THE BRIGHTSIDE TRUST

Registered charity 1159993 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Brightside is an education charity. We create, develop and manage online mentoring projects,and other online tools and resources, to connect, inform and inspire more young people toachieve their full potential through education.

Objects

THE CHARITY’S OBJECTS ARE, FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT:(A)THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION;(B)TO ADVANCE IN LIFE AND PROVIDE RELIEF TO THOSE IN NEED BY REASON OF YOUTH, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP OR OTHER DISADVANTAGE, IN PARTICULAR, BUT WITHOUT LIMITATION BY:(I)PROVIDING SUPPORT AND ACTIVITIES WHICH DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS, CAPACITIES AND CAPABILITIES TO ENABLE THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY AS MATURE AND RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUALS; AND (II)RELIEVING UNEMPLOYMENT.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£753k

Latest spending

£999k

Registered

2015

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £235,189 for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven by an 11.5% decrease in income to £753,361 against expenditure of £998,775. Despite this deficit, the trustees confirm that unrestricted reserves of £840,111 remain above their policy target of six to nine months' expenditure, and forecasts indicate significant headroom to operate for the next 12 months. The charity has no borrowings and maintains adequate resources to continue as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £70,001 - £80,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £60k)

“One employee received remuneration amounting to more than £60,000 (two employees in 2024) with one in the bracket of £70,001 - £80,000 (2024 – two employees in the bracket of £60,001 - £70,000).” — page 31

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“One employee received remuneration amounting to more than £60,000 (two employees in 2024) with one in the bracket of £70,001 - £80,000 (2024 – two employees in the bracket of £60,001 - £70,000).” — page 31

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: between six- and nine-months’ expenditure (held: £840k)

“It is the policy of the charity to maintain unrestricted reserves at a level which equates to between six- and nine-months’ expenditure.” — page 14

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

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
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income

£753k

Total spending

£999k

Reserves (reported)

£840k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~10.1 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (79% 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 (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (18/06/2015) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (18/06/2015) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Oliver Bormchair
Amrita Brember · trustee of 1 other charity
Christopher Paul Goodwill
Dr Andrew Ross · trustee of 1 other charity
Gordon Montgomery
Jade Azim
Natasha Lucas
Sarah Dauncey
Stephen Lancaster
Tayyeb Shah

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£753k	£999k
31/03/2024	£852k	£1.1m
31/03/2023	£804k	£1.2m
31/03/2022	£1.1m	£1.2m
31/03/2021	£1.0m	£3.2m

Common questions

Is THE BRIGHTSIDE TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £235,189 for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven by an 11.5% decrease in income to £753,361 against expenditure of £998,775. Despite this deficit, the trustees confirm that unrestricted reserves of £840,111 remain above their policy target of six to nine months' expenditure, and forecasts indicate significant headroom to operate for the next 12 months. The charity has no borrowings and maintains adequate resources to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE BRIGHTSIDE TRUST earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £70,001 - £80,000 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).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	19/12/2024	£18k	Bright Carers
Greater London Authority	01/01/2024	£285k	New Deal for Young People Grants
UK government	28/03/2023	£7k	Aviation Sector Insight Mentoring

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
THE STEVE MORGAN FOUNDATION	1	£105k
THE LAWSON TRUST CIO	1	£19k
THE ALLEN OVERY SHEARMAN STERLING FOUNDATION	1	£15k
THE PHILIP AND CONNIE PHILLIPS FOUNDATION	1	£13k
THE COLYER-FERGUSSON CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£10k
THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£4k
THE PETER STEBBINGS MEMORIAL CHARITY	1	£4k
SIR JULES THORN CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£3k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BRIGHT SIDE.

BRIGHT SIDE income £351k
COACHBRIGHT CHARITABLE TRUST income £447k
BRIGHTON THEATRE GROUP income £207k
HILLSIDE EDUCATIONAL TRUST income £213k
ADVANCE BRIGHTER FUTURES income £396k
BRIGHT SHADOW income £242k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE BRIGHTSIDE TRUST	£753k	£70,001 - £80,000	1	above	—	no doubt
BRIGHT SIDE FY2025	£351k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
COACHBRIGHT CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£447k	£60,001 - £70,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
BRIGHTON THEATRE GROUP FY2025	£207k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
HILLSIDE EDUCATIONAL TRUST FY2025	£213k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
ADVANCE BRIGHTER FUTURES FY2026	£396k	—	0	within	—	no doubt

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