Brian Mercer Trust

Analysis

Brian Mercer Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Lancashire. It was registered in August 1999, 27 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the advancement of health or saving of lives, the prevention or relief of poverty, overseas aid/famine relief and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending April 2025, Brian Mercer Trust reported income of £753k and spending of £1.3m, spending 169% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from April 2021 to April 2025, income fell from £1.3m to £753k (-43%), an average of -13% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to April 2025, when income dropped by 45%. Over the whole period it spent 84% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, Brian Mercer Trust sits at the 87th percentile: it is larger than about 87% 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 Cambridge Acorn Project (£752k), West Cheshire Foodbank (£753k) and Kate's Home Nursing (£752k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 100%. Charitable activities took 87% of spending and raising funds 11%. Grants to other organisations totalled £1.1m. Reserves of £38.0m would cover about 352 months of spending at that rate.

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