Detention Action

Analysis

Detention Action is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in April 2022, 4 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 13608398). It says it provides services, provides advocacy/advice/information and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Detention Action reported income of £792k and spending of £799k, spending 101% of its income. Across the 3 years on record, from March 2023 to March 2025, income fell from £885k to £792k (-11%), an average of -5.4% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income dropped by 21%. Over the whole period it spent 103% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, Detention Action sits at the 91st percentile: it is larger than about 91% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 93rd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Newcastle Central and East Circuit of the Methodist Church (£790k), Institute of Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Otherwise Salesian Sisters of St John Bosco (£792k) and Emmaus Bristol (£788k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 100%. Charitable activities took 100% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Reserves of £147k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 14 people.