Life Centre Stourbridge
Charity 1156191
Overview
Summary
Life Centre Stourbridge currently appears to be a locally rooted Christian charity whose practical civic role is centred on regulated, free debt advice rather than broad-based community programming. Its model combines professional financial support, volunteer participation and church-based motivation, while extending access beyond Stourbridge through several Black Country venues and online contact. The evidence suggests an organisation that uses debt intervention as both poverty relief and a route back to confidence, advocacy and social participation.
Operational geography
Coverage: Regional
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- Direct evidence identifies a Black Country service footprint centred on Stourbridge, with appointment venues in Lye, Dudley, Brierley Hill, Tipton, Old Hill and Bradley; none of the listed current venues is in a supplied Birmingham ward or recognised place.
- The organisation also offers online audio and web-conferencing support. This could be accessible to Birmingham residents, but the available evidence does not show that it is delivered to, promoted specifically in, or materially used by people in Birmingham.
- Its partnership venue in Tipton is hosted by Lifeline Money Advice, part of Life in Community CIC. This materially extends access in Tipton, but does not provide evidence of an operational presence within Birmingham.
- The regional classification is an interpretation of the organisation's stated Black Country footprint across several localities, rather than evidence of Birmingham-wide or West Midlands-wide delivery.
Additional evidence needed
- Aggregated current client-origin, referral or casework data showing service delivery to residents of specific Birmingham wards or places.
- A current official statement, venue listing or partnership agreement identifying any Birmingham-based outreach, advice sessions or referral pathway operated by Life Centre Debt Advice.
- The latest annual report or impact report with a geographic breakdown of satellite venues, online clients and referral partners.
Areas of work
- Accommodation/housing
- Disability
- Economic/community Development/employment
- Education/training
- General Charitable Purposes
- Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity
- Religious Activities
- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
Who they help
- 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
- 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
Debt advice is the organisation's operational anchor
Although its charitable objects allow for wider work on inclusion, advocacy, training and befriending, the available evidence indicates that debt advice is its established delivery focus. This may reflect a deliberate strategy of concentrating resources on a specific, high-consequence problem.
Why it matters
This distinguishes the charity from a general community centre: its value may lie in specialist intervention where financial hardship threatens housing, wellbeing and participation.
Show evidence
“The management team initially decided to concentrate on debt advice following a local survey of community needs.”
Source:Charity Commission“The service offers practical help with budgeting, money management and debt advice.”
Source:Organisation
Faith identity appears to support, rather than restrict, access
The organisation presents itself explicitly as Christian and church-connected, while also stating that everyone is welcome and that its mission is non-coercive. It appears to translate a faith-based volunteer network into an open public service.
Why it matters
This helps explain both its distinctive source of people and motivation and its potential relevance to residents who may not identify with its religious basis.
Show evidence
“Christian mission is to be carried out on an entirely non-coercive and invitational basis.”
Source:Charity Commission“Debt Advisers and Support Workers are Christians from local churches, and everyone is welcome to come for help.”
Source:Organisation
The service may function as a Black Country access network
Life Centre Stourbridge appears to use a central base alongside multiple local venues and online access, suggesting that it is designed to reduce geographical or practical barriers to specialist advice rather than serve only one town.
Why it matters
Its role may be better understood as a distributed advice presence across the Black Country, with partnership and referral relationships likely important to reach.
Show evidence
“The service is available at its Stourbridge centre, venues in Lye, Bradley, Old Hill, Tipton, Dudley and Brierley Hill, and through an online audio and web conferencing platform.”
Source:Organisation“Staff and volunteers either work with clients until financial concerns are addressed or refer them elsewhere when appropriate.”
Source:Organisation
- There is no evidence of client numbers, outcomes, waiting times or the relative use of each venue.
- It is unclear whether the wider charitable aims of advocacy, financial training and befriending are delivered as distinct services.
- The organisation's formal partnerships, referral sources and relationship with Community Money Advice are not described in detail.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports or service data showing demand, client outcomes, geographic reach and referral patterns.
- Information on delivery partners, volunteer capacity and whether planned outreach projects beyond debt advice have developed.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
We are a Christian support to the community within Stourbridge. After a local survey of needs in the community, the Management Team decided to initially concentrate on Debt Advice and so Life Centre Debt Advice was launched in association with Community Money Advice (CMA) as part of this initiative. It is expected in future years to expand the outreach of the Life Centre into different projects.
Charity objects
1. TO RELIEVE POVERTY BY PROVIDING ETHICAL DEBT AND MONEY MANAGEMENT ADVICE, FREE OF CHARGE. 2. TO PROMOTE SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM BECOMING SOCIALLY EXCLUDED, RELIEVING THE NEEDS OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE SOCIALLY EXCLUDED (FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS CLAUSE 'SOCIALLY EXCLUDED' MEANS BEING EXCLUDED FROM SOCIETY, OR PARTS OF SOCIETY, AS A RESULT FINANCIAL HARDSHIP) AND ASSISTING THEM TO INTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY; (I) PROVIDING ADVOCACY SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES BECAUSE OF FEAR OR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR LACK OF CONFIDENCE (II) PROVIDING TRAINING AND GUIDANCE TO DEVELOP PEOPLE'S FINANCIAL CAPABILITY (III) HELPING THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ISOLATED FROM, OR WHO ARE OUT OF TOUCH WITH, SOCIETY TO RE-ADJUST AND RE-INTEGRATE BY BEFRIENDING THEM AND RE-BUILDING THEIR CONFIDENCE IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY. 3. THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH BY EVANGELISTIC MISSION THAT IS CARRIED OUT ON AN ENTIRELY NON-COERCIVE AND INVITATIONAL BASIS, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FAITHWORKS CHARTER GIVEN AS APPENDIX 1 OF THE CONSTITUTION.