Friends of the Elderly
Analysis
Friends of the Elderly is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Surrey. It was registered in November 1964, 62 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the advancement of health or saving of lives, the prevention or relief of poverty and accommodation/housing, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00133850). It says it makes grants to individuals, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.
In the financial year ending March 2025, Friends of the Elderly reported income of £22.0m and spending of £22.5m, spending 102% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £20.3m to £22.0m (+8.4%), an average of +2.0% a year. Over the whole period it spent 105% of the income it received.
Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, Friends of the Elderly sits at the 99th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 100th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (£22.0m), The Health Foundation (£22.2m) and JNF Charitable Trust (£22.0m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 87%, donations and legacies 10.0% and investments 2.5%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £1.3m. Charitable activities took 96% of spending and raising funds 2.2%. Reserves of £3.3m would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 451 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.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 4.3%
- Legacies 5.7%
- Charitable activities 87%
- Investments 2.5%
- Other 1.0%
In the charity's own words
The charity offers residential, nursing and dementia care to older people in care homes on seven sites across England. We operate day care centres and a free-to-access grants service for individuals, and work to combat the devastating effects of loneliness among older people. Our vision is for a society in which all older people have the opportunity to live fulfilled lives.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership | London | £22.0m |
| The Health Foundation | London | £22.2m |
| JNF Charitable Trust | London | £22.0m |
| Moorfields Eye Charity | London | £22.2m |