ACTION FOR CHILDREN
Registered charity 1097940 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as NCH · also registered in Scotland as SC038092 (OSCR)
We protect and support children and young people, providing practical and emotional care and support, ensuring their voices are heard, and campaigning to bring lasting improvements to their lives. Last year, we helped more than 387,000 children and families across the UK.
Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · Disability · Accommodation/housing · Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £0.4 million for the year, with total income rising to £163.4 million. Free unrestricted reserves stood at £14.7 million, which is below the stated policy target of £16 million, a shortfall attributed to planned investments in residential homes and technology. The trustees confirm that the group has adequate resources and healthy cash balances to continue as a going concern for at least twelve months.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: £16 million (held: £14.7m)
“The target minimum free reserves in a period of no investments should be £16 million.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Pension scheme deficit: £23.9m
“Under the sustainable target at 31 March 2024 there was a deficit of £23.9 million, representing a funding level of 95%.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Crowe UK LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Corporate structure
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Action for Children (matched by registered charity number).
Funders the charity credits
Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).
- John Lewis — “Join our current team of partners, including John Lewis, Ella's Kitchen, Arcadis, Starling Bank, Turner & Townsend and Dell.” (source page)
- Ella's Kitchen — “Join our current team of partners, including John Lewis, Ella's Kitchen, Arcadis, Starling Bank, Turner & Townsend and Dell.” (source page)
- Arcadis — “Join our current team of partners, including John Lewis, Ella's Kitchen, Arcadis, Starling Bank, Turner & Townsend and Dell.” (source page)
- Starling Bank — “Join our current team of partners, including John Lewis, Ella's Kitchen, Arcadis, Starling Bank, Turner & Townsend and Dell.” (source page)
- Turner & Townsend — “Join our current team of partners, including John Lewis, Ella's Kitchen, Arcadis, Starling Bank, Turner & Townsend and Dell.” (source page)
- Dell — “Join our current team of partners, including John Lewis, Ella's Kitchen, Arcadis, Starling Bank, Turner & Townsend and Dell.” (source page)
- CBRE — “Since our UK employees voted for Action for Children we’ve had a superb response, successfully doubling our income target in the first two y…” (source page)
- Royal Mail Group — “We have worked with many charities through our Community Investment programme and Action for Children has been particularly impressive to wo…” (source page)
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.
- NEWMAN, Jeremy Steven — director, appointed 18/08/2026on trustee list
- FLEMING, Robert Andrew — director, appointed 20/04/2026on trustee list
- HUNTER, Anthony John — director, appointed 17/04/2026on trustee list
- BELL, Elizabeth — director, appointed 17/04/2026on trustee list
- EASTMOND, Richard James — director, appointed 15/04/2026on trustee list
- KAUL, Navin — director, appointed 22/02/2024on trustee list
- GEEKIE, Charles Nairn — director, appointed 26/04/2023not on trustee list
- CURRAN, Peter Thomas — director, appointed 01/02/2021on trustee list
- BELL, Steven David — director, appointed 02/11/2020on trustee list
- LONG, Michael John Adrian, Revd Dr — director, appointed 01/07/2020on trustee list
- HAWTIN, Richard — secretary, appointed 24/02/2026
Official officers record.
Public-sector contracts awarded
From the official Contracts Finder and Find a Tender notices (supplier matched by exact registered name). Contract income is distinct from grants.
UK research funding (UKRI Gateway to Research)
Property (HM Land Registry)
81 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (50 freehold); recorded price paid £7.1m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
CQC provider record: Action for Children — Registered, 21 registered locations, 3 regulated activities, last inspected 02/03/2022.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook (101,551 likes) · instagram (53K followers)
Advertised salaries (public job ads)
Roles this charity has advertised on CharityJob, matched on the exact employer name. A different source from the statutory pay bands above: these are asking salaries for vacancies, not what anyone was paid.
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£7.4m
Reserves (reported)
£14.7m
Reported reserves equal ~1.1 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 2.7 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (88% 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: 4.6% of total income — above the median for charities its size (2.9%) (benchmarks).
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (24/02/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (20/06/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (17/07/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (31/05/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (26/03/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (15/03/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales
Income and spending
Common questions
Is ACTION FOR CHILDREN financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £0.4 million for the year, with total income rising to £163.4 million. Free unrestricted reserves stood at £14.7 million, which is below the stated policy target of £16 million, a shortfall attributed to planned investments in residential homes and technology. The trustees confirm that the group has adequate resources and healthy cash balances to continue as a going concern for at least twelve months. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe UK LLP.
Who funds ACTION FOR CHILDREN?
Funders whose own accounts filings name ACTION FOR CHILDREN as a grant recipient include HOLLYHOCK CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, THE PRUDENCE TRUST, THE ICELAND FOODS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, THE DISTILLERS' CHARITY, IRWIN MITCHELL CHARITIES FOUNDATION.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with FAMILY ACTION.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.