Headway Essex

Analysis

Headway Essex is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Colchester. It was registered in February 1992, 34 years ago. Its declared purposes cover disability, which this site groups under disability. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02674755). It says it provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending March 2026, Headway Essex reported income of £1.3m and spending of £952k, leaving 26% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income grew from £924k to £1.3m (+38%), an average of +8.5% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2026, when income rose by 65%. Over the whole period it spent 95% of the income it received.

Among 12,871 England and Wales charities whose main cause is disability and that reported income, Headway Essex sits at the 94th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 95th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Fleetwood Town Community Trust (£1.3m), Listening Books (£1.3m) and Derbyshire Law Centre Ltd (£1.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 50%, charitable activities 45% and trading 3.8%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £1,614. Charitable activities took 82% of spending and raising funds 17%. Reserves of £756k would cover about 9 months of spending at that rate. It employed 25 people.