THE COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE UTTLESFORD

Registered charity 1098627 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as Uttlesford Community Action Nework

CVS Uttlesford is an infrastructure organisation which operates to strengthen and support voluntary activity primarily in the District Council area of Uttlesford but also in other areas of the county of Essex.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£320k

Latest spending

£527k

Registered

2003

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £207,061 for the year, resulting in total funds decreasing from £374,728 to £167,667. The trustees have serious concerns about future funding and have indicated they may consider closing the charity within 2026 unless funding conditions change dramatically.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: none

“Income from charitable activities includes income received on projects undertaken by the charity. It is recognised when there is entitlement to the funds, the amount can be reliably measured and receipt is probable.” — page 17

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £61k; policy: three to six months of salary and premises costs)

“In order to provide for any of these obligations arising, the Committee considers it necessary to establish as a maximum financial reserve sufficient to cover 3-6 months of the previous year's salary costs, plus 3-6 months premises costs and as a minimum 3 months' salary and premises costs.” — page 8

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor

“The trustees have serious concerns about future funding, which have mainly arisen from fundamental changes to how councils and other authorities fund essential volunteer services, allied to challenging fundraising conditions which are being experienced by many charities across the country. As such the trustees have significant concerns around where future funding might come from, and that as a result the charity will only be able to provide limited health and community services in the short term, as things stand. The trustees will have to consider closing the charity within 2026 unless funding conditions change dramatically.” — page 9

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: An employee of the charity, Sophie Davis, is the wife of a trustee, Marc Davis. Her appointment was made by the Senior Management Team and Marc Davis was not involved in either the decision making or the management of Sophie. The appointment was made on merit as Sophie was the strongest candidate. Our constitution allows the employment of connected parties, and this appointment followed the requirements set out therein. The Charity Commission confirmed this appointment was acceptable. Marc Davis ceased to be a trustee on 31 July 2024. Sophie Davis’ employment continues.

“An employee of the charity, Sophie Davis, is the wife of a trustee, Marc Davis. Her appointment was made by the Senior Management Team and Marc Davis was not involved in either the decision making or the management of Sophie. The appointment was made on merit as Sophie was the strongest candidate. Our constitution allows the employment of connected parties, and this appointment followed the requirements set out therein. The Charity Commission confirmed this appointment was acceptable. Marc Davis ceased to be a trustee on 31 July 2024. Sophie Davis’ employment continues.” — page 11

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2024)

Total income

£784k

Total spending

£760k

Reserves (reported)

£78k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~1.2 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 7.0 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (97% 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: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (2.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (19/07/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Cherry Ellen Parker
Richard Boyce
Rowena Gardner

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

Operates in: Essex

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£320k	£527k
31/03/2024	£784k	£760k
31/03/2023	£737k	£600k
31/03/2022	£484k	£372k
31/03/2021	£434k	£366k

Common questions

Is THE COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE UTTLESFORD financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £207,061 for the year, resulting in total funds decreasing from £374,728 to £167,667. The trustees have serious concerns about future funding and have indicated they may consider closing the charity within 2026 unless funding conditions change dramatically. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds THE COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE UTTLESFORD?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE UTTLESFORD as a grant recipient include ESSEX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
ESSEX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	FY2025	£17k

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	29/09/2020	£75k	Coronavirus Community Support Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund	24/01/2019	£9k	Celebrating the Voluntary Sector Event
Essex County Council	29/11/2018	£8k	Community Inititives Fund Grant
The National Lottery Community Fund	23/11/2018	£299k	Essex Shed Network Partnership
The National Lottery Community Fund	21/04/2005	£5k	Outreach worker salary

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
LOCAL TRUST	1	£123k
ASHFIELD VOLUNTARY ACTION	1	£3k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SAFFRON WALDEN	1	£717

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with CHELMSFORD COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE.

CHELMSFORD COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE income £466k
UTTLESFORD FOODBANK income £193k
SEFTON COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE income £4.8m
MALDON AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY VOLUNTARY SERVICE income £408k
CITIZENS ADVICE ESSEX LIMITED income £2.1m
UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX STUDENTS' UNION income £8.2m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE UTTLESFORD	£320k	—	below	—	noted
CHELMSFORD COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE FY2025	£466k	—	below	—	no doubt
UTTLESFORD FOODBANK FY2025	£193k	—	above	—	noted
SEFTON COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE FY2025	£4.8m	—	above	—	no doubt
MALDON AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY VOLUNTARY SERVICE FY2025	£408k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
CITIZENS ADVICE ESSEX LIMITED FY2025	£2.1m	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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