Bench Outreach

Analysis

Bench Outreach is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in October 1999, 27 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the prevention or relief of poverty and accommodation/housing, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03751509). It says it provides services, provides advocacy/advice/information and acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending June 2025, Bench Outreach reported income of £612k and spending of £626k, spending 102% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from June 2021 to June 2025, income fell from £668k to £612k (-8.4%), an average of -2.2% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to June 2023, when income dropped by 17%. Over the whole period it spent 104% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, Bench Outreach sits at the 89th percentile: it is larger than about 89% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 91st percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Kings Cross - Brunswick Neighbourhood Association (£612k), Stanlaw Abbey Development Trust (£613k) and Lantern of Knowledge Educational Trust (£612k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 55% and charitable activities 45%. Charitable activities took 99% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Reserves of £189k would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 13 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.