CARDBOARD CITIZENS
Registered charity 1042457 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register
Our mission is to use theatre combined with information, advice and guidance to inspire and support those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. We act as a catalyst for people to make changes in their lives. We also aim to improve public understanding and awareness by creating and performing works about the experiences of homeless and socially excluded people, with those people.
Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that total income decreased by 17% to £858,113 while total expenditure increased by 5% to £934,062, resulting in a net expenditure for the year. Per the trustees' report, free reserves stood at £207,511, which exactly met the stated policy target of covering three months' operational expenditure commitments, and the trustees confirmed there were no material uncertainties regarding 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
Largest income source: Charitable donations (78% of income)
“Income from charitable donations increased by 9% to £668,261 (£613,440 in 2023-4), while income from charitable activities decreased by 56% to £181,135 (£412,079 in 2023-24).”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: three months of operational expenditure commitments (held: £208k)
“The policy states that free reserves (i.e., those not tied up in fixed assets or designated for use by the charity) should be sufficient to cover three months’ operational expenditure commitments, i.e., payroll, core fixed costs and wind-up costs.” — page 28
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Payments to trustees: Aggregate payments to 3 trustees for professional or other services supplied to the charity to related parties were £872 (2024: nil).
“Aggegated payments to 3 trustees for professional or other services supplied to the charity to related parties were £872 (2024: nil).”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Corporate structure
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Cardboard Citizens (matched by registered charity number).
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.
- WARDEN, Anoushka Gemma — director, appointed 27/01/2026on trustee list
- CASSON, Alexandra Elizabeth — director, appointed 27/01/2026on trustee list
- FEATHERSTONE, Victoria — director, appointed 27/01/2026on trustee list
- ITASAKA, Kikuko — director, appointed 27/01/2026on trustee list
- AKKEMIK, Ali Mete — director, appointed 21/01/2025on trustee list
- WILLIAMS, Anna Elizabeth — director, appointed 21/01/2025on trustee list
- MATTHEWS, Claire Elizabeth Franceen — director, appointed 01/11/2023on trustee list
- JUGNAUTH, Ajeet Kumar — director, appointed 28/02/2023on trustee list
- CASELY-HAYFORD, Awura Afua Ayesha — director, appointed 28/02/2023on trustee list
- BULL, Christopher Brian — director, appointed 25/10/2022on trustee list
- MCNAUGHT, Jenique — director, appointed 07/12/2021on trustee list
- XIA, Matthew — director, appointed 01/06/2018on trustee list
- BRISCOE, Lisa — secretary, appointed 18/01/2012
Official officers record.
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£175k
Reported reserves equal ~5.8 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (78% 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: 20.4% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.9%) (benchmarks).
- Anna Elizabeth Williamschair · trustee of 1 other charity
- Ajeet Kumar Jugnauth
- Alexandra Elizabeth Casson
- Ali Mete Akkemik
- Anoushka Gemma Warden
- Awura-Afua Ayesha Casely-Hayford
- Christopher Bull
- Claire Elizabeth Franceen Matthews
- Jenique McNaught
- Kikuko Itasaka
- MATTHEW XIA · trustee of 1 other charity
- Victoria Featherstone
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Throughout London
Income and spending
Common questions
Is CARDBOARD CITIZENS financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total income decreased by 17% to £858,113 while total expenditure increased by 5% to £934,062, resulting in a net expenditure for the year. Per the trustees' report, free reserves stood at £207,511, which exactly met the stated policy target of covering three months' operational expenditure commitments, and the trustees confirmed there were no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.
Who funds CARDBOARD CITIZENS?
Funders whose own accounts filings name CARDBOARD CITIZENS as a grant recipient include BACKSTAGE TRUST, THE THOMPSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST, THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION, JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATION, THE LINBURY TRUST.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE THEATRE IN PRISONS AND PROBATION CENTRE.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.