The Benson and Lionel Black Charitable Trust

Analysis

The Benson and Lionel Black Charitable Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Greater Manchester. It was registered in April 1997, 29 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes and education/training, which this site groups under education and training. It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending April 2025, The Benson and Lionel Black Charitable Trust reported income of £834k and spending of £832k, spending 100% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from April 2021 to April 2025, income grew from £543k to £834k (+54%), an average of +11% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to April 2022, when income rose by 518%. Over the whole period it spent 74% of the income it received.

Among 21,402 England and Wales charities whose main cause is education and training and that reported income, The Benson and Lionel Black Charitable Trust sits at the 93rd percentile: it is larger than about 93% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 93rd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Classics for All (£832k), The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland (£835k) and Friends of Johannesburg Bible College (£830k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 60% and investments 34%. Charitable activities took 100% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £829k. Reserves of £1.6m would cover about 23 months of spending at that rate.

Data notes from the register: The latest annual return was received after its deadline.