SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOLS
Speakers for Schools helps to arrange connections and engagements between a network of highly respected speakers and state schools throughout the academic year, with a strategic focus of making this as widely available as possible to state schools in England, Wales and Scotland, free of charge.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £417,646 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £621,025 to £203,379. The trustees note that unrestricted funds are maintained at a level equivalent to around three months' expenditure, which they consider sufficient due to continued financial support pledges from their principal funder. The auditor confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
What the accounts disclose
“£150,001 - £160,000 1 1”
“Andrew Law, Chair and Trustee, is also a Trustee of AL Philanthropies, a Charity which funds project costs of Speakers for Schools (trading as Futures For All) and in the year donated £4,989,332 (2024: £5,751,053) to Speakers for Schools (trading as Futures For All), which is included in unrestricted funds.” — page 54
In the news
- UK Music Speakers for Schools Event a Huge Success
- Nick Brook, chief executive, Speakers for Schools
- Famous Faces Share Stories of Work Experience for Robert Peston’s Speakers for Schools Charity - LBB
- Speakers for Schools and Penguin Random House UK Children's to deliver online book club to 30,000 state school students
- Pioneering drill music producer gives careers talk to West London college with Speakers for Schools
- Tesco partners with Speakers for Schools to give work experience to 150 young people across England
- Speakers for Schools "needs more people" from the design sector to inspire students
- Speakers for Schools launch
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2025)
Trustees
- ANDREW ERIC LAW
- Edward Amory
- Joe Mathewson
- ROBERT JAMES KENNETH PESTON
- ROLAND DACRE RUDD
- Ruth Spellman
- Sakhila Mona Mirza
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/08/2025 | £5.7m | £6.1m |
| 31/08/2024 | £6.4m | £6.4m |
| 31/08/2023 | £7.8m | £8.5m |
| 31/08/2022 | £8.9m | £7.5m |
| 31/08/2021 | £3.1m | £2.9m |
Common questions
Is SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOLS financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £417,646 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £621,025 to £203,379. The trustees note that unrestricted funds are maintained at a level equivalent to around three months' expenditure, which they consider sufficient due to continued financial support pledges from their principal funder. The auditor confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Third Sector Accountancy Limited.
What does the highest-paid employee of SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOLS earn?
Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £150,001 - £160,000 band.
Who funds SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOLS?
Funders whose own accounts filings name SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOLS as a grant recipient include AL Philanthropies, THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUST, INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY FOUNDATION, LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY COMMERCIAL EDUCATION TRUST, THE SIR JAMES RECKITT CHARITY.
Known funders
| Funder | Year | Amount | Purpose (as stated by the funder) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL Philanthropies | FY2023 | £8.7m | Social mobility charity |
| AL Philanthropies | FY2025 | £7.0m | Futures for All (formerly Speakers for Schools) |
| AL Philanthropies | FY2022 | £5.3m | |
| AL Philanthropies | FY2024 | £4.7m | Grant funding |
| THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUST | FY2022 | £1.6m | |
| THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUST | FY2023 | £1.6m | |
| INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY FOUNDATION | FY2024 | £40k | |
| LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY COMMERCIAL EDUCATION TRUST | FY2024 | £40k | Support mission of promoting social mobility through equitable work experience opportunities. |
| THE SIR JAMES RECKITT CHARITY | FY2021 | £10k | Education |
| THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATION | FY2021 | £5k | |
| THE SIMON GIBSON CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2023 | £3k | |
| R G HILLS CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2022 | £1k | |
| THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2022 | £1k | |
| THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATION | FY2022 | £0 | |
| INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY FOUNDATION | FY2025 | £0 |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| THE DULVERTON TRUST | 2 | £225k |
| THE WESTMINSTER FOUNDATION | 2 | £86k |
| THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST | 2 | £53k |
| THE ALLEN OVERY SHEARMAN STERLING FOUNDATION | 2 | £43k |
| The Keith Howard Foundation | 2 | £30k |
| THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £3.1m |
| THE MOHN WESTLAKE FOUNDATION | 1 | £1.0m |
| JACK PETCHEY FOUNDATION | 1 | £852k |
Charities like this
- SPEAKERS TRUST LIMITED
- SCHOOLREADERS
- GOVERNORS FOR SCHOOLS
- Voice 21
- ENGLISH- SPEAKING UNION OF THE COMMONWEALTH
- THE SPEAKERS ART FUND
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOLS | £5.7m | £150,001 - £160,000 | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| SPEAKERS TRUST LIMITED | £1.5m | £80,000 - £90,000 | 12 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| SCHOOLREADERS | £940k | more than £60,000 | 1 | within | — | no doubt |
| GOVERNORS FOR SCHOOLS | £1.6m | £80,000 - £89,999 | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| Voice 21 | £4.0m | £80,001 - £90,000 | 5 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| ENGLISH- SPEAKING UNION OF THE COMMONWEALTH | £2.6m | — | — | above | — | no doubt |