Mary Ward Legal Centre

Analysis

Mary Ward Legal Centre is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in July 1993, 33 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the prevention or relief of poverty and accommodation/housing, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02786099). It says it provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending July 2025, Mary Ward Legal Centre reported income of £1.5m and spending of £1.4m, spending 97% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from July 2021 to July 2025, income grew from £1.3m to £1.5m (+10%), an average of +2.5% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to July 2022, when income dropped by 25%. Over the whole period it spent 99% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, Mary Ward Legal Centre sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 95% 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 Romsey Mill Trust (£1.5m), Cymdeithas Gofal the Care Society (£1.5m) and Sailors' Society (£1.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 70% and donations and legacies 30%. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 0.8%. Grants to other organisations totalled £22k. Reserves of £161k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 21 people.