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ESSEX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1052061 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Essex Community Foundation is an independent charitable trust. Founded in 1996, it has built an endowed fund of nearly £50 million, and has awarded over £47 million in grants to community-based voluntary groups in Essex, Southend and Thurrock.By acting as a broker the Foundation helps donors achieve their charitable objectives, and local voluntary groups secure funding for their work.

Objects

2.1(a) The promotion of any charitable purposes for the benefit of the community in the county of Essex and its immediate neighbourhood;(b) Other exclusively charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and elsewhere which are, in the opinion of the Directors, beneficial to the community with a preference for those in the area of benefit.2.2 Nothing in these Articles shall authorise an application of the property of the Charity for purposes which are not charitable in accordance with any statutory provision regarding the meaning of the word "charitable" or the words "charitable purposes" in force in any part of the United Kingdom.

Area of benefit: ESSEX

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

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

Registered contact address: Chelmsford, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Received the assets of THE ROB GEORGE FOUNDATION (charity 1156026) — merger registered 03/10/2025.
Source: Charity Commission register of merged charities (OGL v3.0).
Latest income
£8.5m
Latest spending
£5.3m
Registered
1996
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total income for the year was £8,477,899, with unrestricted reserves carried forward at £482,330. The trustees report that the charity remains a going concern and that all financial obligations can be met, noting that unrestricted reserves slightly fall short of the stated policy target of £650,000 but can be supplemented by the endowed Acorn Fund if necessary.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £482k; policy: six months of operational expenditure budget)
“To the extent that the carried forward unrestricted reserves (excluding dilapidations) slightly fall short of the target figure, the Trustees take account of their ability to allocate funds from the endowed Acorn Fund to operational expenditure if there were a severe and unexpected decline in the Foundation’s financial position.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Grants to Bar 'N' Bus Trust
“Four grants totalling £8,382 were awarded to Bar ‘N’ Bus Trust. ECF Chairman, Nicholas Alston, is Patron of this organisation.” — page 44
“A grant of £300 was awarded to CPRE Essex. ECF Trustee, Simon Hall, is a vice -president of this organisation.” — page 44
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Grants to CPRE Essex
“Four grants totalling £8,382 were awarded to Bar ‘N’ Bus Trust. ECF Chairman, Nicholas Alston, is Patron of this organisation.” — page 44
“A grant of £300 was awarded to CPRE Essex. ECF Trustee, Simon Hall, is a vice -president of this organisation.” — page 44
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Grants to Daws Hall Trust
“Four grants totalling £8,382 were awarded to Bar ‘N’ Bus Trust. ECF Chairman, Nicholas Alston, is Patron of this organisation.” — page 44
“A grant of £300 was awarded to CPRE Essex. ECF Trustee, Simon Hall, is a vice -president of this organisation.” — page 44
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Grants to Firstsite
“Four grants totalling £8,382 were awarded to Bar ‘N’ Bus Trust. ECF Chairman, Nicholas Alston, is Patron of this organisation.” — page 44
“A grant of £300 was awarded to CPRE Essex. ECF Trustee, Simon Hall, is a vice -president of this organisation.” — page 44
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by HaysMac LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

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 30/06/2025

  • Volunteers: 3
  • Government income: £493,412 — grants £493,412 (1); 6% of the £8,477,899 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 3 (£60,001–£70,000: 2; £90,001–£100,000: 1)
  • Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 30/06/2024

  • Volunteers: 3
  • Government income: £500,000 — grants £500,000 (1); 10% of the £4,875,495 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£80,001–£90,000: 1; £90,001–£100,000: 1)
  • Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 30/06/2023

  • Volunteers: 3
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)
  • Grant-making is its main activity

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

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Essex Community Foundation (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.

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): instagram · linkedin

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 30/06/2025)

Total income
£8.5m
Total spending
£5.3m
Cost of raising funds
£385k
Reserves (reported)
£482k
Employees
15

Reported reserves equal ~1.1 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 4.5% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Essex

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
30/06/2025£8.5m£5.3m
30/06/2024£4.9m£4.6m
30/06/2023£5.3m£5.0m
30/06/2022£5.4m£5.4m
30/06/2021£4.8m£5.1m

Common questions

Is ESSEX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total income for the year was £8,477,899, with unrestricted reserves carried forward at £482,330. The trustees report that the charity remains a going concern and that all financial obligations can be met, noting that unrestricted reserves slightly fall short of the stated policy target of £650,000 but can be supplemented by the endowed Acorn Fund if necessary. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by HaysMac LLP.

Who funds ESSEX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name ESSEX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include THE DULVERTON TRUST, THE ESSEX AND SOUTHEND SPORTS TRUST, JOHN LAING CHARITABLE TRUST, THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUST, UTURN4SUPPORT.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE DULVERTON TRUSTFY2023£259kEssex Community Foundation Dulverton Fund 2023-25
THE ESSEX AND SOUTHEND SPORTS TRUSTFY2023£50kGrant funding of activities
THE ESSEX AND SOUTHEND SPORTS TRUSTFY2024£50kGrants to institutions
THE ESSEX AND SOUTHEND SPORTS TRUSTFY2025£35kEssex and Southend Sports Charitable Fund (ESSCF)
JOHN LAING CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£25kCommunity Needs Fund
JOHN LAING CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£25kCommunity Needs Fund
THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£25k
THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£25k
JOHN LAING CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£22kCommunity Needs
JOHN LAING CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£17kCost of Living support grant
UTURN4SUPPORTFY2022£14kRestricted funds
THE JOSEPH AND LILIAN SULLY FOUNDATIONFY2025£10k
THE JOSEPH AND LILIAN SULLY FOUNDATIONFY2024£10k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF WESTCLIFF ST PETERFY2021£5ktowards a part-time Coffee House Manager
DEMENTIA ADVENTURE TRUSTFY2025£2kFunding for the Dunmow Allotment project
THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£1k

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
UK government27/01/2023£182kLTC's Community Fund Pilot
The National Lottery Community Fund24/07/2020£250kAligned Covid-19 Funding

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 LONDON MARATHON CHARITABLE TRUST LIMITED1£210k
PETER HARRISON FOUNDATION1£20k
CLA CHARITABLE TRUST1£5k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ACTIVE ESSEX FOUNDATION.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
ESSEX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION£8.5m——below—no doubt
ACTIVE ESSEX FOUNDATION FY2025£1.3m—0unclear—no doubt
ESSEX RECOVERY FOUNDATION FY2024£755k—1below—no doubt
ESSEX FARMERS TRUST FY2025£63k—0unclear—no doubt
THE ESSEX HERITAGE TRUST FY2025£86k—0unclear—no doubt
ESSEX POLICE FORCE BENEVOLENT FUND FY2025£49k—0above—no doubt

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