WEST KENT DEBT ADVICE

Registered charity 1125756 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as TDAC, TONBRIDGE DEBT ADVICE CENTRE

West Kent Debt Advice (WKDA) is an independent charity providing advice and practical assistance to all who find themselves in debt or financial difficulty in West Kent. Our service is completely free and impartial and our work is supported and funded by local churches acting together.

Objects

THE CHARITY'S OBJECTS (THE OBJECTS) ARE (A) THE RELIEF OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIPAMONG PEOPLE LIVING OR WORKING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND ELSEWHERE BY THEPROVISION OF FREE ADVICE, COUNSELLING, AND SUPPORT; (B) TO ADVANCE THEEDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN ALL MATTERS RELATING TO THE MANAGEMENT OF THEIRPERSONAL FINANCES; (C) TO ADVANCE THE CHRISTIAN FAITH FOR THE BENEFIT OF THEPUBLIC IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATEMENTS OF BELIEF APPEARING IN THE SCHEDULE.

Area of benefit: UNDEFINED. IN PRACTICE, EAST SUSSEX, KENT.

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 Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Tonbridge and Malling, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£113k

Latest spending

£126k

Registered

2008

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a net outgoing of resources for the year, with total incoming resources of £113,079 against expenditures of £126,261. Unrestricted reserves decreased from £98,639 to £85,457. The trustees state they aim to maintain sufficient unrestricted reserves to support existing clients and note significant dependence on grant applications.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: The trustees aim for the charity to have sufficient unrestricted reserves to support its existing clients. (held: £85k)

“The trustees aim for the charity to have sufficient unrestricted reserves to support its existing clients.” — page 5

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Tonbridge Baptist Church donated £6,250 and provided premises free of charge. Ben Spring, a Trustee, is a member of Tonbridge Baptist Church.

“Tonbridge Baptist Church donated £6,250 (2024 - £6,250) to the charity during the year and provided premises from which the charity operates free of charge. Ben Spring, a Trustee of the charity, is a member of Tonbridge Baptist Church.” — page 9

“Paul Crouch was a Trustee of Crosslight Advice during the year. The charity contributed to Crosslight Advice totalling £18,900 (2024 - £22,839) in respect of shared costs including compliance, infrastructure, training, appointment scheduling, management and policy, and IT.” — page 10

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: The charity contributed £18,900 to Crosslight Advice for shared costs. Paul Crouch was a Trustee of Crosslight Advice during the year.

“Tonbridge Baptist Church donated £6,250 (2024 - £6,250) to the charity during the year and provided premises from which the charity operates free of charge. Ben Spring, a Trustee of the charity, is a member of Tonbridge Baptist Church.” — page 9

“Paul Crouch was a Trustee of Crosslight Advice during the year. The charity contributed to Crosslight Advice totalling £18,900 (2024 - £22,839) in respect of shared costs including compliance, infrastructure, training, appointment scheduling, management and policy, and IT.” — page 10

Per its FY2025 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: Financial Conduct Authority. 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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

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 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 50
Government income: £9,200 — grants £9,200 (2); 8% of the £113,079 total gross income on the same return

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Volunteers: 50
Government income: £8,500 — grants £8,500 (4); 6% of the £152,679 total gross income on the same return

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Volunteers: 50

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

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Crosslight (West Kent) (matched by registered charity number).

Trustees · trustee networks

Benjamin Spring
HELEN JANE ADAM
Michael John O'Driscoll
Paul Crouch

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

Operates in: East Sussex · Kent

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£113k	£126k
31/12/2024	£153k	£130k
31/12/2023	£109k	£125k
31/12/2022	£102k	£112k
31/12/2021	£103k	£110k

Common questions

Is WEST KENT DEBT ADVICE financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported a net outgoing of resources for the year, with total incoming resources of £113,079 against expenditures of £126,261. Unrestricted reserves decreased from £98,639 to £85,457. The trustees state they aim to maintain sufficient unrestricted reserves to support existing clients and note significant dependence on grant applications. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds WEST KENT DEBT ADVICE?

Funders whose own accounts filings name WEST KENT DEBT ADVICE as a grant recipient include THE FRANK JACKSON FOUNDATION, THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUST, THE LAWSON TRUST CIO, THE PHILIP AND CONNIE PHILLIPS FOUNDATION, THE GROCERS' CHARITY.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE FRANK JACKSON FOUNDATION	FY2024	£24k
THE FRANK JACKSON FOUNDATION	FY2025	£15k
THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUST	FY2024	£10k
THE LAWSON TRUST CIO	FY2025	£8k
THE PHILIP AND CONNIE PHILLIPS FOUNDATION	FY2025	£5k	Unrestricted
THE GROCERS' CHARITY	FY2023	£5k	Youth
THE DULVERTON TRUST	FY2022	£4k	Back to Work
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY KIPPINGTON	FY2025	£2k	Tithing Fund
THE S M B TRUST	FY2025	£2k
THE S M B TRUST	FY2024	£2k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY KIPPINGTON	FY2024	£2k	Tithing
THE S M B TRUST	FY2023	£2k
THE S M B TRUST	FY2022	£2k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY KIPPINGTON	FY2022	£800
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY KIPPINGTON	FY2023	£800
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST LUKE, SEVENOAKS	FY2022	£447
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST LUKE, SEVENOAKS	FY2023	£150	Home Giving / Special Collections
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST LUKE, SEVENOAKS	FY2021	amount not stated	Home Giving

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	23/06/2026	£20k	Reinforcing debt support for vulnerable people in West Kent
Postcode Lottery	28/06/2024	£25k	Unrestricted Funding

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
FRANK BRAKE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£140k
LONDON LEGAL SUPPORT TRUST	1	£101k
WILLIAM ADLINGTON CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£20k
THE ALAN EDWARD HIGGS CHARITY	1	£15k
COVENTRY CHURCH (MUNICIPAL) CHARITIES	1	£7k
THE FORRESTER FAMILY TRUST	1	£5k
GOWLING WLG (UK) CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£3k
THE EDGAR E LAWLEY FOUNDATION	1	£2k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with WEST KENT MEDIATION.

WEST KENT MEDIATION income £52k
COVENTRY INDEPENDENT ADVICE SERVICE income £351k
SOUTH WEST LANCASHIRE INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY ADVICE NETWORK LTD income £135k
CITIZENS ADVICE IN NORTH & WEST KENT income £2.1m
DONATIONS WITH A DIFFERENCE income £153k
WEST VIEW ADVICE AND RESOURCE CENTRE LIMITED income £471k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
WEST KENT DEBT ADVICE	£113k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
WEST KENT MEDIATION FY2025	£52k	—	0	unclear	—	noted
COVENTRY INDEPENDENT ADVICE SERVICE FY2025	£351k	—	0	above	—	noted
SOUTH WEST LANCASHIRE INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY ADVICE NETWORK LTD FY2025	£135k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
CITIZENS ADVICE IN NORTH & WEST KENT FY2025	£2.1m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
DONATIONS WITH A DIFFERENCE FY2024	£153k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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