THE ANNA FREUD CENTRE

Registered charity 1077106 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The Anna Freud Centre improves the lives of thousands of children and young people with mental health problems every year. It provides a vital lifeline for families under pressure and is the UK's only children's mental health organisation to combine practice, training and world-class research, with a focus on family well-being.

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£27.5m
Latest spending
£29.7m
Registered
1999
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported an operating deficit of £2.0m for the year ended 31 August 2025, driven by the loss of large-scale programmes and increased costs. Per the trustees' report, free and unrestricted reserves fell to £5.3m, which is below the stated policy target of three months of operating expenditure, though the trustees maintain that sufficient resources exist to continue operations for the foreseeable future.

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 — below the median for charities its size (£130k)
“£100,001 — £110,000 4” — page 46
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Largest income source: Education & Training (30% of income)
“Education & Training 8,277,918” — page 33
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £5.3m; policy: three months of relevant operating expenditure)
“The decrease in free reserves to £5.3m represents 2.3 months of operating expenditure and is £1.6m below our policy of holding a minimum of three months relevant operating expenditure.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustees and related parties made donations totalling £65,718 in the year to the Anna Freud Centre.
“Trustees and related parties made donations totalling £65,718 in the year to the Anna Freud Centre. (2024: £116,453)”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by HaysMac LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Anna Freud Centre (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.

Public-sector contracts awarded

From the official Contracts Finder and Find a Tender notices (supplier matched by exact registered name). Contract income is distinct from grants.

BuyerContractAwardedValue
Crown Commercial ServiceProvision of a community of practice and community of practice portal09/09/2025£399k

Property (HM Land Registry)

2 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (2 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

CQC provider record: The Anna Freud Centre — Registered, 3 registered locations, 1 regulated activity, last inspected 10/04/2018.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2025)

Total income
£27.5m
Total spending
£29.7m
Cost of raising funds
£662k
Reserves (reported)
£5.3m
Employees
472

Reported reserves equal ~2.1 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (81% 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: 2.4% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Care Quality Commission ratings

CQC inspection ratings for services run by a provider matching this charity’s name (matched by name; verify provider identity on CQC’s site).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/08/2025£27.5m£29.7m
31/08/2024£29.2m£28.0m
31/08/2023£24.7m£25.7m
31/08/2022£22.0m£20.0m
31/08/2021£16.9m£16.8m

Common questions

Is THE ANNA FREUD CENTRE financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported an operating deficit of £2.0m for the year ended 31 August 2025, driven by the loss of large-scale programmes and increased costs. Per the trustees' report, free and unrestricted reserves fell to £5.3m, which is below the stated policy target of three months of operating expenditure, though the trustees maintain that sufficient resources exist to continue operations for the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by HaysMac LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE ANNA FREUD CENTRE earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £100,001 - £110,000 band.

