The Open-Air Mission

Analysis

The Open-Air Mission is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Oxfordshire. It was registered in January 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes and religious activities, which this site groups under religion. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00334296). It says it provides human resources and provides services.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Open-Air Mission reported income of £642k and spending of £776k, spending 121% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £909k to £642k (-29%), an average of -8.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income dropped by 27%. Over the whole period it spent 103% of the income it received.

Among 20,496 England and Wales charities whose main cause is religion and that reported income, The Open-Air Mission sits at the 94th percentile: it is larger than about 94% 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 St Andrews Chorleywood PCC (£641k), Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust (£642k) and Lincoln Methodist Circuit (£641k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 88%, investments 7.8% and charitable activities 3.9%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £107k. Charitable activities took 89% of spending and raising funds 9.7%. Reserves of £387k would cover about 6 months of spending at that rate. It employed 16 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.