The Royal Free Charity

Analysis

The Royal Free Charity is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in February 2016, 10 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the advancement of health or saving of lives, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 09987907). It says it makes grants to organisations and acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending March 2026, The Royal Free Charity reported income of £9.7m and spending of £13.5m, spending 139% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income fell from £25.3m to £9.7m (-62%), an average of -21% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income dropped by 41%. Over the whole period it spent 93% 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 Royal Free Charity sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Barod Project (£9.7m), Noble Tree Foundation Limited (£9.8m) and Living Well UK (£9.6m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 47%, trading 32% and investments 20%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £685k. Charitable activities took 73% of spending and raising funds 26%. Grants to other organisations totalled £879k. Reserves of £1.7m would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 89 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.