Dorset Community Action

Analysis

Dorset Community Action is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Dorset. It was registered in February 1997, 29 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03320011). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Dorset Community Action reported income of £666k and spending of £655k, spending 98% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £623k to £666k (+6.8%), an average of +1.7% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income dropped by 19%. Over the whole period it spent 98% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, Dorset Community Action sits at the 86th percentile: it is larger than about 86% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 92nd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Actes Trust (£666k), Women@thewell (£666k) and International Teams UK Trust (£665k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 85% and trading 14%. Charitable activities took 97% of spending and raising funds 0.2%. Grants to other organisations totalled £78k. Reserves of £218k would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 11 people.