THE JOHN ARMITAGE CHARITABLE TRUST

Registered charity 1079688 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The charity provides financial support to charitable organisations at the discretion of the trustees in accordance with the trust deed, with a focus on disadvantaged children and youth support, education, medical care, arts and culture, prisoners and young offenders and religious organizations. The principal objective of the charity is to help people to help themselves.

Objects

THE TRUSTEES SHALL HOLD THE TRUST FUND UPON TRUST TO APPLY THE INCOME(OR SUCH PART OR PARTS OF THE INCOME) FOR OR TOWARDS SUCH CHARITABLE PURPOSES AS THE TRUSTEES SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME IN THEIR ABSOLUTE DISCRETION DECIDE PROVIDED THAT THE TRUSTEES SHALL ALSO HAVE POWER IN THEIR ABSOLUTE DISCRETION FROM TIME TO TIME TO APPLY THE WHOLE OR ANY PART OR PARTS OF THE CAPITAL OF THE TRUSTEE FUND FOR SUCH CHARITABLE PURPOSES.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

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

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Religious Activities · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: City of London, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£9.2m

Latest spending

£7.8m

Registered

2000

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity holds unrestricted reserves of £231,696,131, derived entirely from its Expendable Endowment Fund. The trustees' policy is to recognize unrestricted funds and transfers from the endowment as needed, stating they do not believe the charity needs to hold more significant reserves. The charity is entirely reliant on investment returns from this endowment to fund its charitable activities.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: The trustees do not, therefore, believe that the Charity needs to hold more significant reserves. (reserves figure: £231.7m)

“The trustees do not, therefore, believe that the Charity needs to hold more significant reserves.” — page 5

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Mrs C Armitage, a trustee, is a member of the Campaign Development Board of Westminster Abbey, a beneficiary. Donations totalling £55,000 were made.

“Mrs C Armitage, a trustee of the Charity, is also a member of the Campaign Development Board of Westminster Abbey, a beneficiary of the Charity. During the year the Charity made donations totalling £55,000 (2024 - £50,000) to Westminster Abbey.” — page 25

“Mr W Francklin, a trustee of the Charity, is also a trustee of Independence at Home and the Northamptonshire community foundation, who are both beneficiaries of the Charity. During the year the Charity made donations totalling £75,000 (2024 £72,000) to Independence at Home and £70,000 (2024 - £70,000) to Northamptonshire community foundation.” — page 25

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Mr W Francklin, a trustee, is a trustee of Independence at Home and the Northamptonshire community foundation, beneficiaries. Donations totalling £75,000 and £70,000 were made respectively.

“Mrs C Armitage, a trustee of the Charity, is also a member of the Campaign Development Board of Westminster Abbey, a beneficiary of the Charity. During the year the Charity made donations totalling £55,000 (2024 - £50,000) to Westminster Abbey.” — page 25

“Mr W Francklin, a trustee of the Charity, is also a trustee of Independence at Home and the Northamptonshire community foundation, who are both beneficiaries of the Charity. During the year the Charity made donations totalling £75,000 (2024 £72,000) to Independence at Home and £70,000 (2024 - £70,000) to Northamptonshire community foundation.” — page 25

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Mrs C Francklin, a trustee, is church warden of St John the Evangelist Church, Wicken, a beneficiary. Donations totalling £25,000 were made.

“Mrs C Armitage, a trustee of the Charity, is also a member of the Campaign Development Board of Westminster Abbey, a beneficiary of the Charity. During the year the Charity made donations totalling £55,000 (2024 - £50,000) to Westminster Abbey.” — page 25

“Mr W Francklin, a trustee of the Charity, is also a trustee of Independence at Home and the Northamptonshire community foundation, who are both beneficiaries of the Charity. During the year the Charity made donations totalling £75,000 (2024 £72,000) to Independence at Home and £70,000 (2024 - £70,000) to Northamptonshire community foundation.” — page 25

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Mr H Francklin, son of trustees, is a trustee of Mvumi School Trust, a beneficiary. Donations totalling £20,000 were made.

