The Blue Thread

Analysis

The Blue Thread is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in July 2009, 17 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to organisations and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending April 2025, The Blue Thread reported income of £936k and spending of £3.6m, spending 385% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from April 2021 to April 2025, income grew from £917k to £936k (+2.0%), an average of +0.5% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to April 2022, when income rose by 499%. Over the whole period it spent 91% of the income it received.

Among 5,976 England and Wales charities whose main cause is grant-making and general purposes and that reported income, The Blue Thread sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 95% 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 Peacock Charitable Trust (£935k), The Steel Charitable Trust (£937k) and The Corton Hill Trust (£933k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 96% and investments 3.8%. Charitable activities took 100% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £3.3m. Reserves of £1.4m would cover about 5 months of spending at that rate. It employed 2 people.