Adoption Matters

Analysis

Adoption Matters is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Chester. It was registered in March 1983, 43 years ago. Its declared purposes cover other charitable purposes, which this site groups under children and youth development. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 01617324). It says it provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Adoption Matters reported income of £4.3m and spending of £4.8m, spending 112% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £4.9m to £4.3m (-13%), an average of -3.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income dropped by 16%. Over the whole period it spent 106% of the income it received.

Among 5,641 England and Wales charities whose main cause is children and youth development and that reported income, Adoption Matters sits at the 100th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. 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 Missing People Limited (£4.2m), Shy Bairns Get Nowt (£4.4m) and The Lakshmi N Mittal Family Foundation (£4.2m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 98%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £451. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 1.4%. Reserves of £1.0m would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 81 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.