Together for Short Lives

Analysis

Together for Short Lives is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Avon. It was registered in September 2011, 15 years ago. Its declared purposes cover 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 07783702). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides other finance and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Together for Short Lives reported income of £6.0m and spending of £6.6m, spending 109% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £3.2m to £6.0m (+88%), an average of +17% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 94%. Over the whole period it spent 106% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, Together for Short Lives sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Living Streets (The Pedestrians Association) (£6.0m), University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity (£6.0m) and Anglia Care Trust (£6.0m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 87%, trading 10% and investments 1.8%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £63k. Charitable activities took 90% of spending and raising funds 9.1%. Grants to other organisations totalled £3.7m. Reserves of £1.6m would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 43 people.

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.