Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK

Registered charity 1106815 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHY SUPPORT UK, SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHY UK THE JENNIFER TRUST, THE JENNIFER TRUST FOR SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHY

We provide accurate information and a wide range of support services to anyone who is affected by spinal muscular atrophy, while working to improve access to the best care, services and drug treatments today and funding research projects that can change tomorrow.

Causes: The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£1.6m
Latest spending
£1.4m
Registered
2004
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity finished the year with a strong cash position of £1,196,431 and unrestricted reserves of £586,060. Per the trustees' report, the charity is operating within its reserves policy, which requires unrestricted cash reserves to be not less than three months of unrestricted expenditure. The charity reported a net surplus of £263,647 for the year, driven primarily by increased community donations and legacy income.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three months of unrestricted expenditure (held: £586k)
“Unrestricted cash reserves should be not less than three months of unrestricted expenditure, based on the most recent three-months of unrestricted expenditure.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Cooper Adams Ltd. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) UK (matched by registered charity number).

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£1.6m
Total spending
£1.4m
Cost of raising funds
£283k
Reserves (reported)
£586k
Employees
16

Reported reserves equal ~5.2 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (99% 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: 17.4% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£1.6m£1.4m
31/03/2024£1.3m£938k
31/03/2023£925k£858k
31/03/2022£839k£715k
31/03/2021£725k£575k

Common questions

Is Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity finished the year with a strong cash position of £1,196,431 and unrestricted reserves of £586,060. Per the trustees' report, the charity is operating within its reserves policy, which requires unrestricted cash reserves to be not less than three months of unrestricted expenditure. The charity reported a net surplus of £263,647 for the year, driven primarily by increased community donations and legacy income. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Cooper Adams Ltd.

Who funds Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK?

Funders whose own accounts filings name Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK as a grant recipient include THE STEVEN BLOCH IMAGE OF DISABILITY CHARITABLE TRUST, THE EDWARD GOSTLING FOUNDATION, STELIOS PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATION, THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITY, THE GEORGE AND ESME POLLITZER CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE STEVEN BLOCH IMAGE OF DISABILITY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£91kGrant
THE EDWARD GOSTLING FOUNDATIONFY2025£25kGrant
STELIOS PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATIONFY2025£10kDonations for use of 34 Thurloe Square
THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITYFY2022£8kcosts of supporting people in the West Midlands suffering from the condition
THE GEORGE AND ESME POLLITZER CHARITABLE SETTLEMENTFY2024£5kGrant category header
THE LAWSON TRUST CIOFY2023£5k
THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5kCompassionate Support
THE GEORGE AND ESME POLLITZER CHARITABLE SETTLEMENTFY2025£5kHealth & Medical Research
THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£3kCompassionate Support
THE O'SULLIVAN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£3k
THE WO STREET CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONFY2024£3k
MISSES BARRIE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£3k
THE EDWARD AND DOROTHY CADBURY TRUSTFY2022£2kCompassionate Support
The Belstead Ganzoni Charitable SettlementFY2023£2k
THE BENHAM CHARITABLE SETTLEMENTFY2024£2k
THE LAWSON TRUST CIOFY2022£2k
FRAZER TRUSTFY2022£2k
FRAZER TRUSTFY2025£2kMedical and other research
THE BENHAM CHARITABLE SETTLEMENTFY2022£2k
THE WILLIAM ALLEN YOUNG CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£2k
FRAZER TRUSTFY2023£2kChildren
The Belstead Ganzoni Charitable SettlementFY2022£2kGeneral charitable donations
THE BENHAM CHARITABLE SETTLEMENTFY2023£2k
The Patricia Routledge FoundationFY2024£2k
FRAZER TRUSTFY2024£2kDisabled
LILIAN FRANCES HIND BEQUEST (TRUSTEES OF LADY HIND)FY2022£1kMedical / Disabled
THE W E DUNN TRUSTFY2025£1k
THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£1k
R G HILLS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1k
THE HELEN JEAN COPE CHARITYFY2022£1k
DORIS FIELD CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1kSingle payment
THE CHARLES LITTLEWOOD HILL TRUSTFY2021£1kMedical/Disabled
MAY HEARNSHAW CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1kRelief of poverty and sickness
R G HILLS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1k
THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1k
MISSES BARRIE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£750
THE CHANDRIS FOUNDATIONFY2024£500
DUMBRECK CHARITYFY2023£500Medical
THE CARRINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£500
THE CARRINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£500
MOTABILITYFY2025£438Wheelchair Sector grant
CBRE UK CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£250
THE ARDWICK TRUSTFY2024£200
THE LESLIE AND DORIS SECCOMBE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024—

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund17/05/2019£380kSMA Support into the 2020?s
The National Lottery Community Fund29/11/2018£10kSMA Reach - Digital messaging
The National Lottery Community Fund02/12/2015£10kDigital pathways to support families, individuals and professionals
The National Lottery Community Fund14/11/2014£500kOutreach Support Service
The National Lottery Community Fund23/07/2014£10kDelivering the Message
The National Lottery Community Fund01/03/2012£10kHelp for Today, Hope for Tomorrow
The National Lottery Community Fund20/05/2010£10kThe Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy 25th Year Upgrade
The National Lottery Community Fund11/02/2010£403kSpinal Muscular Atrophy Outreach Programme
The National Lottery Community Fund02/11/2005£270kOutreach Programme

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 ATAXIA UK.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK£1.6m—0above—no doubt
ATAXIA UK FY2025£1.8m—0unclear—no doubt
THE NICHOLLS SPINAL INJURY FOUNDATION FY2024£262k—0above—no doubt
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY GROUP OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND FY2025£7.9m——unclear40.4%no doubt
MYOSITIS UK FY2025£140k—0unclear—no doubt
STOKE MANDEVILLE SPINAL RESEARCH FY2025£167k—0unclear—no doubt

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