The Real Life 4 Me Trust
Charity 1120819
Overview
Summary
The Real Life 4 Me Trust appears to be a school-linked charity whose role combines stewardship of Selly Oak Trust School’s land with a wider mandate to support pupils, families and the local community. Its charitable objects suggest that it is designed not only to underpin specialist education, but also to reduce barriers associated with special educational needs, disability and social circumstances. The available evidence points to an organisation positioned at the boundary between school governance, family advocacy and community inclusion.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Bournville and Cotteridge
Confidence: high
Direct evidence identifies Selly Oak Trust School, the charity's principal operational vehicle, in Bournville & Cotteridge ward. The school provides its core special-education provision there, while a supported-internship partner also maintains a community base at Cotteridge Church.
- Birmingham City Council, Selly Oak Trust School increase-in-pupil-numbers proposal, November 2025
Lists Selly Oak Trust School, identifies its ward as Bournville & Cotteridge, and describes it as a foundation special school with 376 places providing support for pupils with a range of SEND needs. - Selly Oak Trust School, Contact Us page
Gives the school's operational location as Selly Oak, Birmingham. - Communicate 2U, Funders page
States that the social enterprise is based at Selly Oak Trust School and at Cotteridge Church, its community base. - Selly Oak Trust School, Supported Internships page
States that students undertake Communicate 2U supported internships in an offsite setting based at Cotteridge Church five days a week.
City Centre
Confidence: medium
There is direct evidence of a partnership with named central Birmingham IHG hotels and of student visits and six-week work-experience placements there. This reasonably supports an operational extension into the City Centre, but the school page does not explicitly confirm that placements continue in the current academic year.
- Selly Oak Trust School, International Hotels Group partnership page
States that the school formed a partnership in 2024 with Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites and Holiday Inn Express; it includes hotel visits and work experience during the school day, and reports that Year 13 students completed six-week Wednesday work-experience placements at the partner hotels. - IHG, Birmingham hotels directory
Lists Crowne Plaza Birmingham City Centre and Holiday Inn Express Birmingham - City Centre, and describes Staybridge Suites Birmingham as centrally located in Birmingham city centre.
Remaining uncertainties
- The charity's registered address is in Wheaton Aston, Staffordshire, but the available evidence indicates that its operational activity is delivered through Selly Oak Trust School in Birmingham; no evidence was found that the Staffordshire address is a service site.
- The evidence does not provide a current pupil-residence distribution, a formal catchment area, or a complete list of placement venues. It therefore cannot establish which Birmingham wards pupils come from or whether services are routinely delivered in additional wards.
- Citywide coverage is an interpretation rather than a directly stated catchment: the school is a Birmingham local-authority special school, admissions are requested by the local education authority, and its supported-internship activity reaches central Birmingham. The available evidence does not demonstrate permanent delivery sites across the whole city.
- Some supported-internship web content includes historic programme information. In particular, the City Centre hotel partnership is presented as active, but the reported work-experience cohort is described as having completed placements 'last year'.
Additional evidence needed
- A current Birmingham City Council or school admissions document stating the geographical scope of referrals, placements and pupil transport.
- A current annual report, trustees' report or service/impact report identifying all active delivery sites and offsite learning or work-experience venues.
- Confirmation from Selly Oak Trust School or IHG that City Centre work-experience placements remain active in the 2026-27 academic year.
- A current list of Communicate 2U-supported internship locations and the number of Selly Oak Trust School students attending each.
Areas of work
- Disability
- Education/training
Who they help
- Children/young People
- People With Disabilities
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A trust with both asset-holding and support roles
The charity appears to operate through two connected roles: holding land for Selly Oak Trust School and providing advocacy, advice and information. This may make it an enabling organisation rather than a direct education provider alone.
Why it matters
This helps distinguish the trust from a conventional school charity. Its influence may lie in securing the school’s physical foundation while helping families and community members navigate needs beyond the classroom.
Show evidence
“The charity holds the land for Selly Oak Trust School in trust.”
Source:Charity Commission“It provides advocacy, advice and information to pupils, parents and the local community.”
Source:Charity Commission
Special educational needs are central, but the remit is broader
Although support for people with special educational needs is a named focus, the objects also extend to young people, disability, financial hardship and social circumstances. The trust may therefore be structured to respond to overlapping barriers rather than treating educational need in isolation.
Why it matters
This suggests potential relevance to organisations working in family support, disability inclusion, welfare advice and transitions to adult life, not solely specialist education.
Show evidence
“The charity's objects include relieving needs and advancing the education of persons with special educational needs through advice, counselling, support, facilities and public education.”
Source:Charity Commission“The charity may provide leisure or recreation facilities for people affected by youth, age, infirmity, disability, financial hardship or social circumstances.”
Source:Charity Commission
The organisation may be a bridge between school and community
Its stated beneficiaries include pupils, parents and the local community, while its objects refer to community cohesion. This may indicate a bridging role that connects specialist-school needs with wider local understanding and support.
Why it matters
If this role is active in practice, the trust could be a useful connector for partners seeking to improve inclusion, information-sharing or family voice around SEND.
Show evidence
“The charity provides advocacy, advice and information to pupils, parents and the local community.”
Source:Charity Commission“In carrying out its objects, the charity must have regard to its obligation to promote community cohesion where applicable.”
Source:Charity Commission
- It is unclear whether the trust directly delivers services or mainly funds, advises and enables others to deliver them.
- There is no evidence about beneficiary numbers, geography beyond Selly Oak, staffing, funding or current partnerships.
- The relationship between the charity, the school and the school’s governing or academy arrangements is not specified.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports and accounts showing expenditure, grants, staffing, beneficiaries and service activity.
- Evidence of current advocacy cases, family engagement, community partnerships and outcomes for people with SEND.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
The charity holds the land for Selly Oak Trust School in trust. It provides advocacy, advice and information to pupils, parents and the local community
Charity objects
3.1. TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION AND RELIEVE THE NEEDS OF THE PUPILS AT ANY SCHOOL WHICH IS A QUALIFYING SCHOOL, OR AT ANY OTHER SCHOOL IN RESPECT OF WHICH THE CHARITY ACTS OR HAS ACTED AS A FOUNDATION, IT BEING ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IN CARRYING OUT THE OBJECTS THE CHARITY MUST (WHERE APPLICABLE) HAVE REGARD TO ITS OBLIGATION TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY COHESION UNDER THE EDUCATION ACTS; 3.2. TO RELIEVE THE NEEDS OF AND ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF PERSONS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY: 3.2.1 THE PROVISION OF ADVICE, COUNSELLING AND SUPPORT; 3.2.2 ASSISTING IN THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES; 3.2.3 EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE NEEDS OF PERSONS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS; AND 3.3. TO PROVIDE OR ASSIST IN THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES IN THE INTEREST OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOR RECREATION OR OTHER LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE NEED OF SUCH FACILITIES BY REASON OF THEIR YOUTH, AGE, INFIRMITY OR DISABILITY, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP OR SOCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THEIR CONDITION OF LIFE.