BRIGHTON & HOVE SPEAK OUT
Speak Out provides a range of advocacy support for adults with learning disabilities in Brighton and Hove and Sussex. The charity aims to support people with learning disabilities to: - express their views and have control over their lives - understand and claim their rights - access the support and services they need - participate in and contribute to their communities.
Objects
The relief of people who have learning difficulties and who live in Brighton & Hove or East Sussex or West Sussex.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure deficit of £596 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total income of £330,838 and total expenditure of £331,434. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves stood at £102,804, which is slightly below the stated policy target of four months of expenditure.
What the accounts disclose
“As this is slightly below the level set by our policy, the future financial outlook is to continue to pursue a policy of increasing reserves” — page 7
Policies the charity declares
- Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
- Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
- Complaints handling
- Complaints policy and procedures
- Conflicting interests
- Financial reserves policy and procedures
- Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
- Internal risk management policy and procedures
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding policy and procedures
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Social media policy and procedures
- Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
- Trustee expenses policy and procedures
- Volunteer management
From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025
- Volunteers: 17
- Government income: £159,133 — contracts £88,052 (4), grants £71,081 (2); 48% of the £330,838 total gross income on the same return
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024
- Volunteers: 13
- Government income: £164,080 — contracts £72,353 (1), grants £91,727 (2); 51% of the £320,869 total gross income on the same return
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023
- Volunteers: 12
- Government income: £136,675 — contracts £72,353 (1), grants £64,322 (3); 46% of the £300,379 total gross income on the same return
- Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit
Funders the charity credits
- Brighton and Hove City Council
Trustees
- Emily Ballantyne
- Isabel Hope-Urwin
- Margaret Wood
- Nathaniel Lawford
- Rohan Lowe
- Sally Jones
- Seth Farsides
- Sophie Cook
- Victoria Goldfield
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2025 | £331k | £331k |
| 31/03/2024 | £321k | £311k |
| 31/03/2023 | £300k | £292k |
| 31/03/2022 | £287k | £294k |
| 31/03/2021 | £333k | £299k |
Common questions
Is BRIGHTON & HOVE SPEAK OUT financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure deficit of £596 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total income of £330,838 and total expenditure of £331,434. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves stood at £102,804, which is slightly below the stated policy target of four months of expenditure. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.
Who funds BRIGHTON & HOVE SPEAK OUT?
Funders whose own accounts filings name BRIGHTON & HOVE SPEAK OUT as a grant recipient include THE SUSSEX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, THE IAN ASKEW CHARITABLE TRUST.
Known funders
| Funder | Year | Amount | Purpose (as stated by the funder) |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE SUSSEX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | FY2022 | £10k | |
| THE IAN ASKEW CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2022 | £1k | Grant |
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 29/07/2026 | £412k | Learning Disability Voices Network |
| Postcode Lottery | 03/04/2023 | £25k | Unrestricted Funding |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 03/09/2021 | £10k | Covid-19 stories from the Learning Disability Community |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 19/12/2018 | £219k | Learning Disability Voices Network |
| The National Lottery Heritage Fund | 24/10/2017 | £10k | "Our History Our Voice - 25 years of speaking out in Brighton and Hove" |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 02/11/2016 | £9k | Speak Out's 'Getting Involved Project' |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 15/08/2012 | £155k | The Hub |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 17/10/2006 | £5k | You Can Do It |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 22/04/2005 | £5k | Conference project |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| MOTABILITY | 1 | £1.6m |
| THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION | 1 | £243k |
| Point North Community Foundation | 1 | £183k |
| CHARITY OF SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON | 1 | £105k |
| THE WILL CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £35k |
| HEART RESEARCH UK | 1 | £10k |
| THE INMAN CHARITY | 1 | £3k |
| THE VARRIER-JONES FOUNDATION | 1 | £3k |
Charities like this
- SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW
- SPEAKUP SELF ADVOCACY LIMITED
- LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP
- BRANCHING OUT
- SPEAKING OUT FORUM
- STAND OUT FOR AUTISM
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRIGHTON & HOVE SPEAK OUT | £331k | — | 0 | below | — | no doubt |
| SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW | £283k | — | 0 | unclear | — | noted |
| SPEAKUP SELF ADVOCACY LIMITED | £657k | — | 0 | within | — | no doubt |
| LEWISHAM SPEAKING UP | £180k | — | 0 | above | — | no doubt |
| BRANCHING OUT | £638k | — | 1 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| SPEAKING OUT FORUM | £47k | — | — | above | — | no doubt |