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NORTHUMBRIA STUDENTS' UNION

Registered charity 1174053 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Northumbria Students' Union is a membership organisation comprising of all the the registered students of Northumbria University. Our principal purpose is to represent the interests of our students and to further their education. In addition we provide opportunities for personal development through volunteering and undertake mutual trading for the benefit of our members.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£4.2m
Latest spending
£4.1m
Registered
2017
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £60,250 for the year ended 31 July 2025, with total unrestricted funds carried forward increasing to £745,637. The trustees' report notes that the union is dependent on the University of Northumbria for its core block grant, which constitutes over 70% of income, but confirms that further support is expected to continue. The auditors confirmed that the financial statements give a true and fair view and identified no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability 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: £77,252 — above the median for charities its size (£70k)
“The chief executive officer, as the highest paid member of staff, received benefits totalling £77,252 (2024 - £79,695).” — page 35
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Largest income source: University of Northumbria block grant (69% of income)
“The core source for the Union is the block grant from the University which constitutes over 70% of NSU income (2024 71%).” — page 13
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: £354k (held: £746k)
“The target minimum free reserves for the financial year 2025/2026 is set at £354k, being 50% of overheads related to our core operations. This will provide the NSU with approximately 6 months of cover, or cover for a 50% increase in net costs, sustained for a year.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Payments to trustees: Sabbatical officers (who are trustees) were paid £179,171. No external trustees received remuneration.
“Sabbatical officers were paid £179,171 (2024 - £164,092) as permitted by Students' Union's Memorandum and Articles of Associations. During the year no external Trustees received any remuneration or other benefits (2024 - £NIL).”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Northumbria University is considered to be a related party. During the year, the university provided total funding of £2,885,173 to the Union in the year, in which £2,873,173 has been recognised through income and £12,000 has been deferred as it relates to future events. Of the income recognised in the year, this was identified as being split in the form of a block grant amounting to £1,643,373 and an establishment grant amounting to £1,200,000 and other grants of £29,800. In addition other income was received from the University for services offered amounting to £226,377. During the year, the union paid rent of £1,200,000 to the University and have other costs amounting to £140. At the year end, the amount owed to the union from the university amounted to £315,392.
“Northumbria University is considered to be a related party, given the very nature of the relationship between the two entities. During the year, the university provided total funding of £2,885,173 to the Union in the year, in which £2,873,173 has been recognised through income and £12,000 has been deferred as it relates to future events. Of the income recognised in the year, this was identified as being split in the form of a block grant amounting to £1,643,373 and an establishment grant amounting to £1,200,000 and other grants of £29,800. In addition other income was received from the University for services offered amounting to £226,377. During the year, the union paid rent of £1,200,000 to the University and have other costs amounting to £140. At the year end, the amount owed to the union from the university amounted to £315,392.” — page 43
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Armstrong Watson Audit Limited. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Corporate structure

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

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 31/07/2025)

Total income
£4.2m
Total spending
£4.1m
Reserves (reported)
£354k
Employees
106

Reported reserves equal ~1.0 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 (69% 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 (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Newcastle Upon Tyne City

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/07/2025£4.2m£4.1m
31/07/2024£4.1m£4.1m
31/07/2023£4.3m£4.2m
31/07/2022£4.1m£4.1m
31/07/2021£3.4m£3.5m

Common questions

Is NORTHUMBRIA STUDENTS' UNION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £60,250 for the year ended 31 July 2025, with total unrestricted funds carried forward increasing to £745,637. The trustees' report notes that the union is dependent on the University of Northumbria for its core block grant, which constitutes over 70% of income, but confirms that further support is expected to continue. The auditors confirmed that the financial statements give a true and fair view and identified no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Armstrong Watson Audit Limited.

What does the highest-paid employee of NORTHUMBRIA STUDENTS' UNION earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £77,252 band.

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
BRITISH UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES SPORT LIMITED1£296

Charities like this

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

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
NORTHUMBRIA STUDENTS' UNION£4.2m£77,252—unclear—no doubt
DURHAM STUDENTS' UNION FY2025£2.6m——below47.2%no doubt
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' UNION FY2025£7.6m£90,000 - £100,0004unclear—no doubt
UNIVERSITY OF CUMBRIA STUDENTS' UNION FY2025£527k—0above—noted
NUS STUDENTS' UNION CHARITABLE SERVICES FY2025£3.9m——unclear—no doubt
GREENWICH STUDENTS UNION LTD FY2025£4.4m£70,001 - £80,0002below—no doubt

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