OPEN HANDS TRUST (LEICESTER)

Registered charity 1121334 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Offering practical help to those in need in Leicester & beyond. This help currently includes food, clothing, household items & personal support & training.

Objects

TO PROMOTE FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD:1 THE RELIEF OF SICKNESS, POVERTY AND FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AND TO PROMOTE AND RESERVE GOOD HEALTH BY THE PROVISION OF FUNDS, GOODS OR SERVICES OF ANY KIND INCLUDING THROUGH THE PROVISION OF TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION, COUNSELLING AND SUPPORT IN SUCH PLACES AS THE DIRECTORS FROM TIME TO TIME MAY THINK FIT;2 THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION IN SUCH WAYS AND IN SUCH PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY AS THE DIRECTORS FROM TIME TO TIME MAY THINK FIT;2.1 THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION OF CHILDREN BELOW COMPULSORY SCHOOL AGE BY PROVIDING SAFE AND SATISFYING GROUP PLAY AND NURSERY ACTIVITIES;2.2 FACILITIES FOR DAILY CARE, RECREATION AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN OF SCHOOL AGE DURING OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS AND SCHOOL HOLIDAYS;2.3 THE TRAINING OF PARENTS AND OTHER PERSONS IN THE PROVISION OF CHILD CARE AND PARENTING SKILLS;2.4 THE ENABLING OF DISABLED AND DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE TO IMPROVE THEIR LIFESTYLES BY PROVIDING EFFECTIVE TRAINING IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER RELEVANT OFFICE SKILLS; IN PARTICULAR TO ENHANCE THE PROSPECTS FOR SUCH TRAINED PEOPLE TO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT BY ACTING AS A BRIDGE TO LINK THEM WITH EMPLOYERS AND INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING WHETHER WORK ACTIVITIES ARE CONDUCTED IN A WORKPLACE, PLACE OF LEARNING OR AT HOME;2.5 RELIEF FROM AND SUPPORT TO PERSONS OF ALL AGES AFFECTED BY, PREGNANCY, DRUG ABUSE, ALCOHOL ABUSE, HARDSHIP, DISTRESS, DEPRIVATION, DESTITUTION AND HELPLESSNESS;2.6 THE TEACHING OF LIFE SKILLS TO CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS SO AS TO BETTER ENABLE THEM TO COPE WITH THE BUSINESS OF LIFE;2.7 TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR PERSONS OVER SCHOOL LEAVING AGE; AND2.8 THE PROVISION OF RECREATIONAL FACILITIES FOR THE PUBLIC AT LARGE OR THOSE WHO BY REASON OF THEIR YOUTH, AGE, INFIRMITY OR DISABLEMENT, PROPERTY OR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES, HAVE NEED OF SUCH FACILITY

Area of benefit: ANY PART OF THE WORLD

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 · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Leicester, East Midlands, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income
£566k
Latest spending
£546k
Registered
2007
Accounts read
FY2026

Financial health, per its FY2026 accounts

The accounts state that the charity held unrestricted reserves of £317,028, which exceeds the stated policy target of three months of operating expenditure. The charity reported a net income surplus of £19,488 for the year, with total income of £565,635 against total expenditure of £546,147.

Automated summary of the FY2026 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three months of operating expenditure (held: £317k)
“The Trustees of Open Hands Trust have adopted a reserves policy that aims to maintain unrestricted reserves equivalent to approximately three months of operating expenditure.” — page 17
Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Donations received from trustees
“During the period £4,200 (2025: £4,235) of donations were received without conditions from trustees.” — page 34
“Open Hands Trust (Leicester) received £27,800 (2025: £32,800) donation from this charity.” — page 34
Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Donation from One Church Leicester
“During the period £4,200 (2025: £4,235) of donations were received without conditions from trustees.” — page 34
“Open Hands Trust (Leicester) received £27,800 (2025: £32,800) donation from this charity.” — page 34
Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Recharged costs from One Church Leicester
“During the period £4,200 (2025: £4,235) of donations were received without conditions from trustees.” — page 34
“Open Hands Trust (Leicester) received £27,800 (2025: £32,800) donation from this charity.” — page 34
Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Rent paid to One Church Leicester
“During the period £4,200 (2025: £4,235) of donations were received without conditions from trustees.” — page 34
“Open Hands Trust (Leicester) received £27,800 (2025: £32,800) donation from this charity.” — page 34
Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

In its annual return the charity told the Commission it is also regulated by: Ofsted (Office For Standards In Education). This is the charity’s own declaration; it is not a rating and has not been verified by the Commission or by this site.

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 31/03/2026

  • Volunteers: 150
  • Government income: £259,111 — contracts £177,151 (1), grants £81,960 (3); 46% of the £565,635 total gross income on the same return

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

  • Volunteers: 150
  • Government income: £236,867 — contracts £217,317 (2), grants £19,550 (2); 46% of the £520,202 total gross income on the same return

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

  • Volunteers: 130
  • Government income: £175,618 — contracts £156,458 (1), grants £19,160 (4); 28% of the £620,310 total gross income on the same return
  • Has a trading subsidiary

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

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Open Hands (matched by registered charity number).

Property (HM Land Registry)

2 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2026)

Total income
£566k
Total spending
£546k
Cost of raising funds
£6k
Reserves (reported)
£317k
Employees
16

Reported reserves equal ~7.0 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (67% 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: 1.1% 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: Leicestershire

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2026£566k£546k
31/03/2025£520k£516k
31/03/2024£620k£631k
31/12/2022£422k£440k
31/12/2021£598k£415k

Common questions

Is OPEN HANDS TRUST (LEICESTER) financially healthy?

Per its FY2026 accounts: The accounts state that the charity held unrestricted reserves of £317,028, which exceeds the stated policy target of three months of operating expenditure. The charity reported a net income surplus of £19,488 for the year, with total income of £565,635 against total expenditure of £546,147. Its FY2026 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds OPEN HANDS TRUST (LEICESTER)?

Funders whose own accounts filings name OPEN HANDS TRUST (LEICESTER) as a grant recipient include THE HELEN JEAN COPE CHARITY.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE HELEN JEAN COPE CHARITYFY2022£1k

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund09/01/2025£20kOpen Hands Food Projects
The National Lottery Community Fund28/11/2024£148kTransforming Volunteering at Open Hands
The National Lottery Community Fund30/08/2022£10kPilot Mentoring Programme
UK government18/06/2020£67kCoronavirus Community Support Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund26/11/2018£128kRestore
The National Lottery Community Fund25/02/2016£10kThe Six Degrees Coffee House
The National Lottery Community Fund23/10/2013£447kOpen Hands Trust
The National Lottery Community Fund10/05/2012£9kOpen Hands Information/Advice Centre & Furniture Restoration

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 OPEN HANDS PROJECT SHEFFIELD.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
OPEN HANDS TRUST (LEICESTER)£566k—0above—no doubt
OPEN HANDS PROJECT SHEFFIELD FY2025£26k—0unclear—no doubt
OPEN HANDS REIGATE FY2025£28k—0unclear—no doubt
HELP THE HOMELESS LEICESTER FY2025£289k——unclear—no doubt
THE OPENWORK FOUNDATION FY2025£1.2m—0unclear—no doubt
OPEN DOOR SOCIETY LIMITED FY2025£1.9m—0above—no doubt

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