LOCAL INFORMATION UNIT LIMITED

Registered charity 1113495 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as LGIU, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION UNIT

The LGIU provides a range of services including:* A policy briefing service on topics relevant to local democracy* A daily news service* Publications on local government* Events and seminars* Learning and development activities* Research and advice

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

Latest income

£1.9m

Latest spending

£2.1m

Registered

2006

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the group reported a net deficit of £170,050 for the year, drawing down on reserves to invest in future growth. Total unrestricted reserves stood at £652,631, which the trustees note represents approximately 17 weeks' expenditure, providing a robust position to deal with unforeseen fluctuations. The trustees and auditors confirmed that the group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Payments to trustees: An honorarium was paid to the Chair of Trustees of £6,544.

“An honorarium was paid to the Chair of Trustees of £6,544 (2023 - £4,362). None of the other trustees received any remuneration in respect of their services during the year (2023 - £nil).” — page 30

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustees are members of local councils which pay membership subscriptions to LGiU. Membership fees to these organisations are charged on an arm's length basis.

“The trustees of the charity are members of local councils which pay membership subscriptions to LGiU. Membership fees to these organisations are charged on an arm's length basis.” — page 30

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by HaysMac LLP. Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)

Total income

£1.9m

Total spending

£2.1m

Reserves (reported)

£653k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~3.7 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (98% 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 (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Amanda Hopgood
COUNCILLOR ABDUL JABBAR · trustee of 2 other charities
David Mann
Jonathan Flowers
MIKE SHORT
Mark Nuti
Roderick Myron Clancey Hogarth · trustee of 1 other charity
Susan Karen Parsonage MBE
Tudor Evans · trustee of 1 other charity

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

Operates in: Scotland · Throughout England

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£1.9m	£2.1m
31/12/2023	£2.0m	£2.0m
31/12/2022	£1.9m	£1.8m
31/12/2021	£1.8m	£1.7m
31/12/2020	£1.7m	£1.6m

Common questions

Is LOCAL INFORMATION UNIT LIMITED financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the group reported a net deficit of £170,050 for the year, drawing down on reserves to invest in future growth. Total unrestricted reserves stood at £652,631, which the trustees note represents approximately 17 weeks' expenditure, providing a robust position to deal with unforeseen fluctuations. The trustees and auditors confirmed that the group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by HaysMac LLP.

Who funds LOCAL INFORMATION UNIT LIMITED?

Funders whose own accounts filings name LOCAL INFORMATION UNIT LIMITED as a grant recipient include THE J R S S T CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE J R S S T CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£17k	Administrative Capacity to Implement Voter ID in Local Elections

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE LINBURY TRUST	1	£185k
LANDAID CHARITABLE TRUST LIMITED	1	£31k
THE GEOFFREY AND PAULINE MARTIN TRUST	1	£25k
Prosper Wakefield District Ltd	1	£11k
THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATION	1	£10k
THE SUSSEX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	1	£10k
THE MILLS CHARITY	1	£5k
THE EDWARD AND DOROTHY CADBURY TRUST	1	£3k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ST GEORGE'S LUPSET LTD.

ST GEORGE'S LUPSET LTD income £2.0m
SUSSEX INTERPRETING SERVICES income £1.6m
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES INFORMATION SYSTEMS ASSOCIATION income £2.4m
WYRE FOREST CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU income £410k
LINCS INSPIRE LIMITED income £10.6m
LONDON INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION income £102k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
LOCAL INFORMATION UNIT LIMITED	£1.9m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ST GEORGE'S LUPSET LTD FY2025	£2.0m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
SUSSEX INTERPRETING SERVICES FY2025	£1.6m	£70,001 - £80,000	2	unclear	—	no doubt
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES INFORMATION SYSTEMS ASSOCIATION FY2025	£2.4m	£160,001 - £170,000	—	unclear	—	no doubt
WYRE FOREST CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU FY2025	£410k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
LINCS INSPIRE LIMITED FY2025	£10.6m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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