Sundial Centre For Education On Harmful Practices
Charity 1161597
Overview
Summary
Sundial Centre appears to occupy a specialist prevention-and-capability-building role around FGM, “honour”-based abuse and related harmful practices. Rather than presenting itself primarily as a direct support service for individual survivors, it works through schools, community groups and frontline institutions, combining lived-experience-led education with safeguarding training, resource creation and multi-agency activity. Its role may therefore be to strengthen how a wider local system recognises and responds to harm affecting women and girls in minoritised communities.
Operational geography
Coverage: Regional
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- Direct evidence supports that Sundial has expanded its work into Birmingham, but none of the reviewed current sources identifies a specific Birmingham delivery location.
- The evidence does not establish whether Birmingham activity is ongoing regular delivery, a small number of commissioned workshops, partnership-supported activity, or a past expansion referenced in organisational history.
- No Birmingham physical site is evidenced. The Charity Commission record gives a correspondence address, while Sundial describes itself as Oxford-based; neither should be treated as a Birmingham operational site.
- Sundial's operational identity is not Birmingham-neighbourhood-based or Birmingham-citywide on the available evidence. Its stated delivery footprint is broader: primarily the Midlands and south of the UK, with documented work across the Thames Valley and expansion into Birmingham and Croydon.
Additional evidence needed
- A current delivery or impact report confirming Birmingham activity, including any recurring local delivery or formal partnerships.
- Confirmation from Sundial of whether it currently delivers in Birmingham and, if so, the wards or recognised locations in which delivery takes place.
- Evidence of any formal Birmingham-based delivery partners and whether those partnerships result in recurring local activity.
- A current list of operational bases or regular delivery venues, if any, distinguishing them from correspondence addresses.
Areas of work
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Education/training
- General Charitable Purposes
- Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity
- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
Who they help
- Children/young People
- People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A systems-facing prevention model
The available evidence suggests Sundial seeks to prevent and improve responses to harmful practices by equipping multiple settings, especially schools and frontline services, rather than relying only on one-to-one intervention.
Why it matters
This helps explain its potential influence: its impact may extend through the practices of teachers, police, health staff and community organisations, although the reach of that influence is not evidenced here.
Show evidence
“It offers training, lessons and workshops to schools, communities, professionals and services.”
Source:Organisation“It provides specialist safeguarding training for school staff teams and support for frontline services working with domestic abuse victims from minoritised communities.”
Source:Organisation“The charity undertakes research and provides advocacy, advice and information.”
Source:Charity Commission
Lived experience is treated as professional expertise
Sundial appears to make facilitators from affected communities central to its delivery model, positioning lived experience not only as testimony but as a source of practical safeguarding knowledge.
Why it matters
This may make its work particularly credible and culturally informed for institutions serving communities affected by harmful practices, while also distinguishing it from generic safeguarding training.
Show evidence
“Every workshop is designed and delivered with facilitators from affected communities who bring lived experience on the impacts of harmful practices.”
Source:Organisation“A police training testimonial describes lived experience being incorporated throughout the presentation.”
Source:Organisation
It bridges safeguarding with structural exclusion
Its focus appears broader than individual harmful practices: Sundial links abuse to intersectionality, no recourse to public funds and transnational marriage abandonment, suggesting attention to barriers that can limit survivors' options.
Why it matters
This indicates a potentially important bridging role between specialist harm prevention and the wider legal, economic and migration-related conditions affecting safety.
Show evidence
“Its specialist training includes intersectionality, NRPF and transnational marriage abandonment.”
Source:Organisation“Its toolkit can be filtered by protected characteristics, language or accessibility and topic.”
Source:Organisation
- The scale, geography and frequency of delivery are not provided.
- It is unclear how much direct support Sundial offers to survivors compared with training and referral activity.
- No evidence shows outcomes for participants, institutions or affected communities.
Remaining uncertainties
- Annual reports or impact data showing audiences reached, repeat partnerships and outcomes.
- Information on referral pathways, direct-support capacity and relationships with survivor-led and statutory services.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
For the public benefit, the relief and assistance of girls and women who have undergone or are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) or other harmful practice by providing education, information, advice, emotional support, raising awareness and carrying out research to help prevent harmful practices and to support survivors.
Charity objects
For the public benefit, the relief and assistance of girls and women who have undergone or are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) or other harmful practice by providing education, information, advice, emotional support, raising awareness and carrying out research to help prevent harmful practices and to support survivors.