The Railway Children

Analysis

The Railway Children is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Crewe. It was registered in November 1996, 30 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives, the prevention or relief of poverty and overseas aid/famine relief, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03265496). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Railway Children reported income of £4.5m and spending of £4.3m, spending 96% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from May 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £4.9m to £4.5m (-8.8%), an average of -2.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to May 2022, when income dropped by 16%. Over the whole period it spent 100% 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 Railway Children sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Minhaj-Ul-Quran Welfare Foundation (£4.5m), Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Anti - Violence and Policing Group (£4.5m) and Camp Simcha (£4.4m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 51%, charitable activities 39% and trading 8.9%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £310k. Charitable activities took 72% of spending and raising funds 27%. Reserves of £819k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 129 people.