PRISON REFORM TRUST

Registered charity 1035525 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as P R T

For the public benefit to further and promote improvements in the penal system in the United Kingdom and the prevention of crime.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£2.0m

Latest spending

£2.2m

Registered

1994

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £229,040 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £1,636,261 to £1,407,221. However, the trustees report that liquid assets cover approximately eight months of operating costs, and free unrestricted reserves total £630,700. The auditor confirmed that there are no material uncertainties related to the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three months of total anticipated expenditure, with at least one-third held as unrestricted free liquid reserves (held: £631k)

“the charity should aim to maintain liquid reserves sufficient to cover at least three months’ total anticipated expenditure. At least one-third (or one month) should be held as unrestricted, free liquid reserves.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Sayer Vincent LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Prison Reform Trust (matched by registered charity number).

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

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

Total income

£2.0m

Total spending

£2.2m

Cost of raising funds

£120k

Reserves (reported)

£631k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~3.5 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 6.1% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (04/03/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (29/03/2019) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Nicholas Charles Stace OBEchair
Dr Benjamin Crewe
Dr Hindpal Bhui
Emma Wilson
Lord of Haslemere Harold Mark Carter
Lorna Maden
Louise Spencer
Maya Foa
Muhammad Maqsood Ahmed OBE
Nigel Newcomen
Osmond Junior Smart
Rt.Hon. David Michael Gauke

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	£2.2m
31/03/2024	£1.9m	£1.9m
31/03/2023	£2.1m	£2.0m
31/03/2022	£1.9m	£1.6m
31/03/2021	£1.5m	£1.5m

Common questions

Is PRISON REFORM TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £229,040 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £1,636,261 to £1,407,221. However, the trustees report that liquid assets cover approximately eight months of operating costs, and free unrestricted reserves total £630,700. The auditor confirmed that there are no material uncertainties related to the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sayer Vincent LLP.

Who funds PRISON REFORM TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name PRISON REFORM TRUST as a grant recipient include THE DAWES TRUST, THE BARROW CADBURY TRUST, BERNARD LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST, THE BROMLEY TRUST, THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE DAWES TRUST	FY2024	£250k
THE DAWES TRUST	FY2023	£130k	Understanding parole success after release from Prison
THE BARROW CADBURY TRUST	FY2024	£75k	Criminal Justice
BERNARD LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£54k	General funding
THE BROMLEY TRUST	FY2025	£50k
THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£46k
THE DULVERTON TRUST	FY2026	£45k	Child Impact Assessments
THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£44k
THE BLAGRAVE TRUST	FY2023	£43k	Investing in better youth policy
THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£40k	The Justice System and penal reform
THE BROMLEY TRUST	FY2023	£40k	Prison Reform
THE BROMLEY TRUST	FY2024	£40k	Prison Reform
The Goldsmiths' Foundation	FY2023	£33k	Prisoner Resettlement
THE BAND TRUST	FY2024	£30k	Prisons
THE BLAGRAVE TRUST	FY2022	£30k	Investing in better youth policy
THE BAND TRUST	FY2023	£30k	Prisons
THE DULVERTON TRUST	FY2025	£25k	Child Impact Assessments
THE TRIANGLE TRUST 1949 FUND	FY2025	£21k	Young People with Criminal Convictions
DRAPERS CHARITABLE FUND	FY2025	£20k	Advice and Information service
THE EMMANUEL KAYE FOUNDATION	FY2025	£20k
THE EMMANUEL KAYE FOUNDATION	FY2024	£20k
THE BLAGRAVE TRUST	FY2024	£20k	Investing in better youth policy
PERSULA FOUNDATION	FY2024	£20k
PERSULA FOUNDATION	FY2022	£20k	Grant Paid
PERSULA FOUNDATION	FY2023	£20k
BERNARD LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£20k	General funding
THE JABBS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£20k	Supporting vulnerable members of society (Women's Imprisonment)
THE DULVERTON TRUST	FY2024	£15k	Child Impact Assessments
HIGHWAY ONE TRUST	FY2024	£15k
HIGHWAY ONE TRUST	FY2025	£15k
THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITY	FY2022	£15k	costs of campaigning for prison reform and running an advice line for prisoners
THE BROMLEY TRUST	FY2022	£10k	Prison Reform
HIGHWAY ONE TRUST	FY2022	£10k
HIGHWAY ONE TRUST	FY2023	£10k
THE LANKELLYCHASE FOUNDATION	FY2024	£10k	Core funding
HIGHWAY ONE TRUST	FY2021	£10k
BERNARD LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£10k	General funding
THE SIR JAMES RECKITT CHARITY	FY2021	£10k	Prison reform
SR & PH Southall Trust	FY2024	£10k	Grants to institutions
THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITED	FY2025	£10k
THE EMMANUEL KAYE FOUNDATION	FY2023	£10k	Refugees at Home
SR & PH Southall Trust	FY2023	£10k	Grants to institutions
THE SIR JAMES RECKITT CHARITY	FY2024	£6k	Social
THE SHERIFFS' AND RECORDERS' FUND	FY2022	£5k	Special Projects
The Goldsmiths' Foundation	FY2022	£5k	Prisoner Resettlement
THE GOOD LUCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£5k
THE SIR JAMES RECKITT CHARITY	FY2022	£5k	Social
SR & PH Southall Trust	FY2022	£5k	Grants to institutions
THE SIR JAMES RECKITT CHARITY	FY2023	£3k	Social
MISS E F RATHBONE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£3k	National

