BECOME CHARITY

Registered charity 1010518 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BECOME, THE "WHO CARES?" TRUST

We work to improve the lives and life chances of young people in care & care leavers. We inform and support them via our publications and learning & skills workshops; we influence policy & practice by ensuring their views and experiences are heard; we provide support materials for foster carers and others responsible for their welfare & education and we develop innovative projects & best practice.

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£2.0m

Latest spending

£1.8m

Registered

1992

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated a net income of £94,769 for the year, with total reserves of £1,127,499. The trustees report that unrestricted free reserves of £912,282 are significantly above the stated policy target range of £359,713 to £539,569, primarily due to unrestricted grant income received late in the year.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Charitable activities (55% of income)

“Our principal source of income remained grant funding, which accounted for 55% of our total income in 2024/25” — page 8

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: 6 to 9 months' core running costs (target range £359,713 - £539,569) (held: £912k)

“The Trustees have decided the charity should aim to retain an appropriate level of unrestricted free reserves which are sufficient to cover between 6 to 9 months' core running costs. In 2025 this represents a target range of between £359,713 and £539,569.” — page 10

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Haines Watts Swindon Limited. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Top Torquay pub blighted by noise complaints will become charity shop devonlive.com · 30/11/2020

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Become (matched by registered charity number).

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Mace — “We’re proud of our major 5-year partnership with Mace . They’re raising a massive £1,000,000 for us through donations and staff fundraising.” (source page)

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income

£2.0m

Total spending

£1.8m

Cost of raising funds

£466k

Reserves (reported)

£921k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~6.0 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (55% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 23.8% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (30/06/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Amanda Gethin
Elisa Jenkins
Frances Lang · trustee of 1 other charity
Kelly Railton
Leslie Ann Morphy
Marvin Joseph Campbell-Sharma
Ony Chima
Phillipa Uden
Thomas Turcan · trustee of 1 other charity
Timothy Aldridge
Tom Willetts

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£2.0m	£1.8m
31/03/2024	£1.9m	£1.7m
31/03/2023	£1.4m	£1.5m
31/03/2022	£1.5m	£1.3m
31/03/2021	£1.2m	£913k

Common questions

Is BECOME CHARITY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a net income of £94,769 for the year, with total reserves of £1,127,499. The trustees report that unrestricted free reserves of £912,282 are significantly above the stated policy target range of £359,713 to £539,569, primarily due to unrestricted grant income received late in the year. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Haines Watts Swindon Limited.

Who funds BECOME CHARITY?

Funders whose own accounts filings name BECOME CHARITY as a grant recipient include John Lewis Partnership Foundation, DAVID & RUTH LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST, THE HEADLEY TRUST, AKO FOUNDATION, JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATION.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
John Lewis Partnership Foundation	FY2024	£181k	Grant over three years for 'Propel' project pilot
DAVID & RUTH LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£145k	Child and social care
THE HEADLEY TRUST	FY2025	£120k	Towards the Care Advice Service.
AKO FOUNDATION	FY2024	£100k	Education
JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATION	FY2025	£90k	Towards core costs to improve the care system through national policy and campaigning activities
THE BLAGRAVE TRUST	FY2023	£90k	The Listening Fund
THE DULVERTON TRUST	FY2023	£70k	Become core funding
DAVID & RUTH LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£55k	Child and social care
DAVID & RUTH LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£55k	Child and social care
THE TOLKIEN TRUST	FY2021	£50k
THE TOLKIEN TRUST	FY2023	£50k
THE TOLKIEN TRUST	FY2024	£50k
THE BLAGRAVE TRUST	FY2023	£41k	Investing in better youth policy
THE BLAGRAVE TRUST	FY2024	£39k	Investing in better youth policy
THE BLAGRAVE TRUST	FY2022	£38k	Investing in better youth policy
RAISE YOUR HANDS	FY2024	£35k
RAISE YOUR HANDS	FY2023	£31k
THE BLAGRAVE TRUST	FY2024	£25k	The Listening Fund
THE BLAGRAVE TRUST	FY2022	£23k	The Listening Fund
ALLAN AND NESTA FERGUSON CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	FY2024	£20k	Educational projects
DRAPERS CHARITABLE FUND	FY2025	£20k	Helpline, workshops, advice surgeries and support into HE/employment
THE TOLKIEN TRUST	FY2022	£20k
THE RAYNE FOUNDATION	FY2025	£20k	Development Support
The Considered Ask Foundation	FY2023	£16k
THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITED	FY2025	£13k
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£10k
THE EVAN CORNISH FOUNDATION	FY2023	£10k
RAISE YOUR HANDS	FY2022	£10k
NEWBY TRUST LIMITED	FY2024	£10k	Welfare
THE EVAN CORNISH FOUNDATION	FY2025	£10k	UK Round July 2024
The Patricia Routledge Foundation	FY2024	£5k
The Patricia Routledge Foundation	FY2025	£5k
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£5k
THE RAINFORD TRUST	FY2022	£5k	Welfare
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k
SCHRODER CHARITY TRUST	FY2025	£5k
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£5k
M AND C TRUST	FY2022	£5k
M AND C TRUST	FY2023	£5k
M AND C TRUST	FY2024	£3k
DANDIA CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£3k
THE BEATRICE LAING TRUST	FY2025	£3k
M AND C TRUST	FY2025	£3k
THE JAMES WEIR FOUNDATION	FY2021	£3k
Royal Warrant Holders' Charity	FY2022	£3k
The Patricia Routledge Foundation	FY2022	£3k
THE HASLUCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£2k
DANDIA CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£2k
DANDIA CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£2k
THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	22/03/2021	£579k	Care Advice Service
The National Lottery Community Fund	07/05/2020	£175k	Care Advice Service Covid-19
UK government	20/12/2018	£10k	Building Connections Fund - Codesign
The National Lottery Community Fund	24/06/2015	£5k	Little Voices, Loud Noises
City Bridge Foundation	04/09/2013	£153k	Grant to The Who Cares Trust
The National Lottery Community Fund	09/11/2004	£171k	'Going Home' Programme

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE NUFFIELD FOUNDATION	1	£246k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION	1	£150k
THE CHARLOTTE BONHAM-CARTER CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£138k
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOUNDATION	1	£55k
SWEATY BETTY FOUNDATION	1	£37k
THE REED FOUNDATION	1	£12k
COUNTY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	1	£10k
THE SAVOY EDUCATIONAL TRUST	1	£10k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE.

FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE income £1.5m
CAREDUCATION TRUST LTD income £133k
YOUTH OPTIONS income £3.8m
STAND BY ME income £3.0m
Caring for Communities and People income £13.0m
CAUSEWAY EDUCATION LTD income £772k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
BECOME CHARITY	£2.0m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE FY2025	£1.5m	—	0	unclear	1.0%	no doubt
CAREDUCATION TRUST LTD FY2025	£133k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
YOUTH OPTIONS FY2025	£3.8m	£60,001 - £70,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
STAND BY ME FY2024	£3.0m	—	1	within	—	no doubt
Caring for Communities and People FY2026	£13.0m	—	—	above	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.