The Charis Trust

Analysis

The Charis Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Chelmsford. It was registered in March 2011, 15 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives and disability, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 07436799). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides other finance.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Charis Trust reported income of £591k and spending of £996k, spending 168% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £79k to £591k (+646%), an average of +65% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 854%. Over the whole period it spent 233% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, The Charis Trust sits at the 85th percentile: it is larger than about 85% 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 Bridges for Peace UK Ltd (£591k), Cafe West (£592k) and Action Duchenne Limited (£591k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 58%, investments 31% and charitable activities 11%. Charitable activities took 94% of spending and raising funds 0.2%. Grants to other organisations totalled £811k. Reserves of £9.8m would cover about 117 months of spending at that rate.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.