Understanding Dementia

Analysis

Understanding Dementia is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Twyford. It was registered in November 1964, 62 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives and disability, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it provides services, provides advocacy/advice/information and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending April 2025, Understanding Dementia reported income of £83k and spending of £62k, leaving 24% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from April 2021 to April 2025, income grew from £1,393 to £83k (+5823%), an average of +177% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to April 2022, when income rose by 718%. Over the whole period it spent 74% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, Understanding Dementia sits at the 60th percentile: it is larger than about 60% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 68th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Rambourg Foundation (£82k), The Zambia Society Trust (£83k) and Serv Suffolk & Cambridgeshire (£82k).