Charities & community
Inside the boardroom, and alongside it
Some of our most important work is unpaid. We serve as trustees and directors of charities and community organisations, and act as technical advisers to their boards, bringing the rigour we give paying clients to organisations that could not otherwise afford it. This page is about them: who they are, what they do, and how you can support them.
Our pro bono work
Two ways we give our time
As trustees and directors
We sit on boards and share legal responsibility for the organisation — its strategy, finances, safeguarding and the people it serves.
- Chair of Trustees, CDASS since the charity registered in 2021
- Director, HUDAWI Cultural Centre, Huddersfield
- Governance, financial oversight and funder relationships
- Unpaid, and held to the same standards as every other trustee
As technical advisers to boards
We advise boards on the decisions in front of them, and help them deliver what they decide without taking a seat at the table.
- Capital projects, building surveys and maintenance planning
- Business plans, valuations and investor prospectuses
- Procurement, tendering and contract management
- Funding applications and evaluation of what the money achieved
The organisations we serve
Doing important work in Yorkshire
We’re proud to work with these organisations. If their work speaks to you, visit them, volunteer, refer someone or give.
Children & families · Wakefield
CDASS – Children’s Domestic Abuse Support Service
CDASS puts the voice of the child first. It supports children and young people who have lived with domestic abuse, through Talking Really Helps — an eight-week talking programme for ages 7 to 16, delivered online so children can take part safely from home or school.
It also runs awareness sessions in schools, workshops for parents, carers and professionals, and an Abuser Impact Programme that helps perpetrators understand the harm their behaviour does to children.
Our role: Chair of Trustees · pro bono
- The business plan for a new children’s service, and registration as a charitable incorporated organisation (2021)
- Leading the board through funding from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund
- Evaluation of the Talking Really Helps pilot, so the board and funders can see what changed for children
Early years & family support · Sheffield
Ellesmere Children’s Centre
An Ofsted Outstanding nursery and family centre in Burngreave, housed in the former Ellesmere Road Wesleyan School, built in 1866.
Alongside the nursery it runs Emosi, a transcultural therapy centre for children aged 2 to 12 – “a place to feel, speak and heal”; and a transcultural cookery school.
Our role: Technical adviser to the board · including pro bono delivery hours
- Delivering a Community Ownership Fund capital project: roof, ceilings, windows, heating and LED lighting renewed in 2024
- Building survey, procurement and tendering of the works
- A ten-year maintenance plan, to 2033, so the building is looked after once the grant is spent
- Funding applications to keep the building and its services sustainable
ellesmerecc.org.uk → · Support them through the Thank You Lotto →
Community & culture · Huddersfield
HUDAWI Cultural Centre
A community hub and landmark venue in Huddersfield — home to cultural and heritage events, community gatherings, fundraisers and celebrations, from weddings and parties to nine-night ceremonies.
The centre is raising money to renew the building through the HUDAWI Revival campaign.
Our role: Director on the board · pro bono
- Governance, strategy and financial oversight and data as one of the centre’s directors
- Advising the board on registering as a charity
- Supporting the venue’s hire offer and the HUDAWI Revival plan
Health & wellbeing · Wakefield
Branch Wellness Clinic
A holistic wellness clinic on Westgate in Wakefield, offering therapies including the Harmonic Egg light-and-sound therapy and infrared sauna. Branch shares its building with CDASS.
Its planned outreach arm, the Branch Foundation, was set up to bring holistic therapies to people in the community who could not otherwise reach them.
Our role: Technical adviser to the board
- Business plan for the Branch Foundation, redrafted for its scrutiny board (2020)
- Business plan, valuation and investor prospectus for the clinic (2021)
How we help charities
Support at every stage
Around three-quarters of our clients are charities and social enterprises. Whether we’re working pro bono or under contract, the work is the same.
Funding bids and applications
Funder mapping, eligibility checks and bid writing for trusts, foundations and The National Lottery Community Fund — and a critical review of drafts before you submit.
Feasibility and business plans
Testing a new service, building or community asset transfer before you commit, and the plan to deliver it if the answer is yes.
Theory of change and impact
Outcomes frameworks that satisfy funder reporting from day one, and evaluation that shows what your work actually changes.
Setting up and structure
Choosing between a CIO, CIC or company limited by guarantee, the business plan that goes with it, and preparing for Charity Commission registration.
Governance and boards
Governance reviews, board skills audits, and support for trustees through mergers, partnerships and structural change.
Capital projects
Building surveys, procurement, contract management and long-term maintenance plans for community buildings.
Pro bono support
Could we help your organisation?
Beyond our board roles, each year we take on a small number of focused, time-limited pieces of work free of charge for charities and community groups that could not otherwise afford strategic advice.
That might be reviewing a funding application before it goes in, testing a business plan, helping a new group choose the right legal structure, or advising a board through a difficult decision.
Who it’s for
- Registered charities, CIOs, CICs and constituted community groups
- Small organisations without the budget for paid advice
- A specific piece of work where our help will make a real difference
How to apply
- Email us with a few lines about your organisation and what you need.
- We’ll tell you whether we can help — and if we can’t, we’ll suggest where else to look.
- If we can, we’ll agree a short written scope so everyone knows what to expect.
Tell us about your organisation
A 30-minute call is enough for us to tell you whether we can help, what it would involve and roughly what it would cost — or whether you might qualify for pro bono support.