The Ascension Trust

Analysis

The Ascension Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Surrey. It was registered in December 2008, 18 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the prevention or relief of poverty and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 06751712). It says it provides services, provides advocacy/advice/information and acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Ascension Trust reported income of £983k and spending of £961k, spending 98% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £715k to £983k (+37%), an average of +8.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 16%. Over the whole period it spent 91% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, The Ascension Trust sits at the 93rd percentile: it is larger than about 93% 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 Dedza Welfare Trust (DWT) (£982k), Telford and the Wrekin Citizens Advice Bureaux (£983k) and Junction Community Trust (£982k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 57%, charitable activities 39%, trading 1.3% and investments 1.1%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £21k. Charitable activities took 88% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Reserves of £323k would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 15 people.