First Light South West Ltd

Analysis

First Light South West Ltd is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Plymouth. It was registered in February 2002, 24 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03440794). It says it provides services, provides advocacy/advice/information and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending March 2025, First Light South West Ltd reported income of £5.5m and spending of £5.5m, spending 101% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £3.4m to £5.5m (+63%), an average of +13% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 25%. Over the whole period it spent 95% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, First Light South West Ltd sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% 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 The Children's Hospital Charity (£5.4m), Racing Welfare (£5.5m) and Age UK Lancashire (£5.4m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 99%. Charitable activities took 97% of spending and raising funds 2.3%. Grants to other organisations totalled £879k. Reserves of £755k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 129 people.