Prison Radio Association

Analysis

Prison Radio Association is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in June 2006, 20 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under community and economic development. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 05571624). It says it acts as an umbrella or resource body and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Prison Radio Association reported income of £1.7m and spending of £1.5m, spending 89% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £1.0m to £1.7m (+67%), an average of +14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2025, when income rose by 23%. Over the whole period it spent 95% of the income it received.

Among 1,869 England and Wales charities whose main cause is community and economic development and that reported income, Prison Radio Association sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Canopi Foundation 1 (£1.7m), Bridge Estate (£1.8m) and Chance (UK) Limited (£1.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 85% and donations and legacies 15%. Charitable activities took 89% of spending and raising funds 8.9%. Reserves of £609k would cover about 5 months of spending at that rate. It employed 29 people.