CHESS Homeless

Analysis

CHESS Homeless is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Chelmsford. It was registered in September 2002, 24 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives, accommodation/housing and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 04407742). It says it provides human resources, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, CHESS Homeless reported income of £4.6m and spending of £1.7m, leaving 64% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £579k to £4.6m (+701%), an average of +68% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2025, when income rose by 196%. Over the whole period it spent 68% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, CHESS Homeless sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% 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 Bikur Cholim Limited (£4.6m), St Mary's Convent and Nursing Home (Chiswick) (£4.7m) and Sim International (UK) (£4.6m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 74% and charitable activities 26%. Charitable activities took 97% of spending and raising funds 2.1%. Reserves of £348k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 47 people.