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.

Objects

TO PROMOTE THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF CHARITIES AND THE EFFECTIVE APPLICATION OF RESOURCES FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC BY RAISING THE STANDARD OF AND PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN CAMPAIGNING ON BEHALF OF CHARITABLE PURPOSES IN PARTICULAR BY:(A) AWARDING INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE CONDUCTED EFFECTIVE AND LAWFUL CAMPAIGNS THAT FURTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSES;(B) RAISING AWARENESS OF GOOD PRACTICE IN CAMPAIGNING;(C) PROVIDING INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE CAMPAIGNING IN FURTHERANCE OF CHARITABLE PURPOSES.

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

Registered contact address: Islington, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income
£543k
Latest spending
£612k
Registered
2005
Accounts read
FY2025

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

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £59k)
“This does mean that SMK’s reserves at year-end are lower than our policy recommends.” — page 17
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Sheila McKechnie Trading Limited
“The wholly-owned subsidiary, Sheila McKechnie Trading Limited, which is incorporated in England and Wales, pays its profits to the charity as a donation.” — page 45
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Fletcher & Partners. Discloses 3 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

  • Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£70,001–£80,000: 1)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

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

  • Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £90,001–£100,000: 1)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

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

  • Government income: £1 — contracts £1 (1); under 1% of the £640,931 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£90,001–£100,000: 1)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

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

In the news

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

Corporate structure

SHEILA MCKECHNIE TRADING LTD — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Amounts owed to group undertakings 15,945

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.

Official officers record.

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

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

Total income
£543k
Total spending
£612k
Reserves (reported)
£17k
Employees
6

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

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£543k£612k
31/03/2024£828k£761k
31/03/2023£641k£661k
31/03/2022£554k£536k
31/03/2021£434k£478k

Common questions

Is THE SHEILA MCKECHNIE FOUNDATION financially healthy?

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. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Fletcher & Partners.

Who funds THE SHEILA MCKECHNIE FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE SHEILA MCKECHNIE FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUST, JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATION, TRUST FOR LONDON, GLOBAL DIALOGUE, PAUL HAMLYN FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£182kAnti-oppression at SMK
THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2021£150kCore costs
JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATIONFY2023£150kTo provide essential infrastructure for civil society campaigning nationwide
TRUST FOR LONDONFY2024£55k2018-2024 strategy: Stronger voices
GLOBAL DIALOGUEFY2024£39kFunders' Initiative for Civil Society
PAUL HAMLYN FOUNDATIONFY2023£30kEvidence and Learning
GLOBAL DIALOGUEFY2023£19kHosting - Funders' Initiative for Civil Society
GLOBAL DIALOGUEFY2022£10kFunders' Initiative for Civil Society
JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATIONFY2022£10kTowards the costs of the Defence of Civic Space in the UK project in partnership with a small consortium of funders, including Baring Foundation and the Funders
JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATIONFY2023£8kSponsorship of the Amplifying Voices Awards at their 2023 National Campaigner Awards
THE BARROW CADBURY TRUSTFY2025£8kSponsorship of Best Use of Law SMK National Campaigner 2024
JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATIONFY2022£5kSponsorship of the Amplifying Voices Awards 2022 for the SMK National Campaigner Awards.
THE A B CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£4kHuman Rights (particularly access to justice)

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
A B Charitable Trust09/12/2021£4kA grant to Sheila McKechnie Foundation
City Bridge Foundation26/09/2019£59kGrant to Sheila McKechnie Foundation
City Bridge Foundation15/08/2018£17kGrant to Sheila McKechnie Foundation
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, UK Branch06/08/2018£15kThe Sheila McKechnie Foundation
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, UK Branch25/10/2016£20kThe Sheila McKechnie Foundation
The National Lottery Heritage Fund05/02/2014£67k"The Mark of a Great Campaigner"
The National Lottery Community Fund17/01/2013£10kCampaign Central: Supporting marginalised people to create change
City Bridge Foundation17/02/2011£60kGrant to Sheila McKechnie Foundation

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 SPARKLE SHEFFIELD.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE SHEILA MCKECHNIE FOUNDATION£543k——below—no doubt
SPARKLE SHEFFIELD FY2025£59k—0unclear—no doubt
THE SHEFFIELD 1000-1 CHARITY FY2025£64k—0unclear—no doubt
MEHIEL FOUNDATION FY2025£28k—0unclear—no doubt
SUFFOLK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FY2025£6.8m£90,000 - £99,9991within—no doubt
SKELTON BOUNTY FY2026£129k—0above—no doubt

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