Musicians Benevolent Fund

Analysis

Musicians Benevolent Fund is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in October 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00252783). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides services.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Musicians Benevolent Fund reported income of £5.7m and spending of £9.2m, spending 163% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £7.1m to £5.7m (-21%), an average of -5.6% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income dropped by 21%. Over the whole period it spent 170% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, Musicians Benevolent Fund sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Child Poverty Action Group (£5.6m), Kolyom Trust Limited (£5.7m) and Launchpad Social Enterprise (£5.6m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 86% and investments 13%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £3.8m. Charitable activities took 79% of spending and raising funds 18%. Grants to other organisations totalled £80k. Reserves of £7.4m would cover about 10 months of spending at that rate. It employed 70 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.