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
A B Charitable Trust	22/09/2025	£50k	A grant to Prison Reform Trust
A B Charitable Trust	15/10/2024	£50k	A grant to Prison Reform Trust
A B Charitable Trust	17/10/2023	£44k	A grant to Prison Reform Trust
A B Charitable Trust	12/12/2022	£2k	A grant to Prison Reform Trust
A B Charitable Trust	11/10/2022	£44k	A grant to Prison Reform Trust
A B Charitable Trust	19/10/2021	£40k	A grant to Prison Reform Trust
A B Charitable Trust	13/10/2020	£40k	A grant to Prison Reform Trust
A B Charitable Trust	28/04/2020	£25k	A grant to Prison Reform Trust
A B Charitable Trust	15/10/2019	£40k	A grant to Prison Reform Trust
The National Lottery Community Fund	19/06/2019	£2.6m	Realising potential ? making sense of long term imprisonment
A B Charitable Trust	15/10/2018	£20k	A grant to Prison Reform Trust
The National Lottery Community Fund	15/06/2018	£520k	Transforming Lives ? Reducing Women?s Imprisonment
A B Charitable Trust	04/07/2017	£25k	A grant to Prison Reform Trust
A B Charitable Trust	26/04/2016	£20k	Implementation of independent care review recommendations
The National Lottery Community Fund	13/07/2015	£1.2m	Transforming lives: reducing women's imprisonment
Northern Rock Foundation	13/03/2007	£25k	Grant awarded to Prison Reform Trust (North East)
The National Lottery Community Fund	14/02/2006	£5k	Smart Justice For Young People Arts Project
Northern Rock Foundation	13/12/2005	£48k	Grant awarded to Prison Reform Trust (North East)
The National Lottery Community Fund	02/11/2005	£175k	Smart Justice
The National Lottery Community Fund	02/07/2004	£5k	Smart Justice North East

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 ALBERT GUBAY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	2	£187k
DUCHY OF LANCASTER BENEVOLENT FUND	2	£9k
BEIS MENACHEM CHABAD LUBAVITCH	1	£183k
SIR HALLEY STEWART TRUST	1	£36k
YESHIVAS LUBAVITCH MANCHESTER	1	£20k
JUSTICE FOR JOURNALISTS FOUNDATION	1	£19k
BOOKER PRIZE FOUNDATION	1	£18k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST JOHN, NEVILLE'S CROSS, DURHAM	1	£12k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with CRIMINON UNITED KINGDOM.

CRIMINON UNITED KINGDOM income £114k
NEPACS income £2.3m
THE BROMLEY TRUST income £334k
YAD VEACHISOMOCH L'CHAIM income £834k
PARTNERS OF PRISONERS AND FAMILIES SUPPORT GROUP income £2.1m
ENGLISH PEN income £663k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
PRISON REFORM TRUST	£2.0m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
CRIMINON UNITED KINGDOM FY2025	£114k	Under £60,000	0	unclear	—	no doubt
NEPACS FY2025	£2.3m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE BROMLEY TRUST FY2025	£334k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
YAD VEACHISOMOCH L'CHAIM FY2025	£834k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
PARTNERS OF PRISONERS AND FAMILIES SUPPORT GROUP FY2025	£2.1m	£60,001 - £70,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt

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