Volunteering Matters

Analysis

Volunteering Matters is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in February 1985, 41 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, environment/conservation/heritage and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 01435877). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides human resources and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Volunteering Matters reported income of £5.7m and spending of £5.8m, spending 102% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £5.2m to £5.7m (+9.5%), an average of +2.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 206%. Over the whole period it spent 83% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, Volunteering Matters sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% 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 Northumberland Wildlife Trust Limited (£5.5m), Brooklands Museum Trust Limited (£5.7m) and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Limited (£5.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 90% and donations and legacies 9.6%. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 2.4%. Reserves of £1.3m would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 142 people.