REAL LIFE OPTIONS
Registered charity 1156258 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also registered in Scotland as SC045939 (OSCR)
Real Life Options provides support and care to people in the United Kingdom who have disabilities. In particular, the organisation provides and manages services on a peripatetic and domiciliary basis, and provides care and support through the provision of residential housing, both directly and in conjunction with other voluntary agencies, charities and housing associations.
Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · Accommodation/housing · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the Group delivered a strong financial performance with a net surplus of £2,304k and total reserves of £13.1m. The Trustees confirm that unrestricted reserves of £13.1m exceed the minimum policy requirement of £5.6m, ensuring adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: 10% of Group turnover or £5 million, whichever is higher (held: £13.1m)
“The agreed policy is that unrestricted reserves should be maintained at a minimum of 10% of Group turnover or £5 million, whichever is higher. Based on the actual Group turnover at 31 March 2025, this equates to a minimum reserve requirement of £5.6 million.” — page 24
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Related party transaction with Enable Unity CIC
“During the year, Real Life Options purchased services and assets amounting to £10,000 from Enable Unity CIC, a company in which D I Sargent is a Trustee (2024 - £6,991). These services and assets were purchased on an arm’s length basis. Real Life Options had no amounts owed to or due from Enable Unity CIC at 31 March 2025.” — page 18
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Crowe U.K. LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
In the news
Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Real Life Options (matched by registered charity number).
Leadership, per the charity’s website
- Jean Trench — Group Chief Executive Officer (source)
- David Wilkin — Chair of the Board (source)
Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.
Public-sector contracts awarded
From the official Contracts Finder and Find a Tender notices (supplier matched by exact registered name). Contract income is distinct from grants.
Property (HM Land Registry)
5 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (3 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
CQC provider record: Real Life Options — Registered, 48 registered locations, 2 regulated activities, last inspected 28/07/2023. CQC record
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Reserves (reported)
£13.0m
Reported reserves equal ~2.9 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (100% 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: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).
Care Quality Commission ratings
CQC inspection ratings for services run by a provider matching this charity’s name (matched by name; verify provider identity on CQC’s site).
- Real Life Options - Yorkshire: Requires improvement (08/03/2023) · CQC record
- Real Life Options - Long Eaton Supported Living and Outreach: Good (29/07/2026) · CQC record
- Real Life Options - 96 Harrowdene Road: Good (10/07/2021) · CQC record
- Real Life Options - 2 Frederick Street: Good (24/02/2023) · CQC record
- Real Life Options - 90 Capel Gardens: Good (12/06/2026) · CQC record
- Real Life Options - 96 Bishopton Road: Good (13/11/2019) · CQC record
- Real Life Options - 18 Bisley Drive: Good (22/06/2023) · CQC record
- Real life options - Derbyshire and Sheffield Supported Living and Outreach: Good (10/07/2018) · CQC record
- Real Life Options- Hartlepool: Good (01/05/2020) · CQC record
- Real Life Options - Teesside and Redcar Outreach and Supported Living: Good (25/09/2019) · CQC record
- Andrew Graham Pope
- Anna Elzbieta Rymarczyk
- Charles Andrew Maltby
- Colin Ronald McCorkindale
- David Wilkin · trustee of 2 other charities
- Emma Louise Springer
- Jean Trench
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Scotland · Throughout England And Wales
Income and spending
Common questions
Is REAL LIFE OPTIONS financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the Group delivered a strong financial performance with a net surplus of £2,304k and total reserves of £13.1m. The Trustees confirm that unrestricted reserves of £13.1m exceed the minimum policy requirement of £5.6m, ensuring adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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 OPTIONS FOR SUPPORTED LIVING.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.