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FINE CELL WORK

Registered charity 1049095 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Fine Cell Work is a charity which trains and pays prison inmates to do craft work in their cells. Our object is to rehabilitate them through productive, creative activity and the chance of saving a nestegg for release.

Causes: Education/training · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£1.4m
Latest spending
£1.4m
Registered
1995
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity broke even at year end with a net income of £70, despite an increasingly competitive funding environment. Free reserves stood at £764,502, which is above the stated policy target of four to six months of budgeted expenditure (currently equal to £647,808 for six months). The trustees confirmed that resources are adequate and there are no material uncertainties about 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: four to six months of budgeted expenditure (held: £765k)
“The Trustees have established a policy whereby the unrestricted funds not committed in tangible assets held by the charity should be maintained at a level of four to six months of budgeted expenditure, currently equal to £647,808 for six months in general funds.” — page 27
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee Annabel Franks was paid £938 in expenses solely for her work as a prison volunteer.
“Trustee Annabel Franks was paid £938 in expenses solely for her work as a prison volunteer.” — page 52
“A company of which Trustee Elizabeth Downing is a director sold fabric worth £2.385 to FCW.” — page 52
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: A company of which Trustee Elizabeth Downing is a director sold fabric worth £2.385 to FCW.
“Trustee Annabel Franks was paid £938 in expenses solely for her work as a prison volunteer.” — page 52
“A company of which Trustee Elizabeth Downing is a director sold fabric worth £2.385 to FCW.” — page 52
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by James Cowper Kreston Audit. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Fine Cell Work (matched by registered charity number).

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income
£1.4m
Total spending
£1.4m
Cost of raising funds
£177k
Reserves (reported)
£795k
Employees
16

Reported reserves equal ~6.9 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (71% 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: 12.9% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2025£1.4m£1.4m
31/12/2024£1.3m£1.3m
31/12/2023£1.2m£1.2m
31/12/2022£1.1m£1.2m
31/12/2021£1.1m£950k

Common questions

Is FINE CELL WORK financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity broke even at year end with a net income of £70, despite an increasingly competitive funding environment. Free reserves stood at £764,502, which is above the stated policy target of four to six months of budgeted expenditure (currently equal to £647,808 for six months). The trustees confirmed that resources are adequate and there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by James Cowper Kreston Audit.

Who funds FINE CELL WORK?

Funders whose own accounts filings name FINE CELL WORK as a grant recipient include THE JULIA RAUSING TRUST, MONDAY CHARITABLE TRUST, THE CRUCIBLE FOUNDATION, The Considered Ask Foundation, THE AURUM CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE JULIA RAUSING TRUSTFY2025£300kSustaining and expanding Fine Cell Work’s prison-based crafts training programmes over 2026-28
MONDAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£100kDiscretionary Grants
THE CRUCIBLE FOUNDATIONFY2023£51k
The Considered Ask FoundationFY2024£44k
THE AURUM CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£40k
The Considered Ask FoundationFY2023£40k
THE COLYER-FERGUSSON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£34k
PHILIP KING CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£30kFunding for Director of Programmes
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£25k
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£25k
DRAPERS CHARITABLE FUNDFY2025£25kTraining prisoners in textile skills
DRAPERS CHARITABLE FUNDFY2024£25kTraining prisoners in textile skills
CHK FoundationFY2023£24k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATIONFY2022£20kTowards Design & Commissions Manager role
THE BROMLEY TRUSTFY2022£20kPrison Reform
PAUL AND LOUISE COOKE ENDOWMENTFY2023£20kgeneral
The Considered Ask FoundationFY2022£20k
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£17k
The Goldsmiths' FoundationFY2022£15kPrisoner Resettlement
The Merchant Taylors' FoundationFY2025£15kEducation
THE BATCHWORTH TRUSTFY2022£15k
THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£15k
SOCIETY OF THE HOLY CHILD JESUS CIOFY2025£15kGrants
SOCIETY OF THE HOLY CHILD JESUS CIOFY2024£15kGrants
MIVA FOUNDATIONFY2024£14k
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2021£12k
BC Partners FoundationFY2022£11k
CHK FoundationFY2024£10k
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£10kAdvancement of education
THE BROMLEY TRUSTFY2025£10k
THE HARAMEAD TRUSTFY2025£10k
THE BROMLEY TRUSTFY2023£10kPrison Reform
BC Partners FoundationFY2021£10k
THE BROMLEY TRUSTFY2024£10kPrison Reform
THE PETER STEBBINGS MEMORIAL CHARITYFY2024£10k
THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUSTFY2024£10k
THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£10k
THE CRUCIBLE FOUNDATIONFY2025£10k
MONDAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£10kDiscretionary Grants
MIVA FOUNDATIONFY2023£9k
DR RADCLIFFE'S TRUSTFY2022£8kTraining prisoners in fine needlework as occupational therapy
SUSANNA PEAKE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£6k
DR RADCLIFFE'S TRUSTFY2024£5kAwards for prisoners undertaking embroidery and quilting in their cells
DR RADCLIFFE'S TRUSTFY2025£5kDeveloping Skills in Stagecraft: Directing
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£5k
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
THE PETER STEBBINGS MEMORIAL CHARITYFY2023£5k
SUSANNA PEAKE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
THE HISCOX FOUNDATIONFY2023£5k
THE EVAN CORNISH FOUNDATIONFY2023£5k

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund29/09/2025£20kNew crafts training classes in four prisons
City Bridge Foundation05/10/2022£251kGrant to Fine Cell Work
The National Lottery Community Fund04/06/2021£10kWorkshops developing skills for ex-offenders: covid response
City Bridge Foundation16/09/2019£10kGrant to Fine Cell Work
A B Charitable Trust27/06/2019£10kA grant to Fine Cell Work
The National Lottery Community Fund07/09/2016£488kOPEN THE GATES
City Bridge Foundation18/03/2016£133kGrant to Fine Cell Work
City Bridge Foundation20/01/2011£99kGrant to Fine Cell Work

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 FORRESTER FAMILY TRUST2£65k
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST1£2.0m
THE STONE FAMILY FOUNDATION1£402k
GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION1£250k
Point North Community Foundation1£247k
YORKSHIRE BUILDING SOCIETY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION1£169k
DAVID & RUTH LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST1£100k
IMAGINE FOUNDATION1£95k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with FINE & COUNTRY FOUNDATION.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
FINE CELL WORK£1.4m——unclear—no doubt
FINE & COUNTRY FOUNDATION FY2025£117k—0unclear—noted
PRISON SERVICE CHARITY FUND FY2025£170k—0unclear—no doubt
THE CLINK CHARITY FY2024£6.9m——below—no doubt
THE OLD NEEDLE WORKS FOUNDATION FY2025£361k—0unclear—no doubt
HANDCRAFTED PROJECTS FY2024£2.3m—0below—no doubt

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