The James Capel Foundation
Analysis
The James Capel Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Colchester. It was registered in September 1975, 51 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 makes grants to individuals and makes grants to organisations.
In the financial year ending December 2025, The James Capel Foundation reported income of £44k and spending of £231k, spending 523% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £51k to £44k (-13%), an average of -3.5% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 35%. Over the whole period it spent 284% 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 James Capel Foundation sits at the 50th percentile: it is larger than about 50% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 59th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Free From Fear (£44k), The R S Brownless Charitable Trust (£44k) and Edwards Skinner Charitable Trust (£44k).
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
- Other 100%
In the charity's own words
The relief of poverty for persons:1. Who are, or have been employed by James Capel & Co., or its sucessor companies in business, or any company associated therewith or who are the wives, widows, husbands, widowers, children, parents or other dependants of any such persons: and2. Are in the opinion of the Trustees necessitous and deserving.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Free From Fear | Crumpsall | £44k |
| The R S Brownless Charitable Trust | Reading | £44k |
| Edwards Skinner Charitable Trust | West Sussex | £44k |
| The Tag Foundation for Social Development | London | £44k |