ABOUT WITH FRIENDS

Registered charity 1164119 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as AWF

Supporting people with learning disabilities

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Disability · Economic/community Development/employment · 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 generated a net income surplus of £59,007 for the year ended 31 March 2025. However, free reserves stood at £143,431, which the trustees note covers less than two months of running costs, falling significantly below their stated policy target of six months. The charity holds a wholly owned trading subsidiary, About With Friends Hospitality Limited, which reported a loss for the period.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: Under £60,000 — below the median for charities its size (£70k)
“No employee received employee benefits of more than £60,000 during the year (2024: £Nil).” — page 21
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £143k; policy: six months projected running costs)
“Free reserves, represented by net current assets within the unrestricted fund, amounted to £143,431 at 31 March 2025 which covers less than two months running costs.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: About With Friends Hospitality Limited
“During 2023/24 the Charity set up a fully owned subsidiary undertaking About with Friends Hospitality Limited (company number 15267648).” — page 10
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Lovewell Blake LLP. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — About with Friends (matched by registered charity number).

Property (HM Land Registry)

4 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (3 freehold); recorded price paid £244k. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

CQC provider record: About with Friends — Registered, 1 registered location, 1 regulated activity, last inspected 22/09/2023.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record

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

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

Total income
£2.7m
Total spending
£2.6m
Cost of raising funds
£2.6m
Reserves (reported)
£143k
Employees
68

Reported reserves equal ~0.7 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (96% 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: 97.4% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 5.2%) (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).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Norfolk

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£2.7m£2.6m
31/03/2024£2.4m£2.3m
31/03/2023£2.0m£1.9m
31/03/2022£1.7m£1.5m
31/03/2021£1.4m£1.2m

Common questions

Is ABOUT WITH FRIENDS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a net income surplus of £59,007 for the year ended 31 March 2025. However, free reserves stood at £143,431, which the trustees note covers less than two months of running costs, falling significantly below their stated policy target of six months. The charity holds a wholly owned trading subsidiary, About With Friends Hospitality Limited, which reported a loss for the period. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Lovewell Blake LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of ABOUT WITH FRIENDS earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the Under £60,000 band.

Who funds ABOUT WITH FRIENDS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name ABOUT WITH FRIENDS as a grant recipient include NORFOLK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, HAYS TRAVEL FOUNDATION.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
NORFOLK COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONFY2024£20kTo support 200 households with food and fuel vouchers as well as household kits designed with individual need in mind.
HAYS TRAVEL FOUNDATIONFY2022£359

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund30/04/2026£8kAbout with Friends wellness and Fitness
Sport England17/03/2026£15kAbout With Friends Wellbeing Hub
The National Lottery Community Fund27/09/2018£10kWorkskills Access
The National Lottery Heritage Fund10/07/2014£9k"Friends in Flanders"
The National Lottery Community Fund11/05/2005£60ksocial inclusion scheme for disabled people

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 FRIENDS OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHRIST THE KING.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
ABOUT WITH FRIENDS£2.7mUnder £60,0000below—no doubt
FRIENDS OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHRIST THE KING FY2025£493kUnder £60,0000unclear—no doubt
Learning Disability Network London Limited FY2025£22.7m——unclear—no doubt
FRIENDS FOUNDATION FY2024£103k—0unclear—no doubt
IMAGINE ACT AND SUCCEED FY2025£12.1m——above—no doubt
FRIENDS OF B'EZRI FY2024£788k—0above—no doubt

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