County Air Ambulance Trust
Analysis
County Air Ambulance Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Walsall. It was registered in July 1996, 30 years ago. Its declared purposes cover 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 03044061). It says it makes grants to organisations and acts as an umbrella or resource body.
In the financial year ending September 2025, County Air Ambulance Trust reported income of £10.5m and spending of £8.7m, spending 82% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from September 2021 to September 2025, income grew from £9.1m to £10.5m (+16%), an average of +3.7% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to September 2022, when income rose by 29%. Over the whole period it spent 86% of the income it received.
Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, County Air Ambulance Trust sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (£10.5m), The Royal College of Pathologists (£10.5m) and Severn Wye Energy Agency (£10.5m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from trading 57%, donations and legacies 40% and investments 2.6%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £1.7m. Charitable activities took 58% of spending and raising funds 41%. Grants to other organisations totalled £4.8m. Reserves of £17.6m would cover about 24 months of spending at that rate. It employed 11 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 24%
- Legacies 16%
- Trading 57%
- Investments 2.6%
- Other 1.3%
In the charity's own words
The Trust's objects ("the Objects") are to relieve sickness in particular but not exclusively, by supporting helicopter led emergency medical services and funding primary helicopter landing sites at major trauma centres and key accident and emergency hospitals and specialist treatment centres to help end preventable loss of life and reduce the severity of injuries caused by secondary transfers.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre | Cambridge | £10.5m |
| The Royal College of Pathologists | London | £10.5m |
| Severn Wye Energy Agency | Gloucester | £10.5m |
| Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact) | Reading | £10.5m |