OLDER CITIZENS ADVOCACY YORK

Registered charity 1173795 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as OCAY

OCAY provides a free, confidential and independent advocacy service to older people in the City of York and its surrounding area in order to provide relief to older people in need.

Objects

THE OBJECTS OF THE CIO ARE:THE OBJECTIVE OF OLDER CITIZENS ADVOCACY YORK (OCAY) IS TO PROVIDERELIEF TO OLDER PEOPLE IN NEED IN THE CITY OF YORK AND ITS SURROUNDINGAREA BY THE PROVISION OF A GENERAL ADVOCACY SERVICE.NOTHING IN THIS CONSTITUTION SHALL AUTHORISE AN APPLICATION OF THE PROPERTY OF THE CIO FOR THEPURPOSES WHICH ARE NOT CHARITABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH [SECTION 7 OF THE CHARITIES AND TRUSTEEINVESTMENT (SCOTLAND) ACT 2005] AND [SECTION 2 OF THE CHARITIES ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 2008]

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

Causes: Disability · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£108k

Latest spending

£124k

Registered

2017

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity held £53,072 in total reserves at the end of the financial year, with £18,000 designated as a contingency fund. The trustees report that overall reserves represent around six months of running costs, which is in line with their reserves targets. Although the main grant funding cycle ended in September 2025, the charity secured a new three-year grant from the National Lottery Community Fund in December 2025, providing future financial stability.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: around 6 months running costs (held: £35k)

“Our overall reserves represents around 6 months running costs, which is in line with our reserves targets.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor

“Given the level of uncertainty at the end of the financial period – when we had concluded the previous lottery grant but not yet been offered funding for a new project, the board felt a prudent level of reserves was appropriate.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 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
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Micklegate Stray Trust — “Taking in Walmgate Stray, Hob Moor, Monk and Bootham Strays, Bruce followed the historic boundaries of these much-loved green spaces, reflec…” (source page)

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

Register events

Received assets from another charity (01/10/2018) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Gillian Caldicottchair
Alison Louise Rogan
Helen Tulloch
Laura Ann Walker · trustee of 2 other charities
Lindsay Mary Ellen Donaldson Cameron
Matthew William Knight · trustee of 1 other charity
SYLVIA DOUGHTY

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

Operates in: City Of York

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
30/09/2025	£108k	£124k
30/09/2024	£85k	£127k
30/09/2023	£123k	£93k
30/09/2022	£109k	£133k
31/03/2021	£124k	£85k

Common questions

Is OLDER CITIZENS ADVOCACY YORK financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity held £53,072 in total reserves at the end of the financial year, with £18,000 designated as a contingency fund. The trustees report that overall reserves represent around six months of running costs, which is in line with their reserves targets. Although the main grant funding cycle ended in September 2025, the charity secured a new three-year grant from the National Lottery Community Fund in December 2025, providing future financial stability. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds OLDER CITIZENS ADVOCACY YORK?

Funders whose own accounts filings name OLDER CITIZENS ADVOCACY YORK as a grant recipient include TWO RIDINGS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, THE LIZ AND TERRY BRAMALL FOUNDATION, THE ALLEN LANE FOUNDATION, THE GROCERS' CHARITY.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
TWO RIDINGS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	FY2025	£5k	Sustainable Cities and Communities
THE LIZ AND TERRY BRAMALL FOUNDATION	FY2023	£5k
THE ALLEN LANE FOUNDATION	FY2024	£4k
THE GROCERS' CHARITY	FY2024	£2k	Elderly

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	18/12/2025	£199k	Advocacy to Address Inequalities
The National Lottery Community Fund	20/07/2021	£252k	Advocacy Support for older people in York
City of York Council	—	£1k	Provision of ``Benefits Advocacy``
City of York Council	—	£1k	Provision of ``Benefits Advocacy``
City of York Council	—	£2k	Provision of ``Benefits Advocacy``
City of York Council	—	£2k	Service Level Agreement for Benefits Advocacy (FISG project) for the period 01/04/20 to 31/03/21. Payment by instalment.
City of York Council	—	£876	Guildhall Ward Grant
City of York Council	—	£2k	Provision of ``Benefits Advocacy``
City of York Council	—	£500	Micklegate Ward Grant
City of York Council	—	£3k	FISG grant 2023/24. Provision of `Benefits Advocacy` per SLA.
City of York Council	—	£3k	Ward Committee Grant
City of York Council	—	£2k	Micklegate Ward Grant
City of York Council	—	£500	Hull Road Ward Grant
City of York Council	—	£3k	Financial inclusion grant benefits advocacy
City of York Council	—	£2k	FISG grant 2023/24. Provision of `Benefits Advocacy` per SLA.
City of York Council	—	£400	Hull Road Ward Grant
City of York Council	—	£3k	Financial Inclusion
City of York Council	—	£2k	Financial Inclusion
City of York Council	—	£1k	Acomb Ward
City of York Council	—	£500	Heworth Ward Grant
City of York Council	—	£1k	Provision of `Benefits Advocacy: help with applications, assessments and appeals` in accordance with the Financial Inclusion Steering Group grant award of 14/05/18 for the period 01/10/18 to 30/09/19. Payments by instalment.

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
CARERS TRUST	1	£252k
YORK CHILDREN'S TRUST	1	£57k
HEY SMILE FOUNDATION	1	£42k
HELP FOR HEALTH	1	£30k
THE TRIANGLE TRUST 1949 FUND	1	£19k
THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£13k
TRUST PROPERTY ADMINISTERED IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMPANY OF THE MERCHANT ADVENTURERS OF THE CITY OF YORK	1	£10k
ED DE NUNZIO CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£8k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with Age UK York.

Age UK York income £1.9m
YORK NEIGHBOURS income £103k
YORK CARERS CENTRE income £679k
YORK CARES income £326k
Carers Plus Yorkshire Ltd income £1.3m
THE NATIONAL YOUTH ADVOCACY SERVICE income £11.8m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
OLDER CITIZENS ADVOCACY YORK	£108k	—	within	—	noted
Age UK York FY2025	£1.9m	—	within	—	no doubt
YORK NEIGHBOURS FY2025	£103k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
YORK CARERS CENTRE FY2025	£679k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
YORK CARES FY2025	£326k	£17,996	unclear	—	no doubt
Carers Plus Yorkshire Ltd FY2025	£1.3m	—	above	—	no doubt

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