CHRISTIANS AGAINST POVERTY
Christians Against Poverty provides free professional debt help, money education and support groups to members of the public. Services are delivered face-to-face in partnership with local churches, allowing us to provide both practical and emotional support to our clients.
Objects
A) THE RELIEF OF POVERTY FOR PERSONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND ELSEWHERE WHO ARE IN CONDITIONS OF NEED, HARDSHIP OR DISTRESS BY REASON OF THEIR SOCIAL AND OR ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES BY PROVIDING AND PROMOTING THE PROVISIONS OF ADVICE AND OTHER SERVICES AS THE DIRECTORS OF THE CHARITY MAY FROM TIME TO TIME THINK FIT.B) THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN ALL MATTERS RELATING TO THE MANAGEMENT OF THEIR PERSONAL FINANCES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE WORLD AS THE TRUSTEES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME THINK FIT.C) THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AND DOCTRINE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATEMENT OF BELIEFS APPEARING IN THE SCHEDULE HERETO IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE WORLD AS THE TRUSTEES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME THINK FIT.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity reported a deficit of £0.5 million for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in free (unrestricted) reserves of -£0.3 million. This figure is £1.8 million below the trustees' stated reserves policy target of three months' cash flow for fixed costs less regular income. The trustees acknowledge the reserves are below the target but state they have taken decisive cost-reduction actions and forecast a surplus for the following year to restore reserves.
What the accounts disclose
“Individuals £9.8m (65%)” — page 7
“Fundraising: £1.9 million (2023/24: £1.3 million), representing 10.9% (2023/24: 6.5%) of total income.”
“Free (unrestricted) reserves at the end of 31March 2025 were -£0.3 million (2024: £0.6 million), which is £1.8 million (2024: £1.2 million) under the minimum reserves set out in our reserves policy.”
“During the year one of the Trustees provided £2,700 of training and consultancy services to some of the Fundraising Team. This was invoiced post year end, along with an additional £300 of consultancy services in April 2025, so there were no outstanding balances at the reporting date.” — page 32
Policies the charity declares
- Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
- Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
- Complaints handling
- Complaints policy and procedures
- Conflicting interests
- Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
- Financial reserves policy and procedures
- Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
- Internal risk management policy and procedures
- Investing charity funds policy and procedures
- Investment
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- 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)
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025
- Volunteers: 1
- Government income: £344,244 — grants £344,244 (5); 2% of the £14,996,485 total gross income on the same return
- Employees paid over £60,000: 5 (£70,001–£80,000: 4; £90,001–£100,000: 1)
- Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024
- Volunteers: 1
- Government income: £620,425 — grants £620,425 (4); 3% of the £19,161,835 total gross income on the same return
- Employees paid over £60,000: 6 (£60,001–£70,000: 3; £70,001–£80,000: 3)
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2022
- Volunteers: 1
- Government income: £1,360,891 — grants £1,360,891 (3); 9% of the £14,956,593 total gross income on the same return
- Employees paid over £60,000: 6 (£60,001–£70,000: 3; £70,001–£80,000: 2; £80,001–£90,000: 1)
- Has a trading subsidiary
In the news
- ‘Real fear’ over energy price-cap rise, Christians Against Poverty warns
- ‘Very deep poverty’ rises across UK, Christians Against Poverty reports
- Christians Against Poverty and Community Money Advice unite to tackle U.K. debt crisis
- Christians Against Poverty Australia enters a new season as Hope Economy
- Christians Against Poverty: Job rejections adding to mental-health crisis
- Don’t take the strain alone, Christians Against Poverty tells anxious debtors
- Christians Against Poverty appoints David Nussbaum as new chair of trustees, calling him a ‘man of faith’
- Christians Against Poverty welcomes ‘ideal minister’
Leadership, per the charity’s website
- Justine — Chief People Officer
- Claire Cowles — Head of Strategic and Digital Communications
- Martin Cowles — Head of Impact
Property (HM Land Registry)
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (09/11/2026)
- Received assets from another charity (18/06/2026)
- Received assets from another charity (13/03/2026)
- Received assets from another charity (05/12/2025)
- Received assets from another charity (24/10/2025)
- Received assets from another charity (10/09/2024)
Trustees
- David Nussbaumchair
- Alison Kathleen Padfield
- Andrew James Maskell OBE
- Anugrah Woods
- Catherine Nicholas-Vilkaitis
- Folajimi Ayodele Adedoyin
- Julian Stanier Mander
- MARK ROBERT SHEARD
- Patricia Eileen Shaw
- Robin Bryan David Willison
- Roger Mawle
- Sandra Jane Keene
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2025 | £15.0m | £15.5m |
| 31/03/2024 | £19.2m | £20.0m |
| 31/12/2022 | £15.0m | £17.2m |
| 31/12/2021 | £15.2m | £14.7m |
| 31/12/2020 | £15.4m | £14.2m |
Common questions
Is CHRISTIANS AGAINST POVERTY financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a deficit of £0.5 million for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in free (unrestricted) reserves of -£0.3 million. This figure is £1.8 million below the trustees' stated reserves policy target of three months' cash flow for fixed costs less regular income. The trustees acknowledge the reserves are below the target but state they have taken decisive cost-reduction actions and forecast a surplus for the following year to restore reserves. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by RSM UK Audit LLP.
Who funds CHRISTIANS AGAINST POVERTY?
Funders whose own accounts filings name CHRISTIANS AGAINST POVERTY as a grant recipient include THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MICHAEL LE BELFREY WITH ST CUTHBERT, YORK, THE MAURICE AND HILDA LAING CHARITABLE TRUST, MYTON CHURCH, THE MILK AND HONEY TRUST, ALIVE CHURCH LINCOLN.
Known funders
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK government | 26/01/2024 | £68k | Grant for the Administration of Debt Relief Orders - CAP |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 23/08/2019 | £4k | Provision of new CAP Debt Advice Centre |
| UK government | 01/08/2017 | £106k | Savers Support Fund |
| Northern Rock Foundation | 09/10/2001 | £27k | Grant awarded to Christians Against Poverty (Yorkshire) |
| UK government | — | £106k | Savers Support Fund |
Funders of similar charities
Charities like this
- CHRISTIANS AWARE
- OXFORD CHURCHES DEBT CENTRE
- THE CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE TRUST
- CHRISTIANS TOGETHER IN MISSION
- CRAWLEY CAP CENTRE
- CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH (REDEMPTION CHRISTIAN CENTRE)
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHRISTIANS AGAINST POVERTY | £15.0m | — | — | below | 10.9% | no doubt |
| CHRISTIANS AWARE | £109k | — | 0 | below | — | no doubt |
| OXFORD CHURCHES DEBT CENTRE | £85k | — | — | above | — | no doubt |
| THE CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE TRUST | £11.4m | — | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| CHRISTIANS TOGETHER IN MISSION | £33k | — | 0 | above | — | no doubt |
| CRAWLEY CAP CENTRE | £42k | — | 0 | above | — | no doubt |