Voluntary Action Leicester

Analysis

Voluntary Action Leicester is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Leicester. It was registered in October 1979, 47 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under community and economic development. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 01357513). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending March 2026, Voluntary Action Leicester reported income of £2.0m and spending of £2.3m, spending 113% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income fell from £2.8m to £2.0m (-28%), an average of -7.8% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income dropped by 40%. Over the whole period it spent 103% of the income it received.

Among 1,869 England and Wales charities whose main cause is community and economic development and that reported income, Voluntary Action Leicester sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 95% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Community Action Suffolk (£2.0m), Diana Award (£2.0m) and The School of Artisan Food (£2.0m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 85%, trading 14% and donations and legacies 1.0%. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 1.2%. Reserves of £535k would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 60 people.

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.