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

WILLOWBROOK HOSPICE

Registered charity 1020240 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as ST HELENS AND KNOWSLEY HOSPICE

Provision of palliative Care

Objects

THE RELIEF OF PERSONS WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM ANY ILLNESS, DISABILITY, DISEASE OR OTHER INFIRMITY WHETHER PHYSICAL OR MENTAL.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: St. Helens, North West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income
£6.3m
Latest spending
£6.4m
Registered
1993
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net reduction in funds of £84,155 for the year ended 31 March 2025, compared to a surplus in the previous year. The trustees report that free reserves of £5,593,233 represent approximately 11 months of total running costs, which they consider an adequate level to cover short-term plans without placing undue risk on financial stability. Despite a challenging financial climate and rising operational costs, the charity remains committed to sustaining its services through diversified income streams.

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

What the accounts disclose

Related-party transaction: The document states normal commercial terms applied.
“During the year the Charity paid £2,231 (2024 - £1,368) for goods from a company in which the trustee, Mr S Fairhurst, is a director and shareholder. Normal commercial terms applied.” — page 39
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Willowbrook Hospice Trading Company Limited
“The principal activity of the subsidiary company, Willowbrook Hospice Trading Company Limited is to operate our portfolio of retail sites for the sole benefit of Willowbrook Hospice.” — page 9
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Livesey Spottiswood. Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.

In its annual return the charity told the Commission it is also regulated by: Care Quality Commission. This is the charity’s own declaration; it is not a rating and has not been verified by the Commission or by this site.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025

  • Volunteers: 518
  • Government income: £2,114,100 — grants £2,114,100 (2); 34% of the £6,260,628 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 5 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £70,001–£80,000: 1; £80,001–£90,000: 2; £100,001–£110,000: 1)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

  • Volunteers: 508
  • Government income: £1,576,181 — grants £1,576,181 (2); 27% of the £5,880,936 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 3 (£70,001–£80,000: 1; £80,001–£90,000: 1; £100,001–£110,000: 1)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

  • Volunteers: 458
  • Government income: £1,662,233 — grants £1,662,233 (4); 27% of the £6,104,829 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £70,001–£80,000: 1)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Annual return filing dates (Charity Commission record)

Of its last 5 annual returns with a recorded received date, 1 was received after the due date: year ending 31/03/2021 (received 23/02/2022, 23 days after the 31/01/2022 due date).

Due and received dates as recorded in the Commission’s annual-return data; the data does not say whether an extension was agreed. Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

In the news

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

Corporate structure

WILLOWBROOK HOSPICE TRADING COMPANY LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Profit before tax: £1.0m
  • Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £960k
  • Amounts due from parent charity
“During the year, the company has made gift aid donations to Willowbrook Hospice amounting to £959,995 (2024 - £960,000).”

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

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

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)

5 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (2 freehold); recorded price paid £250k. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

CQC provider record: Willowbrook Hospice — Registered, 1 registered location, 1 regulated activity, last inspected 19/12/2019.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record

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

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

Total income
£6.3m
Total spending
£6.4m
Cost of raising funds
£1.9m
Reserves (reported)
£5.6m
Employees
97

Reported reserves equal ~10.5 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 30.3% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.3%) (benchmarks).

Care Quality Commission ratings

CQC inspection ratings for services run by a provider matching this charity’s name (matched by name; verify provider identity on CQC’s site).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Cheshire East · Cheshire West & Chester · Knowsley · Lancashire · Liverpool City · Sefton · St Helens · Wirral

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£6.3m£6.4m
31/03/2024£5.9m£5.9m
31/03/2023£6.1m£5.2m
31/03/2022£6.1m£4.6m
31/03/2021£6.3m£4.8m

Common questions

Is WILLOWBROOK HOSPICE financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net reduction in funds of £84,155 for the year ended 31 March 2025, compared to a surplus in the previous year. The trustees report that free reserves of £5,593,233 represent approximately 11 months of total running costs, which they consider an adequate level to cover short-term plans without placing undue risk on financial stability. Despite a challenging financial climate and rising operational costs, the charity remains committed to sustaining its services through diversified income streams. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Livesey Spottiswood.

Who funds WILLOWBROOK HOSPICE?

Funders whose own accounts filings name WILLOWBROOK HOSPICE as a grant recipient include CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUST, DUCHY OF LANCASTER BENEVOLENT FUND, THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY'S PRESCOT, THE HEMBY CHARITABLE TRUST, SKIPTON BUILDING SOCIETY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£5k
CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5k
DUCHY OF LANCASTER BENEVOLENT FUNDFY2024£4kOlder & Disabled Persons
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY'S PRESCOTFY2023£3kOther
CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£3k
THE HEMBY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£2k
THE HEMBY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£2k
SKIPTON BUILDING SOCIETY CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONFY2022£2k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY'S PRESCOTFY2024£750Other
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY'S PRESCOTFY2022£750Other
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY'S PRESCOTFY2021£200Other

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
Postcode Lottery08/09/2025£80kMillionaire Street 2025 09w4
The National Lottery Community Fund05/12/2016£10kSunflower Festival Celebrating 20 years of hospice caring
The National Lottery Community Fund05/11/2014£10kCafe Culture Caring... Time for Caring over a Coffee
The National Lottery Community Fund21/06/2012£10kRefurbishing the Kitchen
The National Lottery Community Fund25/02/2010£10kThe World at our Fingertips

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 LINDER FOUNDATION2£122k
THE THOMAS J HORNE MEMORIAL TRUST2£63k
THE FRANCIS WINHAM FOUNDATION2£40k
THE WILL CHARITABLE TRUST2£30k
COLEFAX CHARITABLE TRUST2£28k
THE MOHN WESTLAKE FOUNDATION1£1.3m
THE EIGHTY EIGHT FOUNDATION1£714k
THE BAND TRUST1£700k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with MOUNTBATTEN HAMPSHIRE LIMITED.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
WILLOWBROOK HOSPICE£6.3m——unclear—no doubt
MOUNTBATTEN HAMPSHIRE LIMITED FY2025£8.7m—0below15.1%no doubt
HOSPICE IN ROSSENDALE FY2025£1.1m—0unclear—no doubt
ROYAL TRINITY HOSPICE FY2025£17.8m——unclear—no doubt
LONGFIELD HOSPICE CARE FY2025£5.4m£70,001 - £80,0001unclear—no doubt
SHALOM HOUSE FY2025£303k—0unclear—noted

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