Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

BIRMINGHAM CITY STUDENTS' UNION

Registered charity 1142837 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Our purpose is to enhance our students experiences and have a positive impact on their lives.We have spent the last 12 months delivering the third year of a strategic plan.Our vision is to positively impact on and enhance the lives of every Birmingham City University student.

Causes: Amateur Sport · General Charitable Purposes · Religious Activities · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£3.9m
Latest spending
£3.6m
Registered
2011
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £249,022 for the year ended 31 July 2025, with free reserves standing at £1,117,053, which exceeds the stated policy target of approximately £910,000. While the charity acknowledges a structural reliance on university block grant funding, it maintains that its reserves position provides an appropriate level of financial resilience.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £80,001 - £90,000 — above the median for charities its size (£70k)
“There was one employee (2024: one) whose annual emoluments (excluding employer pension contributions) were between £80,000 and £90,000” — page 25
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Employees paid over £60,000: 1
“There was one employee (2024: one) whose annual emoluments (excluding employer pension contributions) were between £80,000 and £90,000” — page 25
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Birmingham City Enterprises Limited, a trading subsidiary, owed the charity £13,381.
“At 31 July 2025, the subsidiary company, Birmingham City Enterprises Limited, owed the charity £13,381 (2024: £13,381).” — page 34
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Birmingham City Enterprises Limited
“The charity owns 100% of the issued ordinary share capital of Birmingham City Enterprises Limited, a trading entity that operates a student lettings agency.” — page 26
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Cooper Parry Group Limited. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/07/2025)

Total income
£3.9m
Total spending
£3.6m
Cost of raising funds
£173k
Reserves (reported)
£1.1m
Employees
113

Reported reserves equal ~3.8 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (63% 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: 4.5% 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: Birmingham City

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/07/2025£3.9m£3.6m
31/07/2024£3.7m£3.6m
31/07/2023£3.5m£3.4m
31/07/2022£3.0m£2.9m
31/07/2021£2.7m£2.6m

Common questions

Is BIRMINGHAM CITY STUDENTS' UNION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £249,022 for the year ended 31 July 2025, with free reserves standing at £1,117,053, which exceeds the stated policy target of approximately £910,000. While the charity acknowledges a structural reliance on university block grant funding, it maintains that its reserves position provides an appropriate level of financial resilience. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Cooper Parry Group Limited.

What does the highest-paid employee of BIRMINGHAM CITY STUDENTS' UNION earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £80,001 - £90,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund09/08/2012£10kKids Adventure BCU
The National Lottery Community Fund20/10/2011£7kLets Get Birmingham City University Students Cooking!

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
THE EDWARD AND DOROTHY CADBURY TRUST1£3k
THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DEVONSHIRE BENEVOLENT FUND1£2k
United by 2022 Charity1£1k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL STUDENTS' UNION.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
BIRMINGHAM CITY STUDENTS' UNION£3.9m£80,001 - £90,0001unclear—no doubt
UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL STUDENTS' UNION FY2025£7.7m—0unclear—no doubt
BIRMINGHAM EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP LIMITED FY2025£2.3m——above—no doubt
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM STUDENTS’ UNION (THE GUILD OF STUDENTS) FY2025£360k—0unclear—no doubt
UNIVERSITY OF CHICHESTER STUDENTS' UNION FY2025£1.2m—0unclear—no doubt
UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON STUDENTS’ UNION FY2025£1.7m—0unclear—no doubt

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