Special Boat Service Association

Analysis

Special Boat Service Association is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Dorset. It was registered in August 2016, 10 years ago. Its declared purposes cover disability and armed forces/emergency service efficiency, which this site groups under disability. Legally it is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2026, Special Boat Service Association reported income of £3.6m and spending of £3.7m, spending 103% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income fell from £5.7m to £3.6m (-37%), an average of -11% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income dropped by 41%. Over the whole period it spent 110% of the income it received.

Among 12,871 England and Wales charities whose main cause is disability and that reported income, Special Boat Service Association 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 Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation (£3.6m), Bradford Arts Centre Ltd (£3.6m) and Mencap in Kirklees (£3.6m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from trading 86%, investments 7.0% and donations and legacies 6.8%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £113k. Charitable activities took 74% of spending and raising funds 25%. Grants to other organisations totalled £338k. It employed 13 people.