Small Heath Baptist Church
Charity 1136199
Overview
Summary
Small Heath Baptist Church appears to operate as both a faith community and a locally rooted civic platform. Its religious purpose is paired with an explicit ambition to use its building, volunteers and programmes to support community engagement, neighbourhood cohesion and civil renewal. The available evidence suggests a long-established institution seeking to remain publicly relevant, combining worship, pastoral leadership and practical outreach, including support for people experiencing homelessness.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Small Heath
Confidence: high
The church identifies Small Heath as its location and states that Sunday worship, regular coffee mornings, community contact and other church activities are based there. Its stated mission is focused on providing facilities and supporting community engagement in Small Heath.
- Small Heath Baptist Church website
The website identifies the church's location as Small Heath and advertises regular Sunday services there. - Small Heath Baptist Church website
The church describes itself as located in the Small Heath community and says its building is opened for visitors and that it makes contact with the local community through regular activities. - Charity Commission register, charity 1136199
The charity's stated mission is to provide facilities for the community of Small Heath and Birmingham and to facilitate projects supporting community engagement, civil renewal and a more cohesive neighbourhood.
Remaining uncertainties
- The church describes a soup kitchen for people experiencing homelessness in Birmingham, but the available evidence does not state where it is delivered, how frequently it operates, or whether it is delivered from church premises or at other locations.
- The Charity Commission records Birmingham City as the charity's operating area, but this is not sufficiently location-specific to establish direct operations in additional Birmingham wards or in the City Centre.
- No current evidence was found of partner organisations, separately operated venues, or delivery sites that materially extend the church's footprint beyond Small Heath.
- Although the governing document permits activity across the United Kingdom and elsewhere, this is a charitable power rather than evidence of current operational delivery outside Birmingham.
Additional evidence needed
- A current programme timetable or service description confirming the soup kitchen's delivery location, frequency, operating model and catchment.
- Current annual-report narrative or project accounts identifying any outreach venues, commissioned activity or partner-delivered work.
- Details from the church of organisations with which it jointly delivers community programmes and the locations of those programmes.
Areas of work
- Amateur Sport
- General Charitable Purposes
- Other Charitable Purposes
- Religious Activities
Who they help
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Acts As An Umbrella Or Resource Body
- 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
A church positioning itself as neighbourhood infrastructure
The Church appears to view its premises and organisational capacity as shared local assets, rather than solely as resources for congregational worship. Its stated mission suggests an operating model in which faith activity and community-facing provision are deliberately connected.
Why it matters
This helps distinguish the Church from an organisation focused only on religious services: it may be a potential host, convenor or delivery partner for wider neighbourhood activity.
Show evidence
“The Church aims to provide appropriate facilities for the community of Small Heath and Birmingham and facilitate projects supporting community engagement, civil renewal and a cohesive neighbourhood.”
Source:Charity Commission“The charity provides buildings, facilities or open space, services, advocacy, advice or information, and human resources.”
Source:Charity Commission
Faith is being translated into practical social support
The Church appears to frame direct assistance as an expression of its religious mission, with the soup kitchen indicating that its community role includes practical support for people experiencing homelessness.
Why it matters
This suggests the organisation may connect spiritual belonging with immediate welfare needs, potentially reaching people who are not otherwise engaged in church life.
Show evidence
“One key outreach initiative is a Soup Kitchen providing warm meals and community to people experiencing homelessness in Birmingham.”
Source:Organisation“The Church invites volunteers, food and resource donations, and financial support for the Soup Kitchen.”
Source:Organisation
A historic institution appears to be renewing its public presence
The Church's 150th anniversary activity and recent pastoral appointment may indicate an organisation using institutional continuity alongside leadership renewal to sustain local relevance.
Why it matters
This points to a possible strength: long-term place-based legitimacy combined with an effort to remain active and visible rather than relying only on heritage.
Show evidence
“A decision to form Small Heath Baptist Church was made on July 13th 1873.”
Source:Organisation“Dillon Hamilton was inducted as Associate Pastor on March 15th 2025.”
Source:Organisation
- The scale, regularity and outcomes of the soup kitchen and other community programmes are unknown.
- There is no evidence of named local partners, referral routes, user voice or the communities most actively reached.
- It is unclear how extensively the building is available for external groups or how community priorities shape provision.
Remaining uncertainties
- Programme data showing activities, attendance, beneficiary groups, volunteer involvement and outcomes over time.
- Information on building users, community partners, funding sources and relationships with local services.
- Accounts from participants and local organisations about the Church's distinctive contribution to Small Heath.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
THE PRINCIPAL PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH IS THE ADVANCEMENT OF CHRISTIAN FAITH ACCORDING TO THE BAPTIST DENOMINATION, AND CARRY OUT OTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSES. OUR MISSION :TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE FACILITIES FOR USE BY THE COMMUNITY OF SMALL HEATH AND BIRMINGHAM, AND OPERATE / FACILITATE PROJECTS THAT WILL IMPROVE AND BRING ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, CIVIL RENEWAL, AND A MORE COHESIVE NEIGHBOURHOOD.
Charity objects
The principal purpose of the Church is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. The Church may also advance education and carry out other charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and/or other parts of the world.