The Lowdown

Analysis

The Lowdown is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Northampton. It was registered in December 2021, 5 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). It says it provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Lowdown reported income of £1.9m and spending of £1.2m, leaving 39% of income unspent that year. Across the 3 years on record, from March 2023 to March 2025, income grew from £1.1m to £1.9m (+78%), an average of +34% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2025, when income rose by 38%. Over the whole period it spent 69% 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 Lowdown sits at the 93rd percentile: it is larger than about 93% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include British Journal of Anaesthesia (£1.9m), The Noah Enterprise (New Opportunities and Horizons) (£1.9m) and Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Charity (£1.9m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 60%, donations and legacies 38% and investments 1.3%. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Reserves of £621k would cover about 6 months of spending at that rate. It employed 47 people.