Little Aston Community Association
Charity 509757
Overview
Summary
Little Aston Community Association appears to be a locally rooted civic infrastructure organisation: its core role is likely to be enabling communal activity rather than delivering a narrowly defined service. Its charitable objects combine stewardship of a community centre with education, recreation and social welfare, suggesting a flexible platform for multiple groups and purposes. The ability to make grants to both individuals and organisations may indicate that it can support local participation and voluntary activity beyond managing space alone.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Sutton Mere Green
Confidence: medium
The association’s own Theatre Group page states that it meets monthly at Mere Green Community Centre, Sutton Coldfield. Birmingham City Council identifies the centre as being in Four Oaks. This is direct evidence of a recurring Birmingham delivery location, although the available page capture was crawled four months ago.
- Little Aston Community Association, Theatre Group page
States that the Theatre Group meets on the third Thursday of each month at Mere Green Centre, Sutton Coldfield. - Birmingham City Council, Mere Green community centre directory entry
Identifies Mere Green Community Centre in Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham.
Remaining uncertainties
- The association appears fundamentally rooted in Little Aston, Staffordshire, rather than Birmingham: its current Birmingham evidence is a recurring Theatre Group meeting venue in Mere Green. The available evidence does not establish further current service locations within Birmingham.
- The Charity Commission records Birmingham City, Staffordshire and Walsall as places where the charity operates, but does not identify activities, sites or intensity in each area. This supports a wider local footprint but not further area-level attribution.
- The Charity Commission states that the charity does not own or lease land or property. Little Aston Village Hall lists the association among local groups, but this does not demonstrate that the association manages the hall or currently delivers services there.
- The registered address has not been treated as an operational site because the evidence does not show that services are delivered there.
- The association’s organised theatre trips and twinning exchanges involve destinations beyond the local area, but these are member activities rather than evidence of standing service operations in those destinations.
Additional evidence needed
- A current programme, annual report or activity report identifying all active LACA groups, their meeting venues and the areas they serve.
- Confirmation from the association or Mere Green Community Centre that the Theatre Group’s monthly meetings remain current.
- Details of any current grants, constituent bodies or formal partnerships through which the association operates in Birmingham, Staffordshire or Walsall.
Areas of work
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- General Charitable Purposes
Who they help
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Makes Grants To Individuals
- Makes Grants To Organisations
- Other Charitable Activities
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A community centre is likely its organising asset
The association appears to be structured around establishing, maintaining or jointly managing a community centre. This may make it an enabling organisation whose value lies in creating shared capacity for other local groups, activities and relationships.
Why it matters
Organisations that manage civic space can influence who meets, what activities become possible and which local groups gain visibility. Its role may therefore extend beyond its own programme of activity.
Show evidence
“Its objects include establishing or securing a community centre and maintaining, managing or cooperating in the maintenance and management of such a centre.”
Source:Charity Commission“Activities: Community Association.”
Source:Organisation
Its remit is deliberately broad rather than issue-specific
The association appears to connect education, recreation, leisure, social welfare and arts or culture under a general objective of improving local conditions of life. This suggests a broad-based community-development role rather than a specialist charitable mission.
Why it matters
A broad remit may allow the organisation to respond to changing local needs and host diverse activity, but it also makes its practical priorities difficult to infer without evidence of current programmes.
Show evidence
“Its objects include advancing education and providing facilities for recreation and leisure in the interests of social welfare.”
Source:Charity Commission“What the charity does: General Charitable Purposes, Arts/culture/heritage/science.”
Source:Charity Commission
There are signs of a potential local funding role
Because it can make grants to individuals and organisations, the association may have a role in redistributing resources or lowering barriers to local participation, alongside any centre-management function.
Why it matters
This could make it a useful connector to smaller voluntary groups or residents whose needs are not met through venue provision alone. It is worth investigating whether grants are an active and significant part of its operating model.
Show evidence
“How the charity helps: Makes Grants To Individuals, Makes Grants To Organisations, Other Charitable Activities.”
Source:Charity Commission“Who the charity helps: Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies, The General Public/mankind.”
Source:Charity Commission
- Whether the association currently operates a community centre, and which activities take place there.
- Whether grant-making is a substantial active function or a rarely used charitable power.
- Which communities, localities or constituent bodies are most involved or least represented.
Remaining uncertainties
- Current programme, venue-use, membership and partnership information.
- Recent annual reports, accounts and examples of grants or supported organisations.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Community Association
Charity objects
TO ADVANCE EDUCATION AND TO PROVIDE FACILITIES IN THE INTEREST OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOR RECREATION AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE FOR THE INHABITANTS. TO ESTABLISH OR SECURE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMUNITY CENTRE AND TO MAINTAIN AND MANAGE, OR TO CO-OPERATE WITH ANY LOCAL STATUTORY AUTHORITY IN THE MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF SUCH A CENTRE FOR ACTIVITIES PROMOTED BY THE ASSOCIATION AND ITS CONSTITUENT BODIES IN FURTHERANCE OF THE ABOVE OBJECTS.