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

BRITISH FORCES FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1075109 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BFF

The British Forces Foundation provides top quality, morale boosting welfare for the men and women of Britain's Armed Forces, on Operations all over the world, principally through live entertainment -conveying the gratitude of the British Public for the sacrifices they make.

Causes: Arts/culture/heritage/science · Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£689k
Latest spending
£561k
Registered
1999
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity holds free reserves of £360,687, which equate to approximately two years' operating costs. The trustees consider the charity a going concern, noting that while financially stable, greater cash resources would be prudent to underwrite potential drops in income.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: approximately two years’ operating costs (held: £361k)
“The Charity holds reserves that equate to approximately two years’ operating costs (including output costs) from which interest is earned and placed in the Charity’s general funds.” — page 8
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: 17
“The Charity paid £14,634 (2024 - £14,234) rent and service charges and £8,400 (2024 - £6,000) other business supplies to CU2 Limited. CU2 Limited is a company in which M J A Cann is a director and Mrs E Cann, wife of M J A Cann, is a director and sole shareholder.” — page 21
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The British Forces Foundation (matched by registered charity number).

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

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

Total income
£689k
Total spending
£561k
Cost of raising funds
£223k
Reserves (reported)
£361k
Employees
1

Reported reserves equal ~7.7 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (60% 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: 32.4% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Afghanistan · Belize · Brunei · Cyprus · Germany · Iraq · Kenya · Northern Ireland · Norway · Sierra Leone · United Arab Emirates

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£689k£561k
31/03/2024£276k£400k
31/03/2023£402k£466k
31/03/2022£524k£382k
31/03/2021£240k£254k

Common questions

Is BRITISH FORCES FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity holds free reserves of £360,687, which equate to approximately two years' operating costs. The trustees consider the charity a going concern, noting that while financially stable, greater cash resources would be prudent to underwrite potential drops in income. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds BRITISH FORCES FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name BRITISH FORCES FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include MRS WATERHOUSE CHARITABLE TRUST, THE GEORGE CADBURY TRUST (GEORGE HENRY T AND LAURENCE J CADBURY SECTIONS), SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUST, THE WILLIAM ALLEN YOUNG CHARITABLE TRUST, THE JAMES WEIR FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
MRS WATERHOUSE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£20k
MRS WATERHOUSE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£10k
MRS WATERHOUSE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£10k
THE GEORGE CADBURY TRUST (GEORGE HENRY T AND LAURENCE J CADBURY SECTIONS)FY2022£10k
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5k
THE WILLIAM ALLEN YOUNG CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£4k
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£4k
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£4k
THE JAMES WEIR FOUNDATIONFY2021£3k
THE SIMON GIBSON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£3k
The Belstead Ganzoni Charitable SettlementFY2022£2kGeneral charitable donations
THE WILLIAM ALLEN YOUNG CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£2k
THE WILLIAM ALLEN YOUNG CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£1k
THE URSULA KEYES TRUSTFY2023£1k
R G HILLS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1k
THE CATHERINE COOKSON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1kOther Charities/Voluntary Bodies
DORIS FIELD CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1kSingle payment
THE IAN ASKEW CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1k
THE IAN ASKEW CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1kGrant
DUMBRECK CHARITYFY2025£1kMiscellaneous
DORIS FIELD CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1kSingle payment
R G HILLS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1k
THE CARRINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£500
THE ASTOR FOUNDATIONFY2025£500Armed forces
DUMBRECK CHARITYFY2024£500Miscellaneous
THE TORY FAMILY FOUNDATIONFY2022£500
THE CARRINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£500
THE CARRINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£500
THE SAMUEL STOREY FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£200
MRS WATERHOUSE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£0

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
UK government01/04/2019£330kFinancial Assistance/Support
UK government01/04/2018£330kFinancial Assistance/Support
The National Lottery Community Fund30/03/2009£10kBFF Website Up-Grade
UK government—£330kFinancial Assistance/Support

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
WALKING WITH THE WOUNDED2£436k
THE ARMED FORCES EQUINE CHARITY2£41k
THE ARMY DEPENDANTS' TRUST1£2.5m
WARRANT OFFICERS' & SERGEANTS' MESS SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL & MECHANICAL ENGINEERS1£1.1m
ROYAL ARTILLERY CHARITABLE FUND1£407k
THE REME CHARITY1£263k
THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'S CORPS ASSOCIATION1£175k
MONDAY CHARITABLE TRUST1£130k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE VETERANS' FOUNDATION.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
BRITISH FORCES FOUNDATION£689k—0unclear—no doubt
THE VETERANS' FOUNDATION FY2025£17.3m£60,001 - £70,0001unclear—no doubt
BFBS FY2025£32.3m——unclear—no doubt
TEAM FORCES FOUNDATION FY2025£1.3m—0unclear—no doubt
Army Benevolent Fund FY2026£13.7m——unclear—no doubt
OFFICERS' MESS RAF BENSON FY2025£168k—0above—no doubt

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