Spitfire Advice and Support Services

Who we are

Spitfire Advice and Support Services Ltd (Spitfire Services) is a resident led charity that was established in 1995 as Castle Vale Tenants and Residents Alliance as a direct response to the growing issues of deprivation in Birmingham. We rebranded in 2017 to Spitfire Services after consultation with the members and our Trustee Board Members it was understood and accepted that whilst the old name had history and affection within the commuinity it no longer represented the journey we had taken since we were first establised.  Our key purpose has always revolved around the provision of advice and support to the community and this will always be at our heart.

We are now a multi-purpose charity with a dedicated and committed staff team, who work tirelessly to support the most isolated and vulnerable in society.  We deliver a number of projects that provide free and impartial money advice, elements of  employment support, volunteering placements, and local crisis interventions to assist families hardest hit by changes to welfare benefits and other legal reforms.  We are embedded in to the infrastructure of Castle Vale and wider Birmingham area.

On site we play host to a local Chidrens' group who offer young people a place to try different activities, form new friendships and learn new skills.  We are a linked charity to Castle Vale Community Swimming Pool and run Upcycle Birmingham CiC and the Meeting Place Cafe.

Our culture and values

Our top 5 values are

·       To reduce social exclusion in Castle Vale and the wider environs

·       To relieve poverty via the Money Advice Service and other services

·       To support people with multiple and complex needs

·       To promote sustainable development

·       To support a broad range of issues that protect peoples’ basic human rights

Our strap line is "Help when you need it" and we work really hard to be there to help the families, young and old people in the communities we work in before they are overwhelmed by their issues or the barriers they face.  We will raise issues with our local MP flagging up injustice in the system as we are often one of the first to pick up on the effects of a benefit change or social funding reduction adversely impacting peoples lives.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

The Company is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment and in all aspects of it's work.

The terms equality, inclusion and diversity are at the heart of this policy. Equality means ensuring everyone has the same opportunities to fulfil their potential free from discrimination. Inclusion means ensuring everyone feels comfortable to be themselves at work and feels the worth of their contribution. Diversity means the celebration of individual differences amongst the workforce. We will actively support diversity and inclusion and ensure that all our employees are valued and treated with dignity and respect. We want to encourage everyone in our business to reach their potential.

We value people as individuals with diverse opinions, cultures, lifestyles and circumstances. All job applicants, employees and workers, including agency workers, are covered by this policy and it applies to all areas of employment including recruitment, selection, training, career development, and promotion. These areas are monitored and policies and practices are amended if necessary to ensure that no unfair or unlawful discrimination, intentional, unintentional, direct or indirect, overt or latent exists.

We are located in the North East of Birmingham in the West Midlands one of the most diverse parts of the country and we continually strive to reflect diversity in all aspects of our organisation, our work and our engagement with the our communities.