HOME-START SOUTH WEST KENT
Recruiting and training volunteers to visit families in their own homes, offering emotional and practical support to families with children under 5.
Objects
(A)TO SAFEGUARD, PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE GOOD HEALTH, BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL OF CHILDREN AND PARENTS OF CHILDREN. (B)TO PREVENT CRUELTY TO OR MALTREATMENT OF CHILDREN. (C)TO RELIEVE SICKNESS, POVERTY AND NEED AMONGST CHILDREN AND PARENTS OF CHILDREN. (D)TO PROMOTE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN BETTER STANDARDS OF CHILDCARE WITHIN THE COUNTY OF KENT
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity achieved a surplus of £35,368 for the year ended 31 March 2025, increasing its total net assets to £166,668. The trustees report that general reserves represent 12 months of expenditure, which they consider a prudent level given fundraising challenges. The charity remains a going concern with adequate resources to continue its activities.
What the accounts disclose
“Grants receivable 155,718” — page 18
“the General Reserves represent 12 months of expenditure”
Policies the charity declares
- 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
- Investing charity funds policy and procedures
- 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: 77
- Government income: £20,000 — grants £20,000 (1); 11% of the £189,073 total gross income on the same return
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024
- Volunteers: 60
- Government income: £20,000 — grants £20,000 (1); 13% of the £157,035 total gross income on the same return
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023
- Volunteers: 80
Property (HM Land Registry)
Trustees
- Angus Robert Lockhart Boglechair
- Dennis John Akehurst
- Jennifer Anne Cross
- Joanne Merrick
- Mark Weare
- Nicola Tamara Walcott
- Rosemary Smith
- Sandy Tattersall
- WENDY MCGEACHY
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2025 | £189k | £154k |
| 31/03/2024 | £157k | £152k |
| 31/03/2023 | £149k | £138k |
| 31/03/2022 | £126k | £116k |
| 31/03/2021 | £137k | £101k |
Common questions
Is HOME-START SOUTH WEST KENT financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a surplus of £35,368 for the year ended 31 March 2025, increasing its total net assets to £166,668. The trustees report that general reserves represent 12 months of expenditure, which they consider a prudent level given fundraising challenges. The charity remains a going concern with adequate resources to continue its activities. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.
Who funds HOME-START SOUTH WEST KENT?
Funders whose own accounts filings name HOME-START SOUTH WEST KENT as a grant recipient include THE LAWSON TRUST CIO, THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUST, THE MRS SMITH AND MOUNT TRUST, SIR JULES THORN CHARITABLE TRUST, THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUST.
Known funders
| Funder | Year | Amount | Purpose (as stated by the funder) |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE LAWSON TRUST CIO | FY2023 | £25k | |
| THE LAWSON TRUST CIO | FY2025 | £6k | |
| THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUST | FY2024 | £5k | |
| THE LAWSON TRUST CIO | FY2024 | £5k | Other grants |
| THE MRS SMITH AND MOUNT TRUST | FY2024 | £5k | Mount Fund |
| THE MRS SMITH AND MOUNT TRUST | FY2023 | £5k | Mount Fund - Mental Health |
| THE MRS SMITH AND MOUNT TRUST | FY2022 | £4k | The Mount Fund - Health in the Community |
| SIR JULES THORN CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2025 | £3k | Ann Rylands Small Donations Programme |
| THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2025 | £2k | |
| THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2023 | £1k | |
| THE COLE CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2024 | £1k | Children and Youth |
| GATWICK AIRPORT COMMUNITY TRUST | FY2022 | £1k | |
| JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2021 | £1k | |
| THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2021 | £1k | |
| THE NORTHWICK TRUST | FY2026 | amount not stated |
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 10/04/2025 | £279k | Building resilience for families |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 12/12/2019 | £150k | Giving children in South West Kent a better start in life |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| THE GROCERS' CHARITY | 2 | £7k |
| JOHN LYON'S CHARITY | 1 | £425k |
| STRATFORD-UPON-AVON TOWN TRUST | 1 | £45k |
| HEREFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | 1 | £30k |
| SEFTON COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE | 1 | £26k |
| SR & PH Southall Trust | 1 | £21k |
| THE YOUNG BARNET FOUNDATION | 1 | £20k |
| E F BULMER TRUST | 1 | £19k |
Charities like this
- HOME-START NORTH-WEST HAMPSHIRE
- HOME-START NORTH WEST KENT LTD
- Home-Start Warwickshire
- HOME-START BARNET
- HOME-START SOUTHPORT & FORMBY
- HOME-START HEREFORDSHIRE
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOME-START SOUTH WEST KENT | £189k | — | 0 | above | — | no doubt |
| HOME-START NORTH-WEST HAMPSHIRE | £143k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| HOME-START NORTH WEST KENT LTD | £125k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| Home-Start Warwickshire | £215k | — | — | no_policy | — | no doubt |
| HOME-START BARNET | £647k | more than £60,000 | 1 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| HOME-START SOUTHPORT & FORMBY | £172k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |