Railway Benevolent Institution

Analysis

Railway Benevolent Institution is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Cheshire. It was registered in February 1964, 62 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 makes grants to individuals and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Railway Benevolent Institution reported income of £580k and spending of £669k, spending 115% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £405k to £580k (+43%), an average of +9.4% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 44%. Over the whole period it spent 149% of the income it received.

Among 12,871 England and Wales charities whose main cause is disability and that reported income, Railway Benevolent Institution sits at the 89th 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 Branching Out (£580k), Remark! Community Ltd (£582k) and Refugee Action Kingston (£580k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 71%, charitable activities 16% and investments 12%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £115k. Charitable activities took 72% of spending and raising funds 21%. Reserves of £2.0m would cover about 34 months of spending at that rate. It employed 9 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.