The Spade Hammer And Pen Society
Charity 511275
Overview
Summary
The Spade Hammer And Pen Society appears to be a long-established, place-based community organisation rooted in the African Caribbean community in Erdington. Its original role as a social and recreational meeting place seems to have developed into a broad charitable platform spanning advice, facilities, education, wellbeing, poverty relief and community development. The available evidence suggests that its distinctive value may lie less in a single specialist service than in providing community infrastructure that can support several groups and purposes.
Operational geography
Coverage: Citywide
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- The Charity Commission currently records Birmingham City as the area in which the charity operates, but the charity's financial and activity information was last recorded for the year ending 31 March 2018 and its subsequent reporting is overdue. This limits confidence that the recorded citywide footprint reflects current delivery.
- The strongest locality-specific evidence concerns the organisation's historical roots and meeting-place activity in Erdington, rather than verified current services there.
- A 2017 court judgment records that the society occupied premises in Erdington and had been involved in a possession dispute from 2014. This does not establish that it currently occupies or delivers services from that site.
- The registered contact address is a correspondence address ('C/O') and cannot be treated as an operational site.
- No current official evidence was found of active delivery sites, programmes, or material delivery partnerships in a specific Birmingham ward.
Additional evidence needed
- A current annual return, trustees' report, or impact report describing services delivered since 31 March 2018 and the areas served.
- Confirmation from the organisation of its current delivery venues, including whether it currently operates in Erdington or another site.
- Current evidence from named venue operators, funders, or delivery partners confirming regular activity and locations.
Areas of work
- Accommodation/housing
- Amateur Sport
- Economic/community Development/employment
- Education/training
- General Charitable Purposes
- Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity
- Overseas Aid/famine Relief
- Recreation
- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
Who they help
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin
- People With Disabilities
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Provides Human Resources
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A community-rooted organisation with a broad civic role
The organisation appears to have originated around the social and recreational needs of African Caribbean residents in Erdington, while its current charitable remit extends to the wider population of Birmingham. This may indicate a model in which a specific community history provides the organisation's grounding, relationships and legitimacy, while its formal role has widened over time.
Why it matters
This helps distinguish an organisation that may combine culturally grounded community connection with a broader civic purpose from one serving only a narrowly defined beneficiary group.
Show evidence
“Spade Hammer Pen was originally set up in the 70's offering a meeting place to promote the leisure, social, and recreational activities for African Carribean people in the Erdington Area of B,ham.”
Source:Organisation“The charity's objects are for the benefit of the inhabitants of the City of Birmingham.”
Source:Charity Commission
Its potential strength is community infrastructure rather than one programme
The combination of buildings or open space, human resources, services and advice suggests the organisation may operate as a flexible local platform through which different forms of support can be offered. Its remit spans recreation, education, health, poverty, housing, employment and equality.
Why it matters
Organisations with this kind of infrastructure may be valuable partners for smaller groups, service providers or community initiatives that need trusted space, capacity or local connections.
Show evidence
“How the charity helps includes providing human resources, buildings, facilities or open space, services, and advocacy, advice or information.”
Source:Charity Commission“What the charity does includes education, health, poverty relief, accommodation, community development, equality and diversity, and recreation.”
Source:Charity Commission
There is a possible tension between breadth and clarity
The charity's stated purposes and activity categories cover an unusually wide range of needs and populations. This may reflect adaptability and responsiveness, but it also makes its current strategic focus difficult to identify from the available evidence.
Why it matters
Understanding whether this breadth represents integrated community support, historic accumulation, or inactive classifications would clarify where collaboration and investment could have the greatest value.
Show evidence
“The charity helps children and young people, elderly or old people, people with disabilities, people of a particular ethnic or racial origin, and other charities or voluntary bodies.”
Source:Charity Commission“The charity's objects include education, relief of poverty, distress and sickness, social welfare, and recreation or leisure time occupation.”
Source:Charity Commission
- Which services, facilities and beneficiary groups are active now.
- Whether the organisation still has a specific focus on Erdington and African Caribbean residents.
- What partnerships, funding sources and community relationships currently sustain its work.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports, accounts or activity reports showing current programmes, users and outcomes.
- Information on premises, local partners and referral relationships.
- Recent organisational communications describing current priorities and community needs.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Spade Hammer Pen was originally set up in the 70's offering a meeting place to promote the leisure, social, and recreational activities for African Carribean people in the Erdington Area of B,ham.
Charity objects
TO PROMOTE ANY CHARITABLE PURPOSES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM AND IN PARTICULAR THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION THE RELIEF OF POVERTY DISTRESS AND SICKNESS AND IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE TO PROVIDE OR ASSIST IN THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR THE RECREATION OR LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION OF THE SAID INHABITANTS WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THEIR CONDITIONS OF LIFE.