International Headache Society

Analysis

International Headache Society is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in W Sussex. It was registered in December 1994, 32 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and the advancement of health or saving of lives, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02988368). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides other finance.

In the financial year ending December 2025, International Headache Society reported income of £1.6m and spending of £1.5m, spending 94% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £1.2m to £1.6m (+28%), an average of +6.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2025, when income rose by 122%. Over the whole period it spent 85% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, International Headache Society sits at the 92nd percentile: it is larger than about 92% 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 Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse (£1.6m), The Grove Residential Home (Solihull) (£1.6m) and Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service (£1.6m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 53% and investments 7.1%. Charitable activities took 61% of spending and raising funds 33%. Grants to other organisations totalled £169k. Reserves of £2.2m would cover about 17 months of spending at that rate.