Sierra Leone Association (Birmingham And Midlands)
Charity 512985
slabirmingham.homestead.com/Home_1.html
Overview
Summary
The Sierra Leone Association (Birmingham and Midlands) appears to be a diaspora-rooted mutual-support charity: locally constituted in Birmingham and the Midlands, but shaped by ongoing cultural, humanitarian and emotional ties to Sierra Leone. Its broad charitable remit, volunteer-dependent model and use of meetings, appeals, prayer events and information links suggest it may function as a community anchor and connector rather than as a narrowly defined service provider. The available evidence is dated, so its current operating capacity and priorities remain unclear.
Operational geography
Coverage: Citywide
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- The Charity Commission currently records Birmingham City as the area in which the charity operates, but the organisation has not submitted annual returns or accounts since the year ended 31 March 2020. This limits confidence that the recorded footprint describes current delivery.
- The charity's listed address may be a correspondence address rather than a service venue. The Charity Commission states that the charity does not own or lease land or property.
- The organisation's website contains evidence of Birmingham meetings, including a New Oscott meeting in February 2008, but its dated content was last updated in March 2015 and does not establish current activity at that or any other venue.
- The website links to other Sierra Leone-focused and faith organisations, but does not evidence current formal partnerships or show that these links materially extend the association's operational reach.
- There is insufficient current evidence to identify a physical service site or a specific Birmingham ward in which the charity currently delivers services.
Additional evidence needed
- A current annual report, annual return, activity report or trustee statement describing services delivered since 31 March 2020 and their locations.
- Current event listings, programme information or venue confirmations demonstrating where meetings, advice, grants, support or other services are delivered in Birmingham.
- Confirmation from the organisation of whether its listed address is an operational base, a correspondence address, or both.
- Evidence from named partner organisations confirming any active referral, delivery or jointly delivered activity involving the association.
Areas of work
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Disability
- General Charitable Purposes
- 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
How they help
- Makes Grants To Individuals
- Makes Grants To Organisations
- Provides Human Resources
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A diaspora community anchor with a broad support mandate
The association appears to combine support for Sierra Leonean people locally with wider poverty, health, disability and cultural concerns. Its role may therefore extend beyond crisis relief into maintaining community connection and belonging.
Why it matters
This helps distinguish the organisation from a single-issue welfare provider: its value may lie partly in trusted relationships within a geographically dispersed diaspora community.
Show evidence
“Its objects include relieving poverty, sickness, old age and distress among people in Birmingham and the Midlands, particularly persons from Sierra Leone.”
Source:Charity Commission“It identifies beneficiaries including children, older people, people with disabilities and people of a particular ethnic or racial origin.”
Source:Charity Commission“The website includes Sierra Leone independence anniversary material and references to Sierra Leone's history, conflict and public health challenges.”
Source:Organisation
Connection-building may be as important as direct provision
The association appears to operate through convening, volunteer mobilisation and linking people to a wider Sierra Leone-focused network, alongside its stated ability to make grants and provide services.
Why it matters
Its potential civic contribution may be underestimated if assessed only by direct services. It may hold useful bridging relationships between local residents, faith groups, voluntary organisations and Sierra Leone-focused initiatives.
Show evidence
“The association advertised regular general meetings in Birmingham and appealed for volunteers and charitable funding.”
Source:Organisation“The website listed prayer events in Stroud and Coventry and provided links to multiple Sierra Leone-related organisations and resources.”
Source:Organisation“The charity reports making grants to individuals and organisations, providing human resources and providing services.”
Source:Charity Commission
Its public presence appears historically dependent on volunteer capacity
The available public material suggests a small, volunteer-led organisation whose visible activity may be vulnerable to changes in individual capacity. The vacant projects coordinator role may indicate limited delivery infrastructure at that time.
Why it matters
This raises a useful question about resilience: the organisation may have strong community legitimacy but limited capacity to document impact, maintain communications or sustain projects without targeted support.
Show evidence
“The association described itself as a voluntary organisation relying on charitable funding and volunteers.”
Source:Organisation“Its 2007/2008 executive committee list recorded the projects coordinator position as vacant.”
Source:Organisation“The website states that it was last updated on March 7, 2015.”
Source:Organisation
- Whether the association is currently active, and what its present-day services, leadership and membership look like.
- How much support reaches Birmingham and Midlands residents compared with activity focused on Sierra Leone or national diaspora networks.
- Whether grants, services and volunteer support are delivered directly, through partners or only occasionally.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports, accounts or activity updates showing beneficiaries, expenditure, projects and partnerships.
- Current contact channels, governance information and evidence of recent events or collaborations.
- Perspectives from members and local partner organisations on the association's distinctive role and unmet community needs.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
General Charitable Activities
Charity objects
TO RELIEVE POVERTY, SICKNESS, OLD AGE AND DISTRESS AMONGST PERSONS RESIDENT IN BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLANDS AND IN PARTICULAR, AMONGST PERSONS FROM SIERRA LEONE. (FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE SEE CONSTITUTION)