Play it Forward

Registered charity 1177278 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as ATD FOUNDATION

THROUGH THE POWER OF FOOTBALL, PLAY IT FORWARD INSPIRES AND EMPOWERS A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN ZAMBIA TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR LIVES. OUR ACTIVITIES INCLUDE EDUCATION, WATER AND SANITATION AND HEALTH PROJECTS.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Amateur Sport · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£287k

Latest spending

£270k

Registered

2018

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total funds stood at £85,513 at 31 March 2025, which the Trustees confirm is more than six months' operating costs. The charity reports a net income of £17,685 for the year, with core running costs fully covered by trustee contributions to ensure all donations go directly to projects.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: should not fall to below £50k (held: £86k)

“The level of reserves held will fluctuate depending on the timing of fundraising activities carried out but should not fall to below £50k.” — page 31

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Attraction Tickets Ltd, a company majority owned and controlled by Chairman Oliver Brendon, initially met certain operating and support costs which were fully re-charged to the charity at cost.

“Certain operating and support costs of the charity (including a proportion of employee costs) are initially met by Attraction Tickets Ltd a company majority owned and controlled by Oliver Brendon, Chairman and Trustee of Play it Forward. Such expenses incurred are fully re-charged to the charity at cost” — page 23

“In the year ending 31 March 2025, grant funding of £195,635 (March 2024: £132,594) was transferred to Play it Forward Zambia.” — page 23

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Grant funding of £195,635 was transferred to Play It Forward Zambia, a registered NGO with which the charity has a close working relationship and agreement.

“Certain operating and support costs of the charity (including a proportion of employee costs) are initially met by Attraction Tickets Ltd a company majority owned and controlled by Oliver Brendon, Chairman and Trustee of Play it Forward. Such expenses incurred are fully re-charged to the charity at cost” — page 23

“In the year ending 31 March 2025, grant funding of £195,635 (March 2024: £132,594) was transferred to Play it Forward Zambia.” — page 23

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Funders the charity credits

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

Far & Wild — “Far & Wild donates part of every booking to Play it Forward, directly supporting initiatives in Livingstone.” (source page)
Attraction Tickets — “Attraction Tickets have been a supporter of Play it Forward since 2020. They sponsor our football programmes to ensure young people are acti…” (source page)
Digital Opportunity Trust — “Play It Forward Zambia is proud to be implementing the Going Beyond Project in partnership with Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) and the Mast…” (source page)
The MasterCard Foundation — “Play It Forward Zambia is proud to be implementing the Going Beyond Project in partnership with Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) and the Mast…” (source page)

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

Trustees · trustee networks

OLIVER HENRY BRENDONchair
Chibwe Henry
JOSEPH THOMPSON
Jeanne Caujolle
PETER EDWARDS