The Royal Air Force Central Fund

Analysis

The Royal Air Force Central Fund is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bucks. It was registered in June 2013, 13 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 08555984). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Royal Air Force Central Fund reported income of £6.3m and spending of £5.8m, spending 93% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £4.2m to £6.3m (+50%), an average of +11% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 38%. Over the whole period it spent 94% 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 Royal Air Force Central Fund sits at the 99th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. 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 The 29th May 1961 Charity (£6.0m), The Thompson Family Charitable Trust (£6.3m) and The Alexander Mosley Charitable Trust (£5.8m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from trading 54%, investments 22%, charitable activities 17% and donations and legacies 5.8%. Charitable activities took 66% of spending and raising funds 33%. Grants to other organisations totalled £3.3m. It employed 19 people.