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DEBATE MATE SCHOOLS LIMITED

Registered charity 1121222 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as DEBATE MATE LIMITED, URBANUNLTD LIMITED

Through debating, Debate Mate delivers key skill to young people in areas of high child poverty. University undergraduate debaters run after-school debating clubs in inner-city schools across the UK. Debate Mate also runs regional and national inter-school debating competitions. Learning to debate develops core skills identified by business and the government as missing in mainstream education.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£1.2m
Latest spending
£1.2m
Registered
2007
Accounts read
FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity incurred a deficit of £34,308 and holds negative net assets of £59,804. The trustees forecast a net surplus and positive cash flow for the next year, though this excludes future economic uncertainty. The auditor has identified a material uncertainty regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern due to this forecasted recession.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £210,000 to £219,999 — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median £70k)
“£210,000 to £219,999 1” — page 35
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy
“The trustees plan to build up the charity's reserves to the above level over the next two years.” — page 20
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Going concern: material uncertainty disclosed
“We draw attention to note 3 in the financial statements, which indicates that the future uncertainty and forecasted recession of the UK economy along with the other matters as set forth in note 3 of the financial statements cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.” — page 23
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Debate Mate Limited, Debate Mate Online Limited
“Debate Mate Limited and Debate Mate Online Limited are under the control of Margret McCabe who is key management of Debate Mate Schools Limited,” — page 39
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by CAS House Limited. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Comparing this charity’s FY2023 and FY2024 accounts as analysed by this site.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Debate Mate (matched by registered charity number).

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2024)

Total income
£1.2m
Total spending
£1.2m
Cost of raising funds
£20k
Reserves (reported)
£0
Employees
15

Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (80% 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: 1.7% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Scotland · Throughout England

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/08/2024£1.2m£1.2m
31/08/2023£1.3m£1.4m
31/08/2022£1.3m£1.3m
31/08/2021£995k£946k
31/08/2020£1.1m£1.2m

Common questions

Is DEBATE MATE SCHOOLS LIMITED financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity incurred a deficit of £34,308 and holds negative net assets of £59,804. The trustees forecast a net surplus and positive cash flow for the next year, though this excludes future economic uncertainty. The auditor has identified a material uncertainty regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern due to this forecasted recession. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by CAS House Limited.

What does the highest-paid employee of DEBATE MATE SCHOOLS LIMITED earn?

Per its FY2024 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £210,000 to £219,999 band.

Who funds DEBATE MATE SCHOOLS LIMITED?

Funders whose own accounts filings name DEBATE MATE SCHOOLS LIMITED as a grant recipient include WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT UK FOUNDATION, THE HARGREAVES FOUNDATION, The Portal Trust, NORTHERN CONSORTIUM, THE ALDGATE AND ALLHALLOWS FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT UK FOUNDATIONFY2022£50k
WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT UK FOUNDATIONFY2021£46k
WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT UK FOUNDATIONFY2024£40k
THE HARGREAVES FOUNDATIONFY2025£32k
The Portal TrustFY2022£31kHelping disadvantaged young people aged 9-18 from seven London schools engage with and stay in education through a programme to help them realise their potentia
NORTHERN CONSORTIUMFY2024£17kCore debating programme in Northern regions
NORTHERN CONSORTIUMFY2025£17ksupported 77 students from disadvantaged groups from four schools in Liverpool, Grimsby and Manchester to participate in the Debate Mate programme
THE ALDGATE AND ALLHALLOWS FOUNDATIONFY2025£16kDebate Mate Core Programme
THE INTERNATIONAL BANKERS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£16kDebating initiative training sessions
THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITYFY2022£15kcosts of an after school debating club programme at two schools in the West Midlands
THE INTERNATIONAL BANKERS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£14kDebating initiative training sessions
WATES FOUNDATION LIMITEDFY2024£10kGrant to Debate Mate
THE INTERNATIONAL BANKERS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£8kDebating Competition training sessions
THE SIMMONS AND SIMMONS CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONFY2022£8kSocial inclusion
WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT UK FOUNDATIONFY2023£7k
THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£6kCommunity Projects and Integration
THE SIMMONS AND SIMMONS CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONFY2023£5kSocial inclusion
THE WOGEN ANNIVERSARY TRUSTFY2023£5k
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£4k
THE WOGEN ANNIVERSARY TRUSTFY2022£2k
THE REED FOUNDATIONFY2021—

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
City Bridge Foundation17/01/2023£3kGrant to Debate Mate Schools Ltd
The National Lottery Community Fund04/04/2016£354kDebate Mate Seven City Project

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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
AL Philanthropies1£25.8m
THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUST1£3.3m
THE MOHN WESTLAKE FOUNDATION1£1.0m
IMPETUS - THE PRIVATE EQUITY FOUNDATION1£737k
THE DULVERTON TRUST1£105k
The Considered Ask Foundation1£75k
THE APAX FOUNDATION1£50k
INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY FOUNDATION1£40k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
DEBATE MATE SCHOOLS LIMITED£1.2m£210,000 to £219,999—below—material uncertainty
THE CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY FY2025£2.5m£80,001 - £90,000—above—no doubt
Skills and Education Group FY2025£6.9m£150,001 - £160,000—below—noted
MANCHESTER MESIVTA JEWISH GRAMMAR SCHOOL FY2025£962k—0below—noted
Royal Deaf Education Trust FY2025£9.0m—3below—no doubt
Voice 21 FY2025£4.0m£80,001 - £90,0005unclear—no doubt

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