“Mrs C Armitage, a trustee of the Charity, is also a member of the Campaign Development Board of Westminster Abbey, a beneficiary of the Charity. During the year the Charity made donations totalling £55,000 (2024 - £50,000) to Westminster Abbey.” — page 25

“Mr W Francklin, a trustee of the Charity, is also a trustee of Independence at Home and the Northamptonshire community foundation, who are both beneficiaries of the Charity. During the year the Charity made donations totalling £75,000 (2024 £72,000) to Independence at Home and £70,000 (2024 - £70,000) to Northamptonshire community foundation.” — page 25

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Mr R MacInnes, a trustee, has a spouse employed by Community TechAid, a beneficiary. Donations totalling £22,000 were made.

“Mrs C Armitage, a trustee of the Charity, is also a member of the Campaign Development Board of Westminster Abbey, a beneficiary of the Charity. During the year the Charity made donations totalling £55,000 (2024 - £50,000) to Westminster Abbey.” — page 25

“Mr W Francklin, a trustee of the Charity, is also a trustee of Independence at Home and the Northamptonshire community foundation, who are both beneficiaries of the Charity. During the year the Charity made donations totalling £75,000 (2024 £72,000) to Independence at Home and £70,000 (2024 - £70,000) to Northamptonshire community foundation.” — page 25

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Carston ETL. 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.

Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Risk management
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures

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 05/04/2025

Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 05/04/2024

Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 05/04/2023

Grant-making is its main activity

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 05/04/2025)

Total income

£9.2m

Total spending

£7.8m

Cost of raising funds

£252k

Reserves (reported)

£0

Employees

1

Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 2.7% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

CATHERINE MARY ARMITAGE
CELINA FRANCKLIN
MR J C ARMITAGE
Robert Alasdair MacInnes
WILLIAM ALEXANDER MAVOURN FRANCKLIN · trustee of 2 other charities

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
05/04/2025	£9.2m	£7.8m
05/04/2024	£7.8m	£7.9m
05/04/2023	£11.3m	£6.1m
05/04/2022	£16.3m	£7.7m
05/04/2021	£4.4m	£4.6m

Common questions

Is THE JOHN ARMITAGE CHARITABLE TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity holds unrestricted reserves of £231,696,131, derived entirely from its Expendable Endowment Fund. The trustees' policy is to recognize unrestricted funds and transfers from the endowment as needed, stating they do not believe the charity needs to hold more significant reserves. The charity is entirely reliant on investment returns from this endowment to fund its charitable activities. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Carston ETL.

Who funds THE JOHN ARMITAGE CHARITABLE TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE JOHN ARMITAGE CHARITABLE TRUST as a grant recipient include CHELSEA ACADEMY FOUNDATION, CLASSICS FOR ALL.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
CHELSEA ACADEMY FOUNDATION	FY2023	£70k	projects for the academic year 2022- 2023
CLASSICS FOR ALL	FY2025	£5k	Durham Classics Society

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 ROGER DE HAAN CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£34k
JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£10k
The William Brake Foundation	1	£2k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE JOHN MACLEOD CHARITABLE TRUST.

THE JOHN MACLEOD CHARITABLE TRUST income £226k
THE JONGEN CHARITABLE TRUST income £22.3m
JOHN ANDREWS CHARITABLE TRUST income £188k
JOHN JAMES CHARITABLE TRUST income £344k
JOHN ARMITAGE MEMORIAL TRUST income £188k
THE RANMORE CHARITABLE TRUST income £17k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE JOHN ARMITAGE CHARITABLE TRUST	£9.2m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE JOHN MACLEOD CHARITABLE TRUST FY2024	£226k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE JONGEN CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£22.3m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
JOHN ANDREWS CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£188k	—	—	above	—	no doubt
JOHN JAMES CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£344k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
JOHN ARMITAGE MEMORIAL TRUST FY2026	£188k	—	—	above	—	no doubt

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