Still Waters House
Charity 1200086
Overview
Summary
Still Waters House appears to be a small, faith-rooted supported-housing charity whose role extends beyond providing beds: it combines accommodation with relational, developmental support intended to help men move towards independence. Its operating model is notably partnership-dependent, with housing provision linked to Green Pastures and support activity reliant on donations. This creates a focused offer with potential depth for a small number of residents, while making its capacity, referral access and longer-term resilience important questions.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Soho and Jewellery Quarter
Confidence: high
Direct evidence from Still Waters House's current website identifies a four-bed operational property in Winson Green. Birmingham City Council sources identify Winson Green as an area within the Soho and Jewellery Quarter ward.
- Still Waters House official website — Home
The charity states that it currently has a four-bed property in Winson Green and provides accommodation and support for up to eleven men across its two houses. - Birmingham City Council — Soho and Jewellery Quarter Ward Action Plan / ward information
Council material identifies Winson Green as an area within the Soho and Jewellery Quarter ward.
Handsworth
Confidence: medium
Still Waters House directly identifies a current seven-bed property in Handsworth. This supports operation in the Handsworth area, but the published information does not independently confirm its precise ward location.
- Still Waters House official website — Home
The charity states that it currently has a seven-bed property in Handsworth. - Still Waters House official website — Accommodation
The charity states that it currently operates two properties accommodating up to eleven men.
Remaining uncertainties
- The Charity Commission entry describes the charity as managing one Birmingham property leased from Green Pastures Housing, while the charity's current website states that it operates two houses. The website is the stronger evidence of the present footprint, but the difference should be treated as a reporting-date or record-update uncertainty.
- The exact locations of the two houses are not published in the evidence reviewed. This means no additional operational areas should be inferred.
- Green Pastures materially supports the operational model: Still Waters House says the relationship enabled expansion, and Green Pastures lists the organisation in Birmingham with capacity for eleven people. However, the evidence does not show that this partnership creates service delivery sites beyond the two Birmingham houses.
- The charity's objects refer to Birmingham and surrounding areas, but this is an intended beneficiary scope rather than evidence of active services outside the two identified neighbourhoods. There is insufficient evidence to classify current delivery as citywide or regional.
- The registered address at Birmingham Central Baptist Church has not been treated as an operational service site, because the evidence does not establish that supported accommodation or resident support is delivered there.
Additional evidence needed
- A safeguarding-appropriate confirmation from the charity of the broad areas containing both houses.
- A current annual report or operational/impact report confirming the number of properties, their broad locations, and any outreach or floating-support activity beyond the houses.
- Referral and support-delivery information showing whether staff deliver services elsewhere in Birmingham, rather than solely at the two accommodation sites.
- Confirmation from Green Pastures or Still Waters House on which current properties are supplied or leased through the partnership and whether any further Birmingham locations are active.
Areas of work
- Disability
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
Who they help
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A small-scale pathway out of homelessness
The organisation appears to offer an intensive transition model rather than emergency accommodation alone: housing is paired with mentoring, guidance, life-skills opportunities and encouragement towards independence.
Why it matters
This suggests Still Waters House may occupy a distinct role between homelessness accommodation and longer-term independent living, where sustained personal support may be as important as the accommodation itself.
Show evidence
“The charity provides supported housing, accommodation and related support services including guidance, mentoring and opportunities to gain skills and experience.”
Source:Charity Commission“It provides accommodation and support for up to eleven men across two houses.”
Source:Organisation
Housing and support are funded through different systems
Still Waters House appears to have a split funding model: Housing Benefit underpins accommodation costs, while donations fund the support that differentiates its offer.
Why it matters
This may make the organisation able to maintain safe housing while leaving mentoring, training and staff capacity more exposed to voluntary-income fluctuations. It highlights where additional support could have the greatest practical effect.
Show evidence
“The majority of accommodation costs are funded through Housing Benefit.”
Source:Organisation“Support delivery is funded purely through donations.”
Source:Organisation
A faith-based partnership model shapes its reach
The charity appears embedded in a Christian civic network: it was established by Birmingham Central Baptist Church and leases property from Green Pastures, a Christian social enterprise.
Why it matters
These relationships may provide values alignment, property access and community support that a standalone provider might lack. They may also shape referral routes, organisational culture and opportunities for collaboration.
Show evidence
“Still Waters House is a Christian charity established by Birmingham Central Baptist Church in 2018.”
Source:Organisation“The charity manages a property in Birmingham that it leases from Green Pastures Housing.”
Source:Charity Commission
- Whether the service is accessible to women, couples, people with children or men with higher support needs.
- How residents move on, including tenancy outcomes, employment or training outcomes, and average length of stay.
- Whether the stated six vacancies reflects a current operational position or an outdated website figure.
Remaining uncertainties
- Referral criteria, resident demographics, waiting-list data and reasons referrals are accepted or declined.
- Outcome data on move-on destinations, housing sustainment and residents' experience of support.
- Information on staffing, governance, funding stability and the practical terms of the Green Pastures relationship.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Still Waters House provides good quality accommodation for persons who have experienced or are at significant risk of homelessness. We provide ongoing support, including guidance, mentoring and opportunities to gain life skills and experience giving them tools to break the cycle of homelessness. We manage a property in Birmingham that we lease from Green Pastures Housing to deliver this.
Charity objects
THE OBJECTS OF THE CIO ARE TO RELIEVE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS, OR PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN VULNERABLE HOUSING SITUATIONS OR PEOPLE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS, IN BIRMINGHAM AND SURROUNDING AREAS BY THE PROVISION OF SUPPORTED HOUSING, ACCOMMODATION AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES, INCLUDING GUIDANCE, MENTORING AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO GAIN SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE TO ENABLE THEM TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS AND TO ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE.