Sands

Analysis

Sands is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in July 1988, 38 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and the advancement of health or saving of lives, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02212082). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Sands reported income of £8.0m and spending of £8.4m, spending 105% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £6.4m to £8.0m (+26%), an average of +5.9% a year. Over the whole period it spent 87% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, Sands sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Injured Jockeys Fund (£8.0m), Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Limited (£8.0m) and The Rumi Foundation (£8.0m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from trading 57%, donations and legacies 36%, charitable activities 5.4% and investments 1.1%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £310k. Charitable activities took 50% of spending and raising funds 50%. Grants to other organisations totalled £88k. Reserves of £5.4m would cover about 8 months of spending at that rate. It employed 110 people.