Who funds THE ANNA FREUD CENTRE?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE ANNA FREUD CENTRE as a grant recipient include THE M J SAMUEL CHARITABLE TRUST, THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST, THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION, FOUNDATIONS - WHAT WORKS CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, THE GAUDIO FAMILY FOUNDATION (UK) LIMITED.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE M J SAMUEL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1.1m
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£800kThe prevention or relief of poverty
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£500kAdvancement of health or the saving of lives
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATIONFY2024£430kTowards appointing three new posts (IT Manager, Head of Digital Learning, Salesforce Administrator) to support the development and launch of the Anna Freud Digi
FOUNDATIONS - WHAT WORKS CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIESFY2022£162kPrevent/Protect/Repair/Lighthouse
THE GAUDIO FAMILY FOUNDATION (UK) LIMITEDFY2021£150kCharitable activity
THE GAUDIO FAMILY FOUNDATION (UK) LIMITEDFY2022£150kGrants made
THE PRUDENCE TRUSTFY2021£140kfor their Schools Support Service, offering remote support to young people, parents and teachers
FOUNDATIONS - WHAT WORKS CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIESFY2025£120kReducing Parental Conflict
FOUNDATIONS - WHAT WORKS CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIESFY2022£117kLighthouse Parenting
FOUNDATIONS - WHAT WORKS CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIESFY2025£107kParenting Interventions
THE MERCERS CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONFY2022£100kYoung People & Education Programme
FOUNDATIONS - WHAT WORKS CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIESFY2023£75kPrevent/Protect/Repair/Lighthouse
THE KPMG FOUNDATIONFY2023£60kBetter support for foster carers – the Reflective Fostering Programme (grant extension)
FOUNDATIONS - WHAT WORKS CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIESFY2023£55kLighthouse
THE MERCERS CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONFY2023£50kYoung People & Education Programme
THE PRUDENCE TRUSTFY2022£30kScoping for targeted marketing project
THE BLOOM FOUNDATIONFY2025£30k
THE ORP FOUNDATIONFY2023£20kChildren and Education
THE RAYNE FOUNDATIONFY2022£20kTowards piloting the expansion of its current counselling services to introduce video-based counselling.
FOUNDATIONS - WHAT WORKS CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIESFY2023£19kPine Progression
THE M J SAMUEL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£18k
THE M J SAMUEL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£17k
ST GILES-IN-THE-FIELDS AND WILLIAM SHELTON EDUCATIONAL CHARITYFY2022£14kStrategic Grant (Family Therapy)
ST GILES-IN-THE-FIELDS AND WILLIAM SHELTON EDUCATIONAL CHARITYFY2021£14kFamily Therapy in Schools
THE PRUDENCE TRUSTFY2022£10kScoping for targeted marketing project
THE PRUDENCE TRUSTFY2022£10kScoping for targeted marketing project
THE ORP FOUNDATIONFY2024£10kSupporting good causes
THE ROTHERMERE FOUNDATIONFY2025£10kOther charitable donations
THE ORP FOUNDATIONFY2025£10k
THE DANSON FOUNDATIONFY2021£5k
THE BUZZACOTT STUART DEFRIES MEMORIAL FUNDFY2025£5k
THE ROYAL FOUNDATION OF THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALESFY2025£3kCentre for Early Childhood
THE DANSON FOUNDATIONFY2022£2k
THE M J SAMUEL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£1k
THE HASLUCK CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1k
FOUNDATIONS - WHAT WORKS CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIESFY2025£0Displaced Children

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
Greenwood Place01/07/2022£150kGrant to Anna Freud Centre
St Giles & St George10/05/2022£14kGrant to Anna Freud Centre
Greenwood Place01/07/2021£150kGrant to Anna Freud Centre
UK government01/04/2021£30kAnna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
City Bridge Foundation17/09/2020£63kGrant to Anna Freud Centre
Greenwood Place01/07/2020£160kGrant to Anna Freud Centre
UK government28/04/2020£97kAnna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
City Bridge Foundation18/11/2019£2kEco audit to Anna Freud Centre
The Mercers' Company25/09/2019£300kGrant to The Anna Freud Centre
The National Lottery Community Fund05/07/2019£850kUK Trauma Council
UK government01/04/2019£147kReducing Parental Conflict (RPC) - Challenge Fund Grant - Anna Freud Centre
The National Lottery Community Fund10/11/2014£159kEvaluating the initial (pilot) stage of the HeadStart programme
City Bridge Foundation22/01/2009£90kGrant to Anna Freud Centre
The National Lottery Community Fund16/03/2005£173kVulnerable Adopted Adolescents: Improving Outcomes
The National Lottery Community Fund06/07/2004£207kHelping parents with mental health problems to parent young infants!

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.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ST MARGARET'S CENTRE.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE ANNA FREUD CENTRE£27.5m£100,001 - £110,000—below—no doubt
ST MARGARET'S CENTRE FY2025£328k—0unclear—noted
FAMILIES AND BABIES (FAB) FY2025£497k—0unclear—noted
ANXIOUS MINDS FY2025£477k—0below—no doubt
THE CENTRE FOR BETTER HEALTH LTD FY2025£649k£60,001 - £70,0001below—no doubt
THE COUNSELLING HUB FY2025£118k—0unclear—no doubt

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