THE SHEILA MCKECHNIE FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1108210 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also registered in Scotland as SC044207 (OSCR)

The Foundation has established an Awards Scheme, currently with nine categories, as a means of identifying and developing the next generation of campaigners. A bespoke support programme is delivered to the winners of each category. More widely, the Foundation speaks out on behalf of the sector in order to champion the right to campaign.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total income fell significantly to £543,332 from £828,425 in the prior year, while expenditure remained high at £612,384, resulting in a net deficit. The charity's total reserves dropped to £59,217, which the trustees acknowledge is lower than their stated policy target of £60,000. Despite these financial pressures and staff reductions, the trustees and auditors 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

Accounts audited by Fletcher & Partners. Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

• Registered company of the charity Companies House 05331412
• Trading subsidiary: SHEILA MCKECHNIE TRADING LTD Companies House 13248880

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Sheila McKechnie Foundation (matched by registered charity number).

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.

• WADE, David John — director, appointed 30/09/2025on trustee list
• ITANO, Nicole Chaires — director, appointed 30/09/2025on trustee list
• LAZONBY, Gillian Dawn — director, appointed 16/07/2024on trustee list
• RUDZINSKAITE, Emilija — director, appointed 02/07/2024on trustee list
• GICHKI, Sami — director, appointed 02/07/2024on trustee list
• KENT, Alex — director, appointed 18/06/2024on trustee list
• CAN, Juliet — director, appointed 18/06/2024on trustee list
• BURTON, Anthony James Harris — director, appointed 18/06/2024on trustee list
• LANE, Richard Stephen — director, appointed 01/07/2021on trustee list

Official officers record.

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

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

Reported reserves equal ~0.3 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (74% 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 (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

• Alex Kent
• Anthony Burton · trustee of 1 other charity
• David John Wade
• Emilija Rudzinskaite
• Gillian Lazonby
• Juliet Can · trustee of 1 other charity
• Nicole Chaires Itano
• Richard Lane
• Sami Gichki · trustee of 2 other charities

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland

Income and spending

Common questions

Known funders

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

Government & lottery funding

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