ASPIRE ( ASSOCIATION FOR SPINAL INJURY RESEARCH REHABILITATION AND REINTEGRATION )

Registered charity 1075317 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE HAREBELL APPEAL

Aspire works with people with a spinal cord injury to create opportunity, choice and independence. We aim to support people to lead a fulfilled and independent life from the moment of their injury throughout their life. We are also committed to research in the field of technology to find cost effective solutions to improve the quality of disabled people's lives.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · Accommodation/housing · Amateur Sport · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£3.9m

Latest spending

£3.6m

Registered

1999

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total income increased to £4.2m, supported by charitable activities and joint ventures, while total fundraising costs remained at £560k. The charity reports unrestricted funds of £1,874k against tangible fixed assets of £362k, resulting in net reserves of £1,173k, which the Trustees consider sufficient for current needs. Although the charity is preparing on a going concern basis, it notes ongoing financial pressures from rising employment costs and inflation.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £100,001 - £110,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £70k)

“The number of employees whose annual emoluments were £60,000 or more were: 100,001 — 110,000 1 1” — page 33

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“The number of employees whose annual emoluments were £60,000 or more were: 100,001 — 110,000 1 1” — page 33

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Fundraising cost ratio: 34.0% of fundraised income, as disclosed

“The total cost of fundraising remains similar to the last two years at £560k. Our net fundraising return, however, increased from 31% to 34%.” — page 13

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: sufficient for needs / long-term aim to increase (held: £1.2m)

“In the opinion of the Trustees, the reserves are sufficient for Aspire’s needs, however, the Trustees’ long-term aim is to increase the reserves and, in particular, to increase the component backed by liquid assets, such as cash, to enhance the flexibility of its cash management.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Azets Audit Services. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

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

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

Total income

£3.9m

Total spending

£3.6m

Cost of raising funds

£560k

Reserves (reported)

£1.2m

Employees

111

Reported reserves equal ~3.9 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (49% 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: 14.2% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Jean-Baptiste Wautierchair
Andrew Richard Chaplin
Dr Mary Gibson
Dr Pradeep Thumbikat · trustee of 1 other charity
Hamisha Mehta
Jennifer Laura Sacks
Matthew Christopher Bassett
Mohammed Belal
Nicholas Flanagan
Rebecca Wilmot
Stephen Gardiner

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

Operates in: Ireland · Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£3.9m	£3.6m
31/03/2024	£3.8m	£3.6m
31/03/2023	£3.6m	£3.7m
31/03/2022	£3.4m	£3.5m
31/03/2021	£3.4m	£2.9m

Common questions

Is ASPIRE ( ASSOCIATION FOR SPINAL INJURY RESEARCH REHABILITATION AND REINTEGRATION ) financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total income increased to £4.2m, supported by charitable activities and joint ventures, while total fundraising costs remained at £560k. The charity reports unrestricted funds of £1,874k against tangible fixed assets of £362k, resulting in net reserves of £1,173k, which the Trustees consider sufficient for current needs. Although the charity is preparing on a going concern basis, it notes ongoing financial pressures from rising employment costs and inflation. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Azets Audit Services.

What does the highest-paid employee of ASPIRE ( ASSOCIATION FOR SPINAL INJURY RESEARCH REHABILITATION AND REINTEGRATION ) earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £100,001 - £110,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds ASPIRE ( ASSOCIATION FOR SPINAL INJURY RESEARCH REHABILITATION AND REINTEGRATION )?

Funders whose own accounts filings name ASPIRE ( ASSOCIATION FOR SPINAL INJURY RESEARCH REHABILITATION AND REINTEGRATION ) as a grant recipient include THE LONDON MARATHON CHARITABLE TRUST LIMITED, THE J G GRAVES CHARITABLE TRUST, THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED, CHAPMAN CHARITABLE TRUST, THE IAN ASKEW CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE LONDON MARATHON CHARITABLE TRUST LIMITED	FY2023	£50k	Leisure centre refurbishment
THE J G GRAVES CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£47k
THE LONDON MARATHON CHARITABLE TRUST LIMITED	FY2024	£32k	Leisure centre refurbishment
THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED	FY2025	£10k	Disability
THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED	FY2023	£2k	Disability
CHAPMAN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£2k
THE IAN ASKEW CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£1k
THE IAN ASKEW CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£1k	Estate Fund

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	06/02/2026	£20k	Aspire's Money Matters Service for people with spinal cord injuries
The National Lottery Community Fund	23/07/2024	£496k	Aspire & SIA’s cost-of-living support project for people with spinal cord injury
The National Lottery Community Fund	17/06/2024	£20k	The Aspire Independent Living Service for people paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury
The National Lottery Community Fund	15/12/2023	£20k	The Aspire Money Matters Service for people paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury
The National Lottery Community Fund	10/02/2023	£7k	The Aspire Independent Living Service
City Bridge Foundation	21/07/2022	£128k	Grant to Aspire
The National Lottery Community Fund	14/06/2022	£10k	The Aspire Patient Education Programme for people with spinal cord injuries
The National Lottery Community Fund	25/02/2022	£240k	Injury to Independence - support for spinal cord injured people
The National Lottery Community Fund	16/11/2021	£10k	Aspire's Independent Living Service (Northern Ireland)
The National Lottery Community Fund	15/10/2021	£10k	Assistive Technology at Aspire
UK government	18/03/2021	£150k	Transforming national Spinal Cord Injury services
UK government	05/10/2020	£50k	Coronavirus Community Support Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund	18/06/2020	£10k	Aspire Patient Education and Skills Resources project
The National Lottery Community Fund	29/05/2020	£10k	Aspire Independent Living Northern Ireland
Greater London Authority	04/01/2015	£1k	Grant to Aspire
City Bridge Foundation	15/05/2014	£2k	Grant to Aspire
The National Lottery Community Fund	12/04/2011	£120k	The Aspire Independent Living Programme
City Bridge Foundation	15/04/2010	£23k	Grant to Aspire

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 FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£6k
THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£5k
SHAREDIMPACT	1	—
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£400k
THE ALBERT GUBAY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£67k
COMMUNITY ACTION ISLE OF WIGHT	1	£66k
THE FIELDROSE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£50k
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£36k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ASPIRE LIVING LIMITED.

ASPIRE LIVING LIMITED income £11.4m
THE INSPIRE FOUNDATION income £282k
ASPIRE CHURCH income £100k
ASPIRE RYDE income £1.6m
INTERNATIONAL SPINAL RESEARCH TRUST income £3.4m
SPIRIT (SPINAL PARALYSIS AND INJURIES RESEARCH INFORMATION AND TRAINING) income £186k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
ASPIRE ( ASSOCIATION FOR SPINAL INJURY RESEARCH REHABILITATION AND REINTEGRATION )	£3.9m	£100,001 - £110,000	1	unclear	34.0%	no doubt
ASPIRE LIVING LIMITED FY2025	£11.4m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
THE INSPIRE FOUNDATION FY2025	£282k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
ASPIRE CHURCH FY2025	£100k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
ASPIRE RYDE FY2024	£1.6m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
INTERNATIONAL SPINAL RESEARCH TRUST FY2025	£3.4m	—	—	above	—	no doubt

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