THE MARITIME EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1100125 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as MEF

A range of activities to support rating and officer training and development, including provision of rating apprenticeship places, officer training places, rating to officer conversion, updating certification and supporting relevant industry activities and projects.

Causes: Education/training · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£6.9m

Latest spending

£1.8m

Registered

2003

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity holds £19.3 million in unrestricted reserves, significantly higher than the prior year's £13.9 million, driven by a net income of over £5.1 million. The Trustees note that reserves have built up because training providers cannot always accommodate charity cadets, and they are currently considering a new reserves policy. The charity maintains a strong liquidity position with £1.7 million in cash and £10.4 million in Treasury deposits, supported by an unqualified audit opinion.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Donations receivable (94% of income)

“Grant awarded by The Maritime Training Trust 6,506,646” — page 18

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Grant from Maritime Training Trust (same board of trustees)

“In 2025 the Maritime Training Trust unconditionally agreed to award a grant of £6,506,646 (2024: £5,554,088) to the Maritime Educational Foundation to promote the charity in its primary charitable objectives.” — page 21

“The Chamber of Shipping Limited supplies project management and administration services to the Charity. Fees charged in respect of these services in the year totalled £47,355, inclusive of irrecoverable VAT” — page 21

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Admin services from Chamber of Shipping Limited

“In 2025 the Maritime Training Trust unconditionally agreed to award a grant of £6,506,646 (2024: £5,554,088) to the Maritime Educational Foundation to promote the charity in its primary charitable objectives.” — page 21

“The Chamber of Shipping Limited supplies project management and administration services to the Charity. Fees charged in respect of these services in the year totalled £47,355, inclusive of irrecoverable VAT” — page 21

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Donation to JW Slater Memorial Fund (Trustee is Secretary of Fund)

“In 2025 the Maritime Training Trust unconditionally agreed to award a grant of £6,506,646 (2024: £5,554,088) to the Maritime Educational Foundation to promote the charity in its primary charitable objectives.” — page 21

“The Chamber of Shipping Limited supplies project management and administration services to the Charity. Fees charged in respect of these services in the year totalled £47,355, inclusive of irrecoverable VAT” — page 21

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by DJH Audit Limited. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

In the news

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

Maritime Educational Foundation and WISTA UK Join Forces to Foster Maritime Excellence seanews.co.uk · 06/06/2024

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 04251334

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.

DAWSON, Kristy Marie — director, appointed 15/06/2023on trustee list
WEISE, Thomas — director, appointed 15/06/2023on trustee list
GRAY, Martyn Edward James — director, appointed 03/06/2023on trustee list
PROCTER, Darren David — director, appointed 01/11/2018on trustee list
APPLETON, David Mathew — director, appointed 30/11/2017on trustee list
ROBERTS, Clifford Owen — director, appointed 23/11/2010not on trustee list
BELL, Susan — secretary, appointed 16/12/2025

Official officers record.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income

£6.9m

Total spending

£1.8m

Cost of raising funds

£24k

Reserves (reported)

£19.3m

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~131.4 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (94% 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: 0.3% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

CLIFF ROBERTS
Darren Procter · trustee of 1 other charity
David Appleton · trustee of 2 other charities
Kristy Marie Dawson
Martyn Edward James Gray
Thomas Weise

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£6.9m	£1.8m
31/12/2024	£5.9m	£2.0m
31/12/2023	£6.0m	£1.1m
31/12/2022	£3.8m	£816k
31/12/2021	£2.5m	£1.0m

Common questions

Is THE MARITIME EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity holds £19.3 million in unrestricted reserves, significantly higher than the prior year's £13.9 million, driven by a net income of over £5.1 million. The Trustees note that reserves have built up because training providers cannot always accommodate charity cadets, and they are currently considering a new reserves policy. The charity maintains a strong liquidity position with £1.7 million in cash and £10.4 million in Treasury deposits, supported by an unqualified audit opinion. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by DJH Audit Limited.

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 CORPORATION OF TRINITY HOUSE OF DEPTFORD STROND	1	£65k
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£5k
THE SHIPWRIGHTS CHARITABLE FUND	1	£3k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with MARITIME LONDON OFFICER CADET SCHOLARSHIP.

MARITIME LONDON OFFICER CADET SCHOLARSHIP income £387k
ASSOCIATION OF MARINE ELECTRONIC AND RADIO COLLEGES LIMITED income £141k
THE CONWAY MERCHANT NAVY TRUST income £132k
ROYAL ENGINEERS VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING TRUST income £730k
SAILSHIP TRAINING AND LEARNING FOR LIFE income £343k
INTERNATIONAL MARITIME RESCUE FEDERATION income £388k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE MARITIME EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION	£6.9m	—	unclear	—	no doubt
MARITIME LONDON OFFICER CADET SCHOLARSHIP FY2025	£387k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ASSOCIATION OF MARINE ELECTRONIC AND RADIO COLLEGES LIMITED FY2025	£141k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE CONWAY MERCHANT NAVY TRUST FY2025	£132k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ROYAL ENGINEERS VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING TRUST FY2025	£730k	—	above	—	no doubt
SAILSHIP TRAINING AND LEARNING FOR LIFE FY2025	£343k	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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