The Sobell Foundation

Analysis

The Sobell Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in October 1977, 49 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the advancement of health or saving of lives, disability and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending April 2026, The Sobell Foundation reported income of £1.1m and spending of £2.7m, spending 238% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from April 2022 to April 2026, income grew from £699k to £1.1m (+63%), an average of +13% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to April 2023, when income rose by 35%. Over the whole period it spent 295% 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 Sobell Foundation sits at the 90th percentile: it is larger than about 90% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 94th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Respond (£1.1m), The Jewish Deaf Association (£1.1m) and The Foundry Sheffield (£1.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 100%. Charitable activities took 90% of spending and raising funds 1.4%. Grants to other organisations totalled £2.4m. Reserves of £57.8m would cover about 236 months of spending at that rate.

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.