Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

CHINEKE FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1165933 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as CHINEKE

To promote diversity in classical music, for the public benefit, in particular but not exclusively, through the advancement and promotion of Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians, aged 7 to 65, residing in the UK and Europe. To advance arts and culture by supporting the music careers of diverse people through the Chineke! Orchestra, Junior Orchestra, and Education programme.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£1.5m
Latest spending
£2.2m
Registered
2016
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a deficit of £234,611 for the year, reducing its total reserves from £989,385 to £754,774. The trustees describe the reserve position as healthy, noting that unrestricted funds of £625,848 remain positive despite the fall. The charity is reliant on donations and grant income, with Arts Council England providing significant support as a National Portfolio Organisation.

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 — above the median for charities its size (£70k)
“In the band £70,001 - £80,000 1”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Largest income source: Arts Council England (48% of income)
“Arts Council England 700,000”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: three months of overall unrestricted charitable expenditure and six months of overheads including salaries being approximately £500,000 (held: £626k)
“aims to maintain free reserves in unrestricted funds at the level equating to three months of overall unrestricted charitable expenditure and six months of overheads including salaries being approximately £500,000.” — page 7
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor
“The Trustees consider that it is appropriate to prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis. This assumes that the charitable company will be successful in its fundraising activities.” — page 18
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Lubbock Fine LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Chineke! Foundation (matched by registered charity number).

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.

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

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

Total income
£1.5m
Total spending
£2.2m
Cost of raising funds
£17k
Reserves (reported)
£0
Employees
8

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 (66% 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: 1.2% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£1.5m£2.2m
31/03/2024£1.9m£1.8m
31/03/2023£2.2m£2.6m
31/03/2022£1.6m£1.6m
31/03/2021£878k£723k

Common questions

Is CHINEKE FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a deficit of £234,611 for the year, reducing its total reserves from £989,385 to £754,774. The trustees describe the reserve position as healthy, noting that unrestricted funds of £625,848 remain positive despite the fall. The charity is reliant on donations and grant income, with Arts Council England providing significant support as a National Portfolio Organisation. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Lubbock Fine LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of CHINEKE FOUNDATION earn?

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

Who funds CHINEKE FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name CHINEKE FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include THE LINBURY TRUST, MARIA BJORNSON MEMORIAL FUND, THE DYERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST, THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE LINBURY TRUSTFY2022£50kTo cover core costs as well as the annual summer residency for young people. The second payment of a three year £150,000 grant.
MARIA BJORNSON MEMORIAL FUNDFY2022£10k
MARIA BJORNSON MEMORIAL FUNDFY2023£5k
THE DYERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5kEducation and the Young
THE DYERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5kEducation and the Young
THE DYERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£5kThe Arts
MARIA BJORNSON MEMORIAL FUNDFY2024£5k
THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATIONFY2021£0
THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATIONFY2022£0

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 GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION1£3.3m
THE MICHAEL BISHOP FOUNDATION1£1.1m
THE THOMPSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST1£350k
Genesis Foundation1£299k
THE MAYFIELD VALLEY ARTS TRUST1£110k
THE REED FOUNDATION1£56k
THE SACKLER TRUST1£50k
THE SANDERSON FOUNDATION1£30k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with NATIONAL CHILDREN'S CHOIR OF GREAT BRITAIN.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
CHINEKE FOUNDATION£1.5m£70,001 - £80,000—unclear—noted
NATIONAL CHILDREN'S CHOIR OF GREAT BRITAIN FY2025£333k—0unclear—no doubt
BRIGHTON AND HOVE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY LIMITED FY2025£505k—0unclear—no doubt
THE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF EUROPE FY2024£3.8m—0above—no doubt
THE YORK EARLY MUSIC FOUNDATION FY2025£821k—0unclear—no doubt
OXFORD PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA TRUST FY2025£3.1m£80,001 - £90,0001within—no doubt

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