Small-Steps Charity
Charity 1157097
Overview
Summary
Small-Steps Charity appears to be a volunteer-led fundraising intermediary that identifies needs it considers overlooked by larger charities, then channels unrestricted fundraising into locally rooted projects. Its role is distinctive less for direct delivery than for connecting UK-based sporting and cultural participation with health, education and inclusion initiatives, chiefly involving marginalised communities in India while also supporting community activity in Birmingham. The available evidence suggests a small organisation using flexible charitable objects to pursue a deliberately selective, relationship-based portfolio.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Balsall Heath West
Confidence: medium
Direct evidence identifies Apna Ghar as a current Let’s Dance collaborator and confirms that Let’s Dance delivers sessions for older participants. A Balsall Heath West ward forum notice identifies Apna Ghar Day Centre as a venue. It is a reasonable interpretation, rather than an explicitly stated venue list from Small-Steps Charity, that the partnership materially extends Let’s Dance activity into this ward.
- Small-Steps Charity, Let’s Dance / Sampad project page
The charity describes Let’s Dance as a current project, delivered with Sampad and in collaboration with Apna Ghar Asian Elderly Day Care; it states that sessions bring together older participants for dance, movement and storytelling. - Apna Ghar 1995 Ltd, official website
Apna Ghar identifies its day-centre premises in Balsall Heath, Birmingham. - Balsall Heath West Ward Forum notice
The notice identifies Apna Ghar Day Centre as a venue for a Balsall Heath West ward forum.
Hall Green South
Confidence: medium
Small-Steps Charity directly names Ghulab Ashram Housing as a Let’s Dance collaborator. Birmingham City Council records Ghulab Ashram as an active supported-living service in Hall Green. The evidence establishes a material partnership with this service, but does not explicitly confirm the number, dates or precise venue of Small-Steps-funded sessions there.
- Small-Steps Charity, Let’s Dance / Sampad project page
The charity states that Let’s Dance works in collaboration with Ghulab Ashram Housing and delivers inclusive dance and movement sessions for older people. - Birmingham City Council, Ghulab Ashram service directory
Ghulab Ashram is listed as an active supported-living service in Hall Green, Birmingham. - Birmingham City Council, current ward maps
The council publishes Hall Green South as a current Birmingham ward.
Remaining uncertainties
- Small-Steps Charity does not publish a dated programme, venue schedule or attendance record for Let’s Dance. The available evidence therefore supports partnership-based operational reach in two wards, but not the frequency or continuity of delivery at either partner site.
- The charity says that Let’s Dance has ‘new partnerships across Birmingham’, but does not name those partners or their locations. This is insufficient to identify further wards or to evidence a citywide Birmingham service footprint.
- The charity’s registered address is in Solihull and should not be treated as a Birmingham operational site. No evidence was found of a Small-Steps Charity-owned or permanently staffed Birmingham premises.
- Small-Steps Charity’s wider portfolio primarily funds or supports projects outside Birmingham, including current projects in India. Its international coverage classification reflects that wider operational and funding footprint, not evidence of international service delivery from Birmingham.
Additional evidence needed
- A current Let’s Dance delivery timetable showing session venues, dates and partner sites in Birmingham.
- A current impact, monitoring or annual report identifying the number of sessions and participants reached at Apna Ghar, Ghulab Ashram and any other Birmingham partners.
- Confirmation from Small-Steps Charity or Sampad of whether the 2025–26 Let’s Dance programme remains active after its stated expansion period, and which sites are currently funded.
- Confirmation of whether Small-Steps Charity has any regular Birmingham office, storage, event or delivery base beyond partner venues.
Areas of work
- Amateur Sport
- Economic/community Development/employment
- General Charitable Purposes
- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
Who they help
- Children/young People
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- People With Disabilities
How they help
- Makes Grants To Individuals
- Makes Grants To Organisations
- Provides Other Finance
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A gap-funding rather than service-delivery model
The charity appears to position itself as a flexible funder of needs that fall outside mainstream charitable attention, rather than as a specialist provider with one defined service.
Why it matters
This helps explain both its broad charitable objects and its varied project portfolio: its potential value may lie in spotting and backing overlooked opportunities quickly.
Show evidence
“It targets areas not already supported by larger mainstream charitable organisations.”
Source:Organisation“It makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides other finance.”
Source:Charity Commission
Fundraising is also its community-facing activity
Sporting, cultural and social events appear to be more than income sources: they create a participatory bridge between supporters and causes.
Why it matters
This suggests the charity may build engagement and identity through shared experiences, rather than relying solely on conventional donation appeals.
Show evidence
“It supports and fundraises by organising sporting, cultural and social activities.”
Source:Organisation“The Romania Charity Bike Ride 2026 was planned to raise funds for MAHAN, Streeksha and Let's Dance.”
Source:Organisation“Its activities are sports and cultural fundraising events.”
Source:Charity Commission
A portfolio linking distant need with local inclusion
Its projects suggest an unusual combination of international grant support for health and women's education in India with locally collaborative wellbeing activity for older South Asian people in Birmingham.
Why it matters
This may make the charity a potential connector across diaspora, cultural and civic networks, although the nature of those relationships is not yet evidenced.
Show evidence
“MAHAN provides community health and hospital services in Melghat, Maharashtra.”
Source:Organisation“Streeksha sponsors university education for women from rural Rajasthan and Bihar.”
Source:Organisation“Let's Dance is delivered with Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage, Apna Ghar Asian Elderly Day Care and Ghulab Ashram Housing.”
Source:Organisation
- How projects are selected, monitored and funded over time.
- Whether the July 2026 campaign information remained current after July 18, 2026.
- The scale of grants, volunteer capacity and beneficiary reach.
Remaining uncertainties
- Annual accounts, grant totals and project-level allocations.
- Impact reports, partner agreements and evidence of beneficiary participation.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Sports and Cultural Fundraising events
Charity objects
TO FURTHER SUCH CHARITABLE PURPOSES (CHARITABLE UNDER ENGLISH LAW) AS THE TRUSTEES SEE FIT FROM TIME TO TIME.