The Actors' Benevolent Fund

Analysis

The Actors' Benevolent Fund is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in June 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, the advancement of health or saving of lives, disability and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00243374). It says it makes grants to individuals, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Actors' Benevolent Fund reported income of £1.9m and spending of £2.3m, spending 123% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £1.8m to £1.9m (+3.9%), an average of +1.0% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 29%. Over the whole period it spent 114% 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 Actors' Benevolent Fund 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 The Primrose Hospice Limited (£1.9m), Open Age (£1.9m) and Waltham Forest Community Transport Limited (£1.9m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 61%, donations and legacies 35% and trading 4.1%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £397k. Charitable activities took 83% of spending and raising funds 13%. Grants to other organisations totalled £74k. Reserves of £31.4m would cover about 157 months of spending at that rate. It employed 11 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.