Watford and Three Rivers Trust

Analysis

Watford and Three Rivers Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Watford. It was registered in March 2001, 25 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under community and economic development. Legally it is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). It says it provides advocacy/advice/information and acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Watford and Three Rivers Trust reported income of £4.5m and spending of £4.5m, spending 101% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £2.4m to £4.5m (+90%), an average of +17% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 46%. Over the whole period it spent 96% of the income it received.

Among 1,869 England and Wales charities whose main cause is community and economic development and that reported income, Watford and Three Rivers Trust sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% 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 School for Social Entrepreneurs (£4.3m), The Northern College for Residential Adult Education Limited (£4.5m) and Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Limited (£4.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 91%, donations and legacies 6.6% and trading 2.2%. Charitable activities took 100% of spending and raising funds 0.2%. Reserves of £732k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 41 people.