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.

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

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. (held: £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.

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 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 2.7% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (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.

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

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
MAKERS OF PLAYING CARDS CHARITY	1	—
THE BLAKEY FOUNDATION	1	—
The Ethos Foundation	1	£3.5m
The Caring Family Foundation	1	£410k
THE MIKHEEV CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£305k
B&Q Foundation	1	£210k
THE WESTMINSTER FOUNDATION	1	£152k
QUINTESSENTIALLY FOUNDATION	1	£115k

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 A and J Charitable Trust income £590k
JOHN ARMITAGE MEMORIAL TRUST income £231k
THE J A R CHARITABLE TRUST income £128k
JOHN JAMES CHARITABLE TRUST income £344k
THE CHILDHOOD TRUST income £3.3m

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 A and J Charitable Trust FY2025	£590k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
JOHN ARMITAGE MEMORIAL TRUST FY2025	£231k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE J A R CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£128k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
JOHN JAMES CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£344k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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