The Cherith Trust
Charity 1147262
https://thecherithtrust.org.uk
Overview
Summary
The Cherith Trust appears to occupy a distinctive place between pastoral care, social connection and community hospitality for older Christian people in the Black Country. Its model combines outreach through home visiting with a physical gathering point at Cherith House, suggesting it is designed not only to respond to loneliness individually but also to sustain fellowship and belonging collectively. Its faith identity appears central to both its beneficiary focus and its method.
Operational geography
Coverage: Regional
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- The Charity Commission records Birmingham City among the places where the charity operates, but neither the current website nor the 2025 trustees' annual report identifies a Birmingham venue, ward, neighbourhood, home-visiting area or partner organisation.
- The current direct evidence places the trust's permanent meeting and hospitality activity at Cherith House in Cradley Heath, outside Birmingham. Its reported home-visitation work is described only as serving the Black Country.
- It is therefore not possible to evidence operation in any of the supplied Birmingham wards or the City Centre without inferring locations from the Charity Commission's broad geographic return.
- No material delivery partnerships extending the trust's operational reach into Birmingham were identified in the consulted evidence.
Additional evidence needed
- A current service-area statement or referral criteria specifying which Birmingham neighbourhoods or wards are served.
- A current programme, venue list or event booking information showing any activities held at Birmingham locations.
- Confirmation from the trust of whether Birmingham City is an active delivery area or a broad Charity Commission reporting classification.
Areas of work
- General Charitable Purposes
- Religious Activities
Who they help
- Elderly/old People
- People With Disabilities
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A bridge between home-based support and shared community
The available evidence suggests the Trust uses two connected forms of support: visiting people who may be isolated at home, and creating opportunities for them to meet at Cherith House. This may make the organisation a bridge between private loneliness and collective participation.
Why it matters
This helps distinguish the Trust from a venue-only organisation or a purely visiting service. Its potential value may lie in helping people move, where appropriate, from one-to-one contact into wider social and spiritual relationships.
Show evidence
“We organise social events at our headquarters, Cherith House in Old Hill. We also offer home visits.”
Source:Organisation“The Cherith House provides a range of fellowship and hospitality functions.”
Source:Charity Commission
Faith is a delivery framework, not only a charitable purpose
The Trust appears to frame support through Christian fellowship and pastoral ministry, rather than treating religion as separate from its social purpose. Its beneficiary group is specifically retired or frail Christian people connected to churches and chapels.
Why it matters
This suggests its relationships with local Christian communities may be essential referral, trust and volunteer networks. It may therefore reach people who would not readily engage with secular loneliness services.
Show evidence
“The provision of supportive, pastoral-style ministry aimed at alleviating loneliness, to elderly and frail Christian persons amongst chapels and churches in the community of the West Midlands.”
Source:Charity Commission“The Cherith Trust provides a sympathetic befriending service, to support retired Christian believers in the Black Country area.”
Source:Organisation
A geographically focused specialist rather than a general ageing service
Although its registered beneficiary categories include the general public and disabled people, the operational description is more narrowly focused on older, frail Christian people in the Black Country. This may indicate a specialist local role with deliberately bounded reach.
Why it matters
Understanding this distinction is important when considering unmet need, partnerships or referrals: the Trust may be highly relevant for a particular community while not being positioned as a universal older-persons service.
Show evidence
“We have made regular visits to elderly persons in the area of the West Midlands known as the Black Country.”
Source:Charity Commission“To support retired Christian believers in the Black Country area.”
Source:Organisation
- How people are referred to, selected for or connected with the Trust.
- The scale, frequency and outcomes of visits, events and volunteer involvement.
- Whether Cherith House is used by other local groups or churches.
Remaining uncertainties
- Annual reports or service data showing beneficiary numbers, locations and patterns of need.
- Information on church partnerships, volunteer recruitment and referral pathways.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
We provide care and a pastoral-style ministry and befriending services to elderly and frail persons. We have made regular visits to elderly persons in the area of the West Midlands known as the Black Country. The Cherith House provides a range of fellowship and hospitality functions.
Charity objects
1.THE FURTHERANCE OF THE PROTESTANT CHRISTIAN RELIGION BY ANY MEANS WHICH THE TRUSTEES MAY THINK FIT. 2.THE PROVISION OF SUPPORTIVE, PASTORAL-STYLE MINISTRY AIMED AT ALLEVIATING LONELINESS, TO ELDERLY AND FRAIL CHRISTIAN PERSONS AMONGST CHAPELS AND CHURCHES IN THE COMMUNITY OF THE WEST MIDLANDS THROUGH ITS VISITING VOLUNTEER GROUP AND OTHER SUPPORT GROUPS AND ANY PERMANENT MEETING AND HOSPITALITY FACILITY.