The Gambian Pencil Project

Analysis

The Gambian Pencil Project is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Norfolk. It was registered in September 2001, 25 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the prevention or relief of poverty, overseas aid/famine relief, economic/community development/employment and other charitable purposes, which this site groups under poverty relief. It says it makes grants to organisations, provides other finance and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending August 2025, The Gambian Pencil Project reported income of £32k and spending of £33k, spending 101% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from August 2021 to August 2025, income grew from £3,930 to £32k (+724%), an average of +69% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to August 2025, when income rose by 1649%. Over the whole period it spent 106% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, The Gambian Pencil Project sits at the 49th percentile: it is larger than about 49% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 53rd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Keren Zedakah (£32k), Salisbury Assemblies of God Church (£32k) and Bromley Cap Partnership CIO (£32k).