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UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON STUDENTS' UNION

Registered charity 1164033 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as UBSU (AKA BRIGHTON SU)

Brighton SU has a membership of 22,000+ students, for whom it: - provides representation, advice and support - promotes their interests and welfare - acts as the representative channel between students and the University - provides social, cultural, sporting and recreational activities and - provides forums for discussions and debate.

Causes: Education/training · Amateur Sport · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£2.7m
Latest spending
£2.6m
Registered
2015
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net movement in funds of £111,948 for the year ended 31 July 2025, resulting in total net liabilities of £812,208 after recognising a defined benefit pension scheme liability of £1,154,950. The trustees confirm that free reserves would have been £288,325 excluding the pension deficit, and that the charity maintains a minimum reserve policy of £100,000. Per the trustees' report, the going concern basis is considered appropriate due to confirmed university support and robust commercial income streams.

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)
“In the band £80,001 - £90,000 4 4” — page 33
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: no less than £100,000 (held: £288k)
“The review concluded an appropriate minimum reserve fevel remains at no less than £100,000.” — page 6
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Payments to trustees: Sabbatical Trustees received remuneration: D Dada (£23,613), A Ononiba (£26,154), O Atomon (£23,613), F Emmanuel (£23,613), M Nana Kana (£1,306), N Spence (£2,772), R Birch (£2,669).
“During the year, the Sabbatical Trustees have been paid remuneration from an employment with the Company. The value of Trustees' remuneration and other benefits was as follows:” — page 33
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: University of Brighton block grant
“The Union is in receipt of a recurrent grant from the University of £1,149,996 (2024: £1,149,996) during the year ended 31 July 2025.” — page 44
“The University also donated the use of University premises with a considered value of £302,451 (2024: £291,380). This is recognised within Facilities in Kind income.” — page 44
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: University of Brighton free accommodation
“The Union is in receipt of a recurrent grant from the University of £1,149,996 (2024: £1,149,996) during the year ended 31 July 2025.” — page 44
“The University also donated the use of University premises with a considered value of £302,451 (2024: £291,380). This is recognised within Facilities in Kind income.” — page 44
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: BSU Enterprise Limited
“BSU Enterprise Limited is a trading subsidiary company wholly owned by UBSU.” — page 7
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by TC Group. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

BSU ENTERPRISE LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Debtors: amounts owed by group undertakings £20,609 (2025); Creditors: amounts owed to group undertakings £47,753 (2024).

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

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

Total income
£2.7m
Total spending
£2.6m
Cost of raising funds
£129k
Reserves (reported)
£0
Employees
95

Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (58% 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: 4.7% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Brighton And Hove · East Sussex

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/07/2025£2.7m£2.6m
31/07/2024£2.7m£2.7m
31/07/2023£2.7m£2.6m
31/07/2022£2.3m£2.2m
31/07/2021£1.8m£1.7m

Common questions

Is UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON STUDENTS' UNION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net movement in funds of £111,948 for the year ended 31 July 2025, resulting in total net liabilities of £812,208 after recognising a defined benefit pension scheme liability of £1,154,950. The trustees confirm that free reserves would have been £288,325 excluding the pension deficit, and that the charity maintains a minimum reserve policy of £100,000. Per the trustees' report, the going concern basis is considered appropriate due to confirmed university support and robust commercial income streams. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by TC Group.

What does the highest-paid employee of UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON STUDENTS' UNION earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £80,001 - £90,000 band.

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
Sport England20/12/2017£10kAmerican Football Participation Project

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 MICHAEL BISHOP FOUNDATION1£1.1m
CHURCH REVITALISATION TRUST1£144k
BEDFORDSHIRE AND LUTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION1£32k
THE IAN ASKEW CHARITABLE TRUST1£500

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with SHEFFIELD HALLAM STUDENTS' UNION.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON STUDENTS' UNION£2.7m£80,001 - £90,000—unclear—no doubt
SHEFFIELD HALLAM STUDENTS' UNION FY2025£2.9m——unclear—no doubt
UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN STUDENTS UNION FY2025£5.7m£130,001 - £140,000—unclear—no doubt
THE CARERS CENTRE FOR BRIGHTON AND HOVE LIMITED FY2025£668k—0unclear—no doubt
OXFORD UNIVERSITY STUDENT UNION FY2025£1.1mmore than £60,0002above—no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF BRIGHTON, ST PETER FY2024£1.5m—0above—no doubt

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