Engineers Without Borders UK
Analysis
Engineers Without Borders UK is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in England. It was registered in January 2004, 22 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the prevention or relief of poverty, overseas aid/famine relief and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 04856607). It says it makes grants to individuals, provides human resources and provides services.
In the financial year ending March 2025, Engineers Without Borders UK reported income of £808k and spending of £730k, spending 90% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £646k to £808k (+25%), an average of +5.8% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 27%. Over the whole period it spent 97% of the income it received.
Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, Engineers Without Borders UK 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 Crosslight Advice (£807k), Mission Direct Limited (£808k) and Champions Church (£806k).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 64%, charitable activities 22% and trading 13%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £76k. Charitable activities took 79% of spending and raising funds 15%. Reserves of £648k would cover about 10 months of spending at that rate. It employed 9 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 55%
- Legacies 9.5%
- Charitable activities 22%
- Trading 13%
- Investments 0.2%
- Other 0.1%
In the charity's own words
Engineers Without Borders UK brings people, ideas and engineering together to address the complex global challenges associated with the effects of climate change, resource depletion, urbanisation and population growth. We primarily work in the UK education sector and with local partners on development projects in sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Asia and Latin America.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Crosslight Advice | London | £807k |
| Mission Direct Limited | Hitchin | £808k |
| Champions Church | Dudley | £806k |
| Big Issue North Trust Ltd | Manchester | £810k |