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

Active Bolton

Registered charity 1087039 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BOLTON ARENA, BOLTON MIDDLEBROOK LEISURE TRUST

Provision of Sporting and Leisure Activities

Causes: Education/training · Amateur Sport · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£3.2m
Latest spending
£3.1m
Registered
2001
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the group reported a net income of £134,815 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with consolidated reserves increasing to £1,337,382. The trustees confirm that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, supported by sustained growth in fitness memberships and stable trading activities.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £110,001 - £120,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £70k)
“One employee received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) in the band £110,000 - £120,000 in the current year.” — page 23
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Employees paid over £60,000: 1
“One employee received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) in the band £110,000 - £120,000 in the current year.” — page 23
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £956k)
“At 31 March 2025, the individual charity’s free reserves were £781,271 (being unrestricted funds less designated funds and fixed assets).”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Sponsorship and gym membership received from University of Bolton, an entity of which a trustee is an executive director.
“The charity received £58,000 during the year from the University of Bolton (2024 - £nil), an entity of which Mr A Matthiaou (Trustee) is an executive director, for sponsorship and a workforce gym membership.” — page 29
“The charity received £2,880 during the year from Digicomm 360 Ltd, a company of which Mr M Pollitt is a director, for advertising and gym memberships (2024 - £2,400).” — page 29
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Advertising and gym membership income received from Digicomm 360 Ltd.
“The charity received £58,000 during the year from the University of Bolton (2024 - £nil), an entity of which Mr A Matthiaou (Trustee) is an executive director, for sponsorship and a workforce gym membership.” — page 29
“The charity received £2,880 during the year from Digicomm 360 Ltd, a company of which Mr M Pollitt is a director, for advertising and gym memberships (2024 - £2,400).” — page 29
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Staff welfare services paid to Anderton Centre – LOAI Limited, a company of which a trustee is a director.
“The charity received £58,000 during the year from the University of Bolton (2024 - £nil), an entity of which Mr A Matthiaou (Trustee) is an executive director, for sponsorship and a workforce gym membership.” — page 29
“The charity received £2,880 during the year from Digicomm 360 Ltd, a company of which Mr M Pollitt is a director, for advertising and gym memberships (2024 - £2,400).” — page 29
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Bolton Arena Trading Limited
“There is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trust, Bolton Arena Trading Limited, which provides catering and retail facilities.” — page 5
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Barlow Andrews LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

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

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

Total income
£3.2m
Total spending
£3.1m
Cost of raising funds
£485k
Reserves (reported)
£1.2m
Employees
86

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

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (72% 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: 15.1% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Bolton

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£3.2m£3.1m
31/03/2024£2.9m£2.8m
31/03/2023£2.7m£2.8m
31/03/2022£2.3m£2.0m
31/03/2021£1.3m£1.5m

Common questions

Is Active Bolton financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the group reported a net income of £134,815 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with consolidated reserves increasing to £1,337,382. The trustees confirm that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, supported by sustained growth in fitness memberships and stable trading activities. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Barlow Andrews LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of Active Bolton earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £110,001 - £120,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds Active Bolton?

Funders whose own accounts filings name Active Bolton as a grant recipient include BOLTON TOGETHER.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
BOLTON TOGETHERFY2025£18k
BOLTON TOGETHERFY2024£12k
BOLTON TOGETHERFY2023£11k
BOLTON TOGETHERFY2022£3k

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund23/02/2024£20kActive Age
The National Lottery Community Fund11/11/2022£10kWalking to Wellbeing
The National Lottery Community Fund07/06/2018£10kWalk Sports
The National Lottery Community Fund13/10/2016£9kHorwich Festival of Racing
Sport England14/09/2016£8kGot Dementia, Move On
The National Lottery Community Fund24/08/2016£8kBolton Middlebrook Leisure Trust - Project Wednesday
Sport England12/12/2013£15kStep2action
Sport England30/04/2013£76kInspire2action

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
BOLTON COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY SERVICES1£140k
THE JOSEPH RANK TRUST1£25k
EDWARD HOLT TRUST1£15k
CONGREGATIONAL AND GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUST1£13k
THE NORWOOD AND NEWTON SETTLEMENT1£10k
NFL FOUNDATION UK1£8k
Army Benevolent Fund1£7k
THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED1£6k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BOLTON COMMUNITY LEISURE.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
Active Bolton£3.2m£110,001 - £120,0001below—no doubt
BOLTON COMMUNITY LEISURE FY2025£6.3m—0unclear—no doubt
BOLTON SOLIDARITY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION FY2025£338k—0unclear—no doubt
MANINAGAR SHREE SWAMINARAYAN GADI SANSTHAN SHREE MUKTAJEEVAN SWAMIBAPA STHAPIT SHREE SWAMINARAYAN SIDHANT SAJIVAN MANDAL - BOLTON FY2025£571k—0unclear—no doubt
Grace Church, Bolton FY2025£366k—0above—no doubt
THE BRIDGE CHURCH BOLTON FY2024£668k£62,463—above—no doubt

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