SOMERSET COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1094446 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Somerset Community Foundation is a charity that helps passionate people in Somerset change the world on their doorstep by funding local charities and inspiring local giving and philanthropy.

Causes: Education/training · Disability · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Amateur Sport · Environment/conservation/heritage · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£5.6m

Latest spending

£5.1m

Registered

2002

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted funds were £732,151, with free reserves standing at £302,936. The trustees consider this to be a sustainable position, supported by a reserves policy aimed at meeting short-term cash flow needs and managing income fluctuations. The charity reported an overall income of £4,808,132 and expenditure of £4,863,984 for the year.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Donations and grants

“Income 3,411,920 Interest and Investment Income 485,288 Gross Income in the Reporting Period 3,897,208”

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: sufficient unrestricted reserves to meet short-term cash flow needs, manage medium-term fluctuations in income and, if necessary, enable the Foundation to manage a long-term decline in income (held: £303k)

“The Foundation’s Reserves Policy (reviewed in September 2021) is to hold sufficient unrestricted reserves to meet short-term cash flow needs, manage medium-term fluctuations in income and, if necessary, enable the Foundation to manage a long-term decline in income.”

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Grant to charity where CEO is trustee

“During the year, the Foundation made grants worth £45,500 (2023: £177,154) to The Nelson Trust, a charity of which J Sargent, Chief Executive, is a Trustee. The terms of, and process for providing this grant are the same as all other grants made in the year.” — page 28

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by AC Mole LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

RFPs: Somerset Community Foundation’s Social Investment Programme (UK) www2.fundsforngos.org · 19/01/2026
Somerset Community Foundation funding for pub and shop run by communities wsfp.co.uk · 07/01/2025
Somerset Community Foundation launches Mendip Hills Fund Programme – UK www2.fundsforngos.org · 10/11/2024
UK: Somerset Community Foundation announces Main Grants www2.fundsforngos.org · 27/02/2023
Somerset Community Foundation provides meals with Festive Fund somersetcountygazette.co.uk · 30/12/2022

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Somerset Community Foundation (matched by registered charity number).

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Justin Sargent OBE DL — Chief Executive (source)
Andy Ridgewell — Programmes and Partnerships Director (source)
Kelly Hall — Operations and Resources Director (source)
Kristen Pye — Philanthropy and Marketing Director (source)

Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Somerset Council — “Thanks to Somerset Council for partnering to provide 50% matched funding for every donation, which means our supporters make an even bigger …” (source page)
Bhere Ltd — “We’re particularly grateful to the following organisations, who provide vital funding to support our core work alongside many other wonderfu…” (source page)

Property (HM Land Registry)

2 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 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

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

Total income

£7.5m

Total spending

£5.1m

Cost of raising funds

£223k

Reserves (reported)

£728k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~1.7 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 3.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (15/06/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (04/09/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (05/08/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (21/12/2022) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (22/03/2021) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (24/01/2020) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Amanda Ellingworth · trustee of 3 other charities
David Michael John Taylor
Giles Wood
Helen Gulvin
James Shakespeare
Louisa Raybould
Lucilla Nelson · trustee of 1 other charity
Michelle Clare Ferris · trustee of 1 other charity
Stephen Francis Duckett Clark
The Honourable Michael Samuel MBE

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

Operates in: Somerset

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£5.6m	£5.1m
31/03/2024	£3.9m	£4.9m
31/03/2023	£5.8m	£5.8m
31/03/2022	£4.8m	£2.7m
31/03/2021	£4.1m	£4.3m

Common questions

Is SOMERSET COMMUNITY FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted funds were £732,151, with free reserves standing at £302,936. The trustees consider this to be a sustainable position, supported by a reserves policy aimed at meeting short-term cash flow needs and managing income fluctuations. The charity reported an overall income of £4,808,132 and expenditure of £4,863,984 for the year. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by AC Mole LLP.

Who funds SOMERSET COMMUNITY FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name SOMERSET COMMUNITY FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST, CLARK FOUNDATION, THE MEDLOCK CHARITABLE TRUST, THE M J SAMUEL CHARITABLE TRUST, THE NINESQUARE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£505k	Advancement of citizenship and community development
CLARK FOUNDATION	FY2025	£64k
THE MEDLOCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£36k
CLARK FOUNDATION	FY2023	£30k	Family
CLARK FOUNDATION	FY2024	£30k
THE M J SAMUEL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£22k
THE M J SAMUEL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£22k
THE NINESQUARE TRUST	FY2025	£10k	One-off grant (Together for West Somerset Appeal)
THE NANI HUYU CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£8k
THE NANI HUYU CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£7k
THE NANI HUYU CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2021	£7k
THE NANI HUYU CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£7k
THE NANI HUYU CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£6k
THE M J SAMUEL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£6k
THE CITY CHARITY TRUST	FY2025	£5k
THE DICKINSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£3k	The Relief of Those in Need
THE LINMARDON TRUST	FY2024	£3k
CLARK FOUNDATION	FY2024	£2k
THE DICKINSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£2k	The Relief of those in Need
CLARK FOUNDATION	FY2022	£1k
THE M J SAMUEL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£1k
THE DICKINSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k	The Relief of Those in Need
THE DICKINSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£1k	Other Charitable Purposes
THE FAIRFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£0

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 LYNN FOUNDATION	1	£6.5m
THE LAWSON TRUST CIO	1	£500k
CULLUM FAMILY TRUST	1	£495k
ASSOCIATION OF NHS CHARITIES	1	£481k
THE PARGITER TRUST	1	£400k
OPTIGENE FOUNDATION	1	£238k
THE FOYLE FOUNDATION	1	£200k
THE CRUCIBLE FOUNDATION	1	£100k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with SOMERSET CRICKET FOUNDATION.

SOMERSET CRICKET FOUNDATION income £977k
THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL FOR SOMERSET income £2.9m
SUFFOLK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION income £6.8m
SOMERSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUST CHARITABLE FUNDS income £1.5m
THE SUSSEX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION income £3.6m
HEREFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION income £949k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
SOMERSET COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	£5.6m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
SOMERSET CRICKET FOUNDATION FY2024	£977k	more than £60,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL FOR SOMERSET FY2025	£2.9m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
SUFFOLK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FY2025	£6.8m	£90,000 - £99,999	1	within	—	no doubt
SOMERSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUST CHARITABLE FUNDS FY2026	£1.5m	£60,001 - £70,000	1	unclear	33.1%	no doubt
THE SUSSEX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FY2025	£3.6m	£80,001 - £90,000	—	above	—	no doubt

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