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DEBRA

Registered charity 1084958 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Promote research for the benefit of the public into the cause, nature, treatment and cure of Epidermolysis Bullosa and other related medical conditions.To relieve physical and mental illness and distress among persons suffering from EB by the provision of practical advice, guidance and support for the persons responsible for their welfare

Causes: The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£18.2m
Latest spending
£18.6m
Registered
2001
Accounts read
FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that DEBRA reported a net deficit of £380,994 for the year ended December 2024, compared to a deficit of £662,920 in the previous year. Total gross income remained steady at £18.2 million, driven by £5.7 million in non-trading income and £12.3 million from other trading activities, primarily retail. The charity holds unrestricted reserves of £2.8 million, with cash-backed free reserves of £1 million, which the trustees confirm is sufficient to meet legal commitments as they fall due.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £130,001 - £140,000 — above the median for charities its size (£130k)
“Between £130,001 - £140,000 2”
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: £1m (held: £2.8m)
“The trustees’ reserves policy in 2024 was to maintain minimum cash-backed free reserves at £1m, to which the charity adhered.”
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Management charges charged to subsidiary DEBRA Trading Limited.
“During the year, the charity charged management charges totalling £6,500 including VAT (2023: £6,500) to its subsidiary, DEBRA Trading Limited.” — page 85
“No Trustees received community grants (2023: £nil), but three family members of Trustee received equipment grants totalling £5,583 in aggregate.”
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee family members received equipment grants.
“During the year, the charity charged management charges totalling £6,500 including VAT (2023: £6,500) to its subsidiary, DEBRA Trading Limited.” — page 85
“No Trustees received community grants (2023: £nil), but three family members of Trustee received equipment grants totalling £5,583 in aggregate.”
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Sayer Vincent LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Comparing this charity’s FY2023 and FY2024 accounts as analysed by this site.

Corporate structure

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — DEBRA (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.

Property (HM Land Registry)

17 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (3 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)

Total income
£18.2m
Total spending
£18.6m
Cost of raising funds
£14.7m
Reserves (reported)
£1.0m
Employees
362

Reported reserves equal ~0.6 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 81.0% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 3.8%) (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
31/12/2024£18.2m£18.6m
31/12/2023£18.2m£18.9m
31/12/2022£16.4m£16.0m
31/12/2021£13.3m£12.5m
31/12/2020£11.4m£13.8m

Common questions

Is DEBRA financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that DEBRA reported a net deficit of £380,994 for the year ended December 2024, compared to a deficit of £662,920 in the previous year. Total gross income remained steady at £18.2 million, driven by £5.7 million in non-trading income and £12.3 million from other trading activities, primarily retail. The charity holds unrestricted reserves of £2.8 million, with cash-backed free reserves of £1 million, which the trustees confirm is sufficient to meet legal commitments as they fall due. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Sayer Vincent LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of DEBRA earn?

Per its FY2024 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £130,001 - £140,000 band.

Who funds DEBRA?

Funders whose own accounts filings name DEBRA as a grant recipient include THE O'SULLIVAN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST, COLEFAX CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE O'SULLIVAN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£4k
THE O'SULLIVAN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£3k
COLEFAX CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£3k
THE O'SULLIVAN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£3k
THE O'SULLIVAN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£3k

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund12/11/2021£10kDEBRA's Annual Member's Weekend
The National Lottery Community Fund08/07/2020£46kCovid-19 Front-Line Support for People With Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB)
The National Lottery Community Fund05/04/2019£10kEB Community Connections
UK government01/04/2019£36kBuilding Connections Fund - Youth strand
UK government01/01/2019£36kBuilding Connections Fund - Youth strand
The National Lottery Community Fund01/09/2004£248kThe project will fund 1 full time Children's Worker, 1 part time Adult Supp

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 REED FOUNDATION2£11k
THE HARGREAVES FOUNDATION1£274k
THE SANDHU CHARITABLE FOUNDATION1£179k
MOONDANCE FOUNDATION1£75k
THE VTCT FOUNDATION1£66k
THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITY1£15k
JOHNNIE JOHNSON TRUST1£8k
HAYS TRAVEL FOUNDATION1£6k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with CURE EB (FORMERLY KNOWN AS SOHANA RESEARCH FUND).

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
DEBRA£18.2m£130,001 - £140,000—above—no doubt
CURE EB (FORMERLY KNOWN AS SOHANA RESEARCH FUND) FY2024£4.9m—0unclear—no doubt
BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF DERMATOLOGISTS FY2024£7.5m£100,001 - £110,0008above—no doubt
THE EHLERS-DANLOS SUPPORT UK FY2025£435k—0below—no doubt
Behcet's UK FY2025£219k—0unclear—no doubt
ECTODERMAL DYSPLASIA SOCIETY FY2025£107k—0unclear—no doubt

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