Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

FOREVER MANCHESTER

Registered charity 1017504 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as CFGM, COMMUNITY TRUST FOR GREATER MANCHESTER, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR GREATER MANCHESTER

Forever Manchester is a charity that raises money to fund and support community activity across Greater Manchester.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Overseas Aid/famine Relief · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£4.0m
Latest spending
£3.7m
Registered
1993
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated a net surplus of £123,805 for the year, with total funds increasing to £8.74 million. However, unrestricted resources yielded an excess of expenditure over income of £572, and the charity notes that attracting unrestricted donations remains a key focus to support core costs and grant-making. The trustees confirm that free reserves of £287k are slightly below the stated policy target of £304k, though a plan is in place to restore them if required.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £70,001 - £80,000 — above the median for charities its size (£70k)
“During the year, one employee’s total employee benefits, excluding pension contributions, was between £70,000 and £80,000 (2024: one employee between £70,000 and £80,000).” — page 26
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Fundraising cost ratio: 23.5% of fundraised income, as disclosed
“Costs of generating voluntary income - £578k (2024: £560k). This relates to costs having an increased focus on grant making and generation of restricted funding and dormant trusts.” — page 12
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £287k; policy: three months of core costs)
“The actual free reserves at 31 March 2025 were £287k (2024 £259k).”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Forever Manchester Trading Limited
“Forever Manchester Trading Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary undertaking of Forever Manchester.” — page 7
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Menzies LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

FOREVER MANCHESTER TRADING LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • No audit required

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Forever Manchester (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).

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

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

Total income
£4.0m
Total spending
£3.7m
Cost of raising funds
£609k
Reserves (reported)
£287k
Employees
24

Reported reserves equal ~0.9 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (65% 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: 15.2% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Bolton · Bury · Manchester City · Oldham · Rochdale · Salford City · Stockport · Tameside · Trafford · Wigan

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£4.0m£3.7m
31/03/2024£3.2m£3.0m
31/03/2023£2.4m£2.6m
31/03/2022£2.9m£3.2m
31/03/2021£5.2m£5.2m

Common questions

Is FOREVER MANCHESTER financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a net surplus of £123,805 for the year, with total funds increasing to £8.74 million. However, unrestricted resources yielded an excess of expenditure over income of £572, and the charity notes that attracting unrestricted donations remains a key focus to support core costs and grant-making. The trustees confirm that free reserves of £287k are slightly below the stated policy target of £304k, though a plan is in place to restore them if required. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Menzies LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of FOREVER MANCHESTER earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £70,001 - £80,000 band.

Who funds FOREVER MANCHESTER?

Funders whose own accounts filings name FOREVER MANCHESTER as a grant recipient include BAKER FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST, MUSTAFIA SHARIF, THE MATHER FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
BAKER FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£50kGrant making to Institutions
BAKER FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£50k
MUSTAFIA SHARIFFY2024£5k
THE MATHER FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£2k
THE MATHER FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1k

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund18/02/2019£78kConnecting Communities through Conversation

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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE YOUTH ENDOWMENT FUND CHARITABLE TRUST1£248k
IMPETUS - THE PRIVATE EQUITY FOUNDATION1£248k
OGLESBY CHARITABLE TRUST1£66k
YOUNG MANCHESTER1£46k
CURIOUS MINDS1£25k
SOLICITORS BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION LIMITED1£8k
THE AUSTIN AND HOPE PILKINGTON TRUST1£5k
THE D C TRUST1£2k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with CITIZENS ADVICE MANCHESTER.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
FOREVER MANCHESTER£4.0m£70,001 - £80,000—below23.5%no doubt
CITIZENS ADVICE MANCHESTER FY2025£8.3m—0above—no doubt
TOIMCHEI YOM TOV MANCHESTER FY2025£394k—0unclear—no doubt
YOUNG MANCHESTER FY2025£888kmore than £60,0001unclear—material uncertainty
MANCHESTER SETTLEMENT FY2025£1.8m£80,001 - £90,0001within—no doubt
SOUTH MANCHESTER SPORTS CLUB LIMITED FY2025£113k—0within—no doubt

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