THE MUSCLE HELP FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1096716 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as POLE2POLE, THE MUSCULAR HELP FOUNDATION

Delivering Muscle Dreams for children and young people between the ages 8 and 28 with Muscular Dystrophy and allied neuromuscular conditions throughout the United Kingdom.

Objects

[I] THE RELIEF IN SICKNESS OF PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY AND ALLIEDNEUROMUSCULAR CONDITIONS[II] SUCH OTHER CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES AS THE TRUSTEES SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

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

Registered contact address: East Hampshire, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£84k

Latest spending

£88k

Registered

2003

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £4,594 for the year, with unrestricted reserves decreasing from £142,415 to £139,392. The trustees note that while reserves are currently above their policy target of 6-12 months of expenditure, the charity faces an existential threat due to a low funding base and reliance on grants, with a significant drop in income compared to the prior year.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: Under £60,000

“No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.” — page 29

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: 6-12 months' worth of expenditure (held: £139k)

“maintaining a reserve of 6-12 months' worth of expenditure” — page 17

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor

“the BBC Children in Need income has afforded the Charity much-needed stability after the challenging COVID-19 years. However, next year is the third and final year of this donation and the Charity must be ready to face future income challenges.” — page 18

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 28/02/2025

Volunteers: 30

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 29/02/2024

Volunteers: 30

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 28/02/2023

Volunteers: 25

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Muscle Help Foundation (matched by registered charity number).

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Matthew Adamschair
Michael Rudman
SUSAN MCGRATH

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
28/02/2025	£84k	£88k
29/02/2024	£128k	£92k
28/02/2023	£89k	£79k
28/02/2022	£30k	£114k
28/02/2021	£138k	£81k

Common questions

Is THE MUSCLE HELP FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £4,594 for the year, with unrestricted reserves decreasing from £142,415 to £139,392. The trustees note that while reserves are currently above their policy target of 6-12 months of expenditure, the charity faces an existential threat due to a low funding base and reliance on grants, with a significant drop in income compared to the prior year. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE MUSCLE HELP FOUNDATION earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the Under £60,000 band.

Who funds THE MUSCLE HELP FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE MUSCLE HELP FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED, THE FUNDING NETWORK, THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED	FY2024	£5k	Disability
THE FUNDING NETWORK	FY2021	£3k	Grants paid during the year (Note 8)
THE FUNDING NETWORK	FY2022	£2k	Flagship
THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£1k

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	18/12/2025	£20k	Pathways to Possibility: Empowering Communities & Growing Impact
Postcode Lottery	31/03/2025	£25k	Unrestricted Funding
The National Lottery Community Fund	30/05/2024	£20k	Growing Beneficiary Engagement & Amplifying Reach via Children's Hospices
Postcode Lottery	30/06/2023	£10k	Unrestricted Funding
The National Lottery Community Fund	02/09/2022	£10k	Muscle Warrior Digital Communication & Engagement Project
The National Lottery Community Fund	29/03/2016	£50k	TPP1 - The Muscle Help Foundation ~ Inspiring Hearts, Engaging Minds
The National Lottery Community Fund	09/07/2014	£10k	PROJECT 657: REACH, EMPOWER, INSPIRE ~ reaching more families

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 Patricia Routledge Foundation	2	£15k
THE LAWSON TRUST CIO	2	£12k
THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£11k
THE WILLIAM ALLEN YOUNG CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£8k
DORIS FIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£3k
CBRE UK CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£2k
THE W E DUNN TRUST	2	£2k
THE PWC FOUNDATION	1	£94k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE DREAM FACTORY.

THE DREAM FACTORY income £174k
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY GROUP OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND income £7.9m
Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK income £1.3m
MYOTONIC DYSTROPHY SUPPORT GROUP income £136k
MENTAL HEALTH UK income £3.0m
VISION25 income £942k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE MUSCLE HELP FOUNDATION	£84k	Under £60,000	0	unclear	—	noted
THE DREAM FACTORY FY2025	£174k	—	0	above	—	noted
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY GROUP OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND FY2025	£7.9m	—	—	unclear	40.4%	no doubt
Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK FY2026	£1.3m	—	1	unclear	—	no doubt
MYOTONIC DYSTROPHY SUPPORT GROUP FY2025	£136k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
MENTAL HEALTH UK FY2025	£3.0m	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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