Festival of Life

Analysis

Festival of Life is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in February 2002, 24 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, the prevention or relief of poverty and religious activities, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 04276341). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides services and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Festival of Life reported income of £897k and spending of £1.1m, spending 118% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £934k to £897k (-3.9%), an average of -1.0% a year. Over the whole period it spent 111% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, Festival of Life sits at the 92nd percentile: it is larger than about 92% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 93rd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Aston - Mansfield Charitable Trust (£897k), Karima Al Marwaziyya (£897k) and Sailors' Children's Society (£896k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 100%. Charitable activities took 100% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £30k. Reserves of £800k would cover about 9 months of spending at that rate. It employed 8 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.