The Barristers' Benevolent Association

Analysis

The Barristers' Benevolent Association is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in November 2004, 22 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, which this site groups under children and youth development. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 05284271). It says it makes grants to individuals, provides other finance and provides services.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Barristers' Benevolent Association reported income of £559k and spending of £498k, spending 89% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £669k to £559k (-16%), an average of -4.4% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 47%. Over the whole period it spent 94% of the income it received.

Among 5,641 England and Wales charities whose main cause is children and youth development and that reported income, The Barristers' Benevolent Association sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 96% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 91st percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Essex & Suffolk Youth Enquiry Service Ltd (£548k), Gloucester Foodbank (£561k) and Warming Up the Homeless (£542k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 48%, investments 46% and trading 5.4%. Charitable activities took 61% of spending and raising funds 4.8%. Reserves of £10.1m would cover about 159 months of spending at that rate. It employed 2 people.