MATTHEWS FRIENDS

Registered charity 1108016 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

To publicise the ketogenic diet and make it a first line treatment for childhood epilepsy instead of a last resort.To give parents and informed choice and an alternative to medicationTo support parents/carers and children once on the diet.To provide finding to help with education and training in the administration of the ketogenic diet to make it more available

Objects

The relief of people with known complex and intractable epilepsy and the specific neurometabolic disorder GLUT1 deficiency syndromeby providinga) Information and advice on the Ketogenic Diet (an alternative treatment to medication), and support for patients/parents/carers once on the diet, andb) Any charitable means which the trustees decide including:a) To publicise Ketogenic Dietary Therapies and make them more available to all those who should need it, be it child or adult.b) Together with our medical board, give parents and patients an informed choice about the Ketogenic Diet and to source and provide the latest information available.c) To support families and patients through their dietary therapy.d) To support professionals in their administration of dietary therapies by way of literature, ketogenic starter packs and files, educational conferences and training meetings and provide funding, where possible.e) To support Research projects into the efficacy of these dietary treatments for use in Epilepsy and other conditions, working with medical professionals to ensure our information is safe, relevant and current.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

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

Registered contact address: Tandridge, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income
£68k
Latest spending
£161k
Registered
2005
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net outgoing resource of £92,271 for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in a decrease in unrestricted reserves from £397,623 to £305,352. The trustees consider the financial performance satisfactory and confirm there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: £40,000 (reserves figure: £305k)
“The charity's reserves policy is to hold back sufficient funds to cover committed grants, the fixed charity running costs, salary/freelance costs for 12 months and any essential variable costs necessary for healthy growth of the charity, which equates to £40,000 (2024: £40,000).” — page 8
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Educational funding provided to Ketocollege Ltd, owned by trustee J Fountain.
“During the year Matthews Friends charity provided educational funding of £12,339 to Ketocollege Ltd (formerly Matthews Friends Clinics Ltd), a company owned and controlled by trustee J Fountain (2024: £42,043). During the year Matthews Friends charity provided support services of £5,929 and premises hire of £6,656 to Ketocollege Ltd (2024: £16,408). There were no outstanding amounts at the year end (2024: £55,121). During the year Matthews Friends Charity received Ketogenic Cookery Services and used the facilities of Maureen Benn and Benn Bros who are related to the trustee Mrs Julie Fountain. The total invoiced for these services during the year was £1,798 (2024: £1,815). During the year, reimbursement of £284 admin expenses was made to INKS, a company that the trustee R Aldridge is also a trustee. There were no amounts outstanding at the year-end (2024: £284)” — page 23
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Ketocollege Ltd
“Matthew's Friends Clinics Ltd (re-named Ketocollege Ltd in the year) is an independent limited company owned by Julie Fountain” — page 9
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025

  • Volunteers: 4

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

  • Volunteers: 4

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

  • Volunteers: 5
  • Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Annual return filing dates (Charity Commission record)

Of its last 5 annual returns with a recorded received date, 1 was received after the due date: year ending 31/03/2021 (received 01/02/2022, 1 day after the 31/01/2022 due date).

Due and received dates as recorded in the Commission’s annual-return data; the data does not say whether an extension was agreed. Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Corporate structure

KETOCOLLEGE LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Profit before tax: £6k
  • Received educational grants from parent charity: £12,339 (2024: £42,043). Used support services and premises hire from parent charity: £6,656 (2024: £16,408). Amount owed to parent charity at year end was £nil (2024: £55,121).

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

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£68k£161k
31/03/2024£97k£214k
31/03/2023£134k£170k
31/03/2022£477k£489k
31/03/2021£112k£141k

Common questions

Is MATTHEWS FRIENDS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net outgoing resource of £92,271 for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in a decrease in unrestricted reserves from £397,623 to £305,352. The trustees consider the financial performance satisfactory and confirm there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds MATTHEWS FRIENDS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name MATTHEWS FRIENDS as a grant recipient include SYDNEY AND PHYLLIS GOLDBERG MEMORIAL CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
SYDNEY AND PHYLLIS GOLDBERG MEMORIAL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£15kTo increase the awareness of the effects of epilepsy in children and to provide support and educate and advise on the welfare of the child.
SYDNEY AND PHYLLIS GOLDBERG MEMORIAL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£15kTo increase the awareness of the effects of epilepsy in children and to provide support and educate and advise on the welfare of the child.
SYDNEY AND PHYLLIS GOLDBERG MEMORIAL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£15kTo increase the awareness of the effects of epilepsy in children and to provide support and advise on the welfare of the child.
SYDNEY AND PHYLLIS GOLDBERG MEMORIAL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2021£15kTo increase the awareness of the effects of epilepsy in children and to provide support and educate and advise on the welfare of the child.

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund11/03/2015£10kKetogenic Cooking Recipe Demonstrations and Tutorial Films
The National Lottery Community Fund11/02/2009£10kMy Ketogenic Diet - Home Files
The National Lottery Community Fund22/11/2005£3kProvision of T-shirts and booklets to use for fundraising

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 INTERNATIONAL NEUROLOGICAL KETOGENIC SOCIETY.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
MATTHEWS FRIENDS£68k—0unclear—no doubt
INTERNATIONAL NEUROLOGICAL KETOGENIC SOCIETY FY2025£30k—0unclear—no doubt
OUR SPECIAL FRIENDS FY2026£231k—0below—no doubt
BEFRIENDERS WORLDWIDE FY2025£40k—0unclear—no doubt
FRIENDS FIRST FY2025£132k—0above—no doubt
THE MATHS SOCIETY FY2025£32k—0unclear—no doubt

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