Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

CHILDLIFE

Registered charity 1080536 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Childlife helps to improve the lives of children and young people throughout the UK by raising funds for the work of its four member charities. Our partner charities supporting children are Ataxia UK, Acorns Children's Hospice, National Deaf Children's Society and the National Children's Bureau.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£1.4m
Latest spending
£1.2m
Registered
2000
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated a net income surplus of £170,754 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total unrestricted funds carried forward reaching £788,253. Per the trustees' report, these reserves fall above the stated policy target of three to six months' operating costs, indicating a strong financial position. The auditors confirmed that the use of the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate with no material uncertainties identified.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three to six months' operating costs (held: £788k)
“It is the policy of Childlife to have free reserves amounting to no less than three months and no more than six months’ operating costs. Based on the 2024-25 budget, the required reserve level for the year end was set at £218,296 (low) to £436,592 (high).” — page 11
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: The board of trustees, which has four members, one from each member charity, administers the Charity and meets quarterly. Each trustee is an employee of one of the member charities. Grants of £112,500 each (2024: £102,500 each) were payable to the four member charities during the financial year.
“Grants of £112,500 each (2024: £102,500 each) were payable to the four member charities during the financial year. The Charity was controlled by four member charities throughout the financial year. Names of member charities are Acorns Children's Hospice, Ataxia UK,National Children's Bureau, and National Deaf Children's Society.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Barnes Noble Ltd. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Childlife (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.

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

Total income
£1.4m
Total spending
£1.2m
Cost of raising funds
£722k
Reserves (reported)
£788k
Employees
3

Reported reserves equal ~8.0 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (99% 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: 53.2% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£1.4m£1.2m
31/03/2024£1.3m£1.1m
31/03/2023£1.3m£1.3m
31/03/2022£1.2m£1.3m
31/03/2021£998k£904k

Common questions

Is CHILDLIFE financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a net income surplus of £170,754 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total unrestricted funds carried forward reaching £788,253. Per the trustees' report, these reserves fall above the stated policy target of three to six months' operating costs, indicating a strong financial position. The auditors confirmed that the use of the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Barnes Noble Ltd.

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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE ADINT CHARITABLE TRUST3£60k
THE ICELAND FOODS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION2£738k
THE S M B TRUST2£8k
THE SIMON GIBSON CHARITABLE TRUST2£6k
ARIMATHEA CHARITABLE TRUST2£2k
SALOMAN FOUNDATION1—
BERNARD LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST1£1.4m
HOLLYHOCK CHARITABLE FOUNDATION1£1.1m

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with NEWLIFE THE CHARITY FOR DISABLED CHILDREN.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
CHILDLIFE£1.4m—0above—no doubt
NEWLIFE THE CHARITY FOR DISABLED CHILDREN FY2025£15.4m£180,001 - £190,000—above—no doubt
WELLCHILD FY2025£1.9m——unclear—no doubt
LITTLE LIVES UK FY2026£1.5m£80,000 - £89,9992unclear—no doubt
LIFE FOR A KID FOUNDATION FY2025£177k—0unclear—no doubt
NEW LIFE FY2024£271k——unclear—no doubt

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