The Lightbeam Academy

Analysis

The Lightbeam Academy is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Lancashire. It was registered in August 2018, 8 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, disability and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under disability. It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending July 2025, The Lightbeam Academy reported income of £558k and spending of £317k, leaving 43% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from July 2021 to July 2025, income grew from £228k to £558k (+145%), an average of +25% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to July 2025, when income rose by 60%. Over the whole period it spent 59% of the income it received.

Among 12,871 England and Wales charities whose main cause is disability and that reported income, The Lightbeam Academy sits at the 88th percentile: it is larger than about 88% 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 Chigwell Riding Trust for Special Needs (£557k), Artists' General Benevolent Institution (£559k) and West London Welcome (£556k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 65%, charitable activities 20%, investments 8.7% and trading 7.1%. Charitable activities took 86% of spending and raising funds 14%. Reserves of £59k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 34 people.