The Young Lives Foundation
Analysis
The Young Lives Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Maidstone. It was registered in June 2007, 19 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 05999166). It says it provides human resources, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.
In the financial year ending March 2025, The Young Lives Foundation reported income of £984k and spending of £1.1m, spending 114% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £995k to £984k (-1.2%), an average of -0.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 16%. Over the whole period it spent 96% 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 Young Lives Foundation sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 94th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Lord Leverhulme's Charitable Trust (£965k), Greenfingers Charity (£985k) and The Thomas Family Charitable Trust (£946k).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 73%, donations and legacies 19%, trading 4.5% and investments 2.8%. Charitable activities took 100% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Reserves of £481k would cover about 5 months of spending at that rate. It employed 37 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 19%
- Charitable activities 73%
- Trading 4.5%
- Investments 2.8%
In the charity's own words
Our mission is to support children and young people in need in ways that affirm their identity and worth, champion their rights, needs and interests & promote their well-being and development. We support young people through times of difficulty and distress, enabling their voices to be heard & assisting them to achieve their potential through mentoring & befriending, advocacy & positive activities
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Leverhulme's Charitable Trust | Wirral | £965k |
| Greenfingers Charity | Buckinghamshire | £985k |
| The Thomas Family Charitable Trust | East Sussex | £946k |
| Society Without Abuse | Swindon | £987k |