The Candlelighters Trust

Analysis

The Candlelighters Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Leeds. It was registered in March 1995, 31 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, 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 03020552). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides human resources.

In the financial year ending February 2026, The Candlelighters Trust reported income of £2.8m and spending of £2.1m, leaving 24% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from February 2022 to February 2026, income grew from £1.5m to £2.8m (+93%), an average of +18% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to February 2026, when income rose by 48%. Over the whole period it spent 109% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, The Candlelighters Trust sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 97th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Orison Charitable Trust (£2.8m), The Lockwood Charitable Foundation (£2.8m) and Cheshire Deaf Society (£2.8m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 96%, investments 2.4% and trading 1.5%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £556k. Charitable activities took 69% of spending and raising funds 30%. Grants to other organisations totalled £194k. Reserves of £2.5m would cover about 14 months of spending at that rate. It employed 34 people.