Operation Smile United Kingdom
Analysis
Operation Smile United Kingdom is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in March 2002, 24 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives and disability, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 04317039). It says it provides other finance, provides human resources and provides buildings/facilities/open space.
In the financial year ending June 2025, Operation Smile United Kingdom reported income of £7.5m and spending of £7.2m, spending 96% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from June 2021 to June 2025, income grew from £6.2m to £7.5m (+21%), an average of +5.0% a year. Over the whole period it spent 97% of the income it received.
Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, Operation Smile United Kingdom 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 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Avenues East (£7.5m), International Society for Krishna Consciousness Bhaktivedanta Manor (£7.5m) and John Lewis Partnership Foundation (£7.5m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 97% and charitable activities 1.8%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £1.6m. Charitable activities took 54% of spending and raising funds 45%. Reserves of £1.4m would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 27 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 76%
- Legacies 21%
- Charitable activities 1.8%
- Investments 0.9%
In the charity's own words
Operation Smile is an international volunteer based medical services charity providing free reconstructive surgery and aftercare to children and young adults around the world, primarily for cleft lips and/or palates. In the UK, we raise funds to treat facial deformities, recruit and supply medical volunteers, help train local medical teams/build infrastructure & public raise awareness.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Avenues East | Sidcup | £7.5m |
| International Society for Krishna Consciousness Bhaktivedanta Manor | Aldenham | £7.5m |
| John Lewis Partnership Foundation | London | £7.5m |
| Cloverleaf Advocacy 2000 Ltd | West Yorkshire | £7.5m |