Skip to content
Governance Register

Registered charity · Southampton

Tools for Self Reliance

  • 6 trustees
  • Income £699k (2024)

Official record Charity Commission · updated 27th September 2026 · Sources

Network

The large node is Tools for Self Reliance. Red nodes are organisations, white nodes are people. Sign in free to explore further.

Who leads it

Current trustees as listed by the Charity Commission, which does not publish previous trustees.

Do you help lead this organisation? Set up its network · How it works

About

What it does
Education/training, The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty, Overseas Aid/famine Relief, Economic/community Development/employment
Where
Ghana, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Uganda and more
Website
www.tfsr.org (opens in a new tab)
Linked company
Tools for Self Reliance
Registered
1980

Income and spending

  • YearIncomeSpending
  • 2024£699k£767k
  • 2023£759k£802k
  • 2022£779k£916k
Earlier years
  • 2021£764k£712k
  • 2020£680k£633k

Income trend, 2020 to 2024.

Charitable objects

3 THE OBJECTS FOR WHICH THE COMPANY IS ESTABLISHED ARE: 3.1 THE RELIEF OF POVERTY AMONGST THE PEOPLE IN THE DEVELOPING AREAS IN THE WORLD BY THE PROVISION OF HAND AND OTHER TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT, TOGETHER WITH TRAINING IN THEIR USE, BUSINESS SKILLS AND LIVELIHOOD SKILLS. 3.2 THE COMPANY SHALL HAVE POWER TO DO ANYTHING WHICH IS CALCULATED TO FURTHER ITS OBJECTIVES OR IS CONDUCIVE OR INCIDENTAL TO DOING SO. IN PARTICULAR THE COMPANY HAS THE POWER: 3.2.1 TO ORGANISE THE COLLECTION OF HAND AND OTHER TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT (WHETHER IN THE UNITED KINGDOM OR ELSEWHERE); 3.2.2 TO ORGANISE THE CLEANING, SORTING AND RENOVATION OF SUCH TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT BY VOLUNTEERS; 3.2.3 TO DISPATCH SUCH TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT TO CO-OPERATIVE AND COMMUNAL PROJECTS IN AFRICA AND OTHER UNDER DEVELOPED PARTS OF THE WORLD; 3.2.4 TO RAISE FUNDS. IN DOING SO THE COMPANY MUST NOT UNDERTAKE ANY TAXABLE PERMANENT TRADING ACTIVITY AND MUST COMPLY WITH ANY RELEVANT STATUTORY REGULATIONS; 3.2.5 TO BUY, TAKE ON LEASE OR IN EXCHANGE, HIRE OR OTHERWISE ACQUIRE ANY PROPERTY AND TO MAINTAIN AND EQUIP IT FOR USE; 3.2.6 TO SELL, LEASE OR OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF ALL OR ANY PART OF THE PROPERTY BELONGING TO THE COMPANY. IN EXERCISING THIS POWER THE COMPANY MUST COMPLY AS APPROPRIATE WITH SECTIONS 117 AND 122 OF THE CHARITIES ACT 2011; 3.2.7 TO BORROW MONEY AND TO CHARGE THE WHOLE OR ANY PART OF THE PROPERTY BELONGING TO THE COMPANY AS SECURITY FOR REPAYMENT OF THE MONEY BORROWED OR AS SECURITY FOR A GRANT OR THE DISCHARGE OF AN OBLIGATION. THE COMPANY MUST APPLY AS APPROPRIATE WITH SECTIONS 124-126 OF THE CHARITIES ACT IF IT WISHES TO MORTGAGE LAND; 3.2.8 TO CO-OPERATE WITH OTHER CHARITIES, VOLUNTARY BODIES AND STATUTORY AUTHORITIES AND TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND ADVICE WITH THEM; 3.2.9 TO ESTABLISH OR SUPPORT ANY CHARITABLE TRUSTS, ASSOCIATIONS OR INSTITUTIONS FORMED FOR ANY OF THE CHARITABLE PURPOSES INCLUDED IN THE OBJECTS; 3.2.10 TO ACQUIRE, MERGE WITH OR TO ENTER INTO ANY PARTNERSHIP OR JOINT VENTURE ARRANGEMENT WITH ANY OTHER CHARITY; 3.2.11 TO LEND AND ADVANCE MONEY OR GIVE CREDIT ON SUCH TERMS AS MAY BE CONSIDERED EXPEDIENT FOR THE AFORESAID PURPOSES; 3.2.12 TO SET ASIDE INCOME AS A RESERVE AGAINST FUTURE EXPENDITURE BUT ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH A WRITTEN POLICY ABOUT RESERVES; 