interpretation, advocacy, pastoral support and supplementary education, suggesting an effort to make wider systems more navigable while strengthening longer-term capability. Its charitable objects also connect local inclusion work with support for people seeking asylum or holding refugee status, and educational assistance in northeastern Kenya and Somalia.

See observations

Operational geography

Sources:ONSCivic AtlasAI-assisted

Coverage: District

Operational areas:

    Evidence and reasoning
    Supporting evidence
    Remaining uncertainties
    • There is no direct evidence that Community Advice Link (CAL) currently delivers services, maintains a site, or has material delivery partnerships anywhere in Birmingham.
    • The Charity Commission record describes advice, advocacy, interpretation, supplementary education and signposting for 'local BME communities', but does not identify a Birmingham locality or any Birmingham delivery venue.
    • The charity's latest recorded financial information is for the year ended 9 April 2019, and its Charity Commission reporting is overdue. This substantially limits confidence that the recorded activities and geography remain current.
    • The organisation's registered contact address is in Fishermead, Milton Keynes. This is evidence of a contact location, not conclusive evidence of a current operational site.
    • Its charitable objects include work in Milton Keynes and surrounding areas, support for people seeking asylum or granted refugee status within the UK, and educational support in northeastern Kenya and Somalia. These objects do not demonstrate current delivery in those places.
    Additional evidence needed
    • A current annual report, annual return or impact report identifying present-day service locations and beneficiary geography.
    • Current official service information, appointment pages or programme materials confirming whether CAL has any Birmingham-based delivery, outreach or referral arrangements.
    • Evidence from named partner organisations or venues confirming any active Birmingham delivery relationship.
    • Confirmation from the organisation of its current operating status, physical delivery sites and geographic reach.

    Areas of work

    Source:Charity Commission
    • Accommodation/housing
    • Arts/culture/heritage/science
    • Disability
    • Economic/community Development/employment
    • Education/training
    • General Charitable Purposes
    • Overseas Aid/famine Relief
    • Religious Activities
    • The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
    • The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty

    Who they help

    Source:Charity Commission
    • Children/young People
    • Elderly/old People
    • Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
    • People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin
    • People With Disabilities
    • The General Public/mankind

    How they help

    Source:Charity Commission
    • Makes Grants To Individuals
    • Makes Grants To Organisations
    • Other Charitable Activities
    • Provides Advocacy/advice/information
    • Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
    • Provides Human Resources
    • Provides Services
    • Sponsors Or Undertakes Research

    Discoveries involving this organisation

    The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.

    Observations

    Sources:Civic AtlasAI-assisted

    • A community-access intermediary

      Cal appears to reduce exclusion not mainly by delivering a single specialist service, but by helping people communicate with, understand and reach housing, education and other services.

      Why it matters

      This suggests its value may lie in relationships and trust across systems. Its effectiveness may therefore depend as much on referral networks and cultural competence as on the volume of advice delivered.

      Show evidence

      • “Provides information, advice and guidance for local BME communities.”

        Source:Organisation

      • “Provides interpretation and translation support, advocacy, and signposting with housing, education and other services.”

        Source:Organisation

    • Support combines immediate navigation with educational progression

      The organisation appears to address immediate hardship alongside longer-term participation, particularly through advocacy, pastoral support and supplementary education for under-achieving children.

      Why it matters

      This is distinctive because it may prevent advice work from becoming purely reactive: educational support could address one route through which disadvantage is reproduced across generations.

      Show evidence

      • “Provides advocacy support for the hardest to reach beneficiaries.”

        Source:Organisation

      • “Provides supplementary education for under-achieving children within these communities.”

        Source:Organisation

    • A locally rooted organisation with transnational commitments

      Cal appears to hold a wider identity than a conventional local advice organisation, combining Milton Keynes community development with refugee support in the UK and education-focused assistance in Kenya and Somalia.

      Why it matters

      This may create unusual connections between local communities, diaspora relationships and overseas educational need, but it also raises questions about how resources and governance are balanced across these areas.

      Show evidence

      • “Its objects include support for people seeking asylum or granted refugee status within the UK.”

        Source:Charity Commission

      • “Its objects include educational assistance for pupils in northeastern Kenya and Somalia and benefit for inhabitants of Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.”

        Source:Charity Commission

      Remaining uncertainties

    • Which activities are currently active, and how resources are divided between local, UK refugee and overseas work.
    • Whether Cal delivers support directly, through partners, or primarily through referrals and grants.
    • Which communities are least well served despite its current offer.

      Additional evidence needed

    • Recent annual reports, service data and beneficiary outcomes.
    • Information on delivery partners, referral pathways, geographic reach and current funding.
    Charity Commission profile
    Source:Charity Commission

    Activities

    1. Information Advice and Guidance for the local BME communities. 2. Advocacy support for the hardest to reach beneficiaries. 3. Interpretation and Translation support both oral and written for the local BME communities. 4. Supplementary Education for under-achieving children within these communities. 5. Signposting and pastoral support with housing; education and other services.

    Charity objects

    (I) THE RELIEF OF POVERTY HARDSHIP AND DISTRESS, THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF GOOD HEALTH AMONG THOSE SEEKING ASYLUM OR WHO HAVE BEEN GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS WITHIN THE UK BY SUCH EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE MEANS AS THE TRUSTEES SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE. (II) THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION OF PUPILS AT PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NORTHEASTERN KENYA AND SOMALIA, BY THE PROVISION OF SUCH MATERIAL OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AS THE TRUSTEES SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE. (III) TO PROMOTE THE BENEFIT OF THE INHABITANTS OF MILTON KEYNES AND SURROUNDING AREAS BY ASSOCIATING TOGETHER LOCAL AUTHORITIES, VOLUNTARY BODIES AND SAID INHABITANTS IN COMMON EFFORT TO ADVANCE EDUCATION, REDUCE POVERTY HARDSHIP AND DISTRESS AND PROVIDE FACILITIES FOR RECREATION OR OTHER LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION, WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE OF SAID INHABITANTS..