3.2.13 TO APPLY FOR AND OBTAIN ANY LEGISLATIVE, MUNICIPAL OR OTHER ACTS OR AUTHORISATIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENABLING THE COMPANY TO CARRY ANY OF ITS OBJECTS INTO EFFECT OR FOR EFFECTING ANY MODIFICATIONS OF THE COMPANY'S CONSTITUTION, OR FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE WHICH MAY BE CONSIDERED EXPEDIENT, AND TO OPPOSE ANY PROCEEDINGS OR ACTIONS WHICH MAY BE CONSIDERED CALCULATED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY TO PREJUDICE THE COMPANY'S INTERESTS; 3.2.14 TO PROCURE THE REGISTRATION OR INCORPORATION OF THE COMPANY IN OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY PLACE OUTSIDE ENGLAND, AND TO PROCURE ANY ACT OF PARLIAMENT, PROVISIONAL ORDER, ENACTMENT, DECREE OR OTHER LEGISLATIVE OR EXECUTIVE ACT OF ANY GOVERNMENT, STATE, COLONY, PROVINCE, DOMINION, SOVEREIGN OR AUTHORITY SUPREME, MUNICIPAL, LOCAL OR OTHERWISE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENABLING THE COMPANY TO CARRY ANY OF ITS OBJECTS INTO EFFECT; 3.2.15 TO EMPLOY AND REMUNERATE SUCH STAFF AS ARE NECESSARY FOR CARRYING OUT THE WORK OF THE COMPANY. THE COMPANY MAY EMPLOY OR REMUNERATE A DIRECTOR ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT IT IS PERMITTED TO DO SO BY ARTICLE 16.4 AND PROVIDE THAT IT COMPLIES WITH THE CONDITIONS IN THAT ARTICLE; 3.2.16 TO: (A) DEPOSIT OR INVEST FUNDS; (B) EMPLOY A PROFESSIONAL FUND MANAGER; AND (C) ARRANGE FOR THE INVESTMENTS OR OTHER PROPERTY OF THE COMPANY TO BE HELD IN THE NAME OF A NOMINEE (D) IN THE SAME MANNER AND SUBJECT TO THE SAME CONDITIONS AS THE TRUSTEES OF A TRUST ARE PERMITTED TO DO BY THE TRUSTEE ACT 2000; 3.2.17 TO PROVIDE INDEMNITY INSURANCE FOR THE DIRECTORS IN ACCORDANCE WITH, AND SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS IN, SECTION 189 OF THE CHARITIES ACT 2011; AND 3.2.18 TO PAY ALL EXPENSES OF AND INCIDENTAL TO THE INCORPORATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMPANY. 3.3 THE OBJECTS OF THE COMPANY SHALL NOT EXTEND TO THE REGULATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS OR ORGANISATION OF WORKERS AND ORGANISATIONS OF EMPLOYERS. 3.4 PROVIDED ALSO THAT IN CASE THE COMPANY SHALL TAKE OR HOLD ANY PROPERTY SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE CHARITY COMMISSIONERS FOR ENGLAND AND WALES THE COMPANY SHALL NOT SELL, MORTGAGE, CHARGE OR LEASE THE SAME WITHOUT SUCH AUTHORITY, APPROVAL OR CONSENT AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY LAW, AND AS REGARDS ANY SUCH PROPERTY THE DIRECTORS OR OTHER THE MANAGERS OR TRUSTEES OF THE COMPANY SHALL BE CHARGEABLE FOR SUCH PROPERTY AS MAY COME INTO THEIR HANDS, AND SHALL BE ANSWERABLE AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR OWN ACTS, RECEIPTS, NEGLECTS AND DEFAULTS AND FOR THE DUE ADMINISTRATION OF SUCH PROPERTY IN THE SAME MANNER AND TO THE SAME EXTENT AS THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ANSWERABLE AND ACCOUNTABLE AS SUCH DIRECTORS OR OTHER MANAGERS OR TRUSTEES IF NO INCORPORATION HAD BEEN EFFECTED, AND THE INCORPORATION OF THE COMPANY SHALL NOT DIMINISH OR IMPAIR ANY CONTROL OR AUTHORITY EXERCISABLE BY THE CHANCERY DIVISION OF THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE, THE CHARITY COMMISSIONERS OVER SUCH DIRECTORS OR OTHER MANAGERS OR TRUSTEES, BUT AS REGARDS ANY SUCH PROPERTY THEY SHALL BE SUBJECT TO SUCH CONTROL OR AUTHORITY AS IF THE COMPANY WERE NOT INCORPORATED. IN CASE THE COMPANY SHALL TAKE OR HOLD ANY PROPERTY WHICH MAY BE SUBJECT TO ANY TRUSTS THE COMPANY SHALL ONLY DEAL WITH THE SAME IN SUCH MANNER AS ALLOWED BY LAW HAVING REGARD TO SUCH TRUSTS.

Grants received

4 grants · £25,764 total

360Giving data, published by funders. Coverage only includes funders who publish their grants to 360Giving, so these figures are a floor, not a complete picture.

Top funders

  • The National Lottery Community Fund · £18,880 (3 grants)
  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport · £6,884

Most recent

  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport £6,8842020-09-30
  • The National Lottery Community Fund £4,4802016-06-08
  • The National Lottery Community Fund £6,7002009-07-09
  • The National Lottery Community Fund £7,7002007-05-09
Board analysis

Board DNA

How this board is put together, from Charity Commission trustee records and Companies House - deterministic, no AI.iBoard compositionCounted from the dated Charity Commission trustee register: the current board only, past trustees excluded.

6 trustees on the board

4.3y median 3.5y
average tenure
8y
longest tenure

Trustees past 6 years

12.9y
average years in governance

First-time vs portfolio trustees

First-time (5)

Portfolio (1)

6
company-linked trustees

Sector coverage iSector coverageThe charitable fields this board's trustees govern in elsewhere, by Charity Commission classification. Excludes this charity.

Education/training 6Overseas Aid/famine Relief 6The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty 6

Commercial experience iCommercial experienceThe industries this board's members are company directors in, by Companies House SIC code. Excludes this organisation's own company.

Education 6Business services 1Other services 1

Succession forecast iSuccession forecastThe number of board seats likely to open in the next twelve months - summed across the board from each dated trustee’s tenure - and the profile worth recruiting next. From the filed record, deterministic.

🔒 Succession forecast is a Pro feature - the board seats likely to open in the next year and the ideal next trustee. Explore Pro →

Health of the organisation facts side by side - the conclusion is yours

Income v spending, filed accountsiIncome v spendingTotal gross income and expenditure from filed annual returns, Charity Commission, last 5 years.
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
incomespending£699k latest income · spending exceeded income in 2023 and 2024
ReservesiReserves12 x free reserves / annual expenditure, from the Part B annual return. The sector median is computed across all Part B filers in the same income band.

2.2 months of spending held in free reserves · median for charities its size: 4.0 months

10 from 10 in 2020
EmployeesiEmployeesHeadcount as filed in Part B annual returns, per financial year. Shown exactly as filed; year-on-year figures may be filed on different bases, so a comparison is only shown when the filings are plausibly comparable.

Sources

Official record from the Charity Commission register for England and Wales. Governance Register calculates the connections.

Record details
Registered charity number
280437
Status
Registered
Governing document
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 26 MAR 1980AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 28 JUN 1980AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 07 JUL 2016AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 22 SEP 2018
Companies House
Company number 01487630 · Active
Contact on the register
02380869697 · info@tfsr.org
Edition
Register edition compiled 27th September 2026
Labels
Official record from the register · Calculated derived by Governance Register. Anything added by an organisation or person is labelled as provided by them.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Report an issue · How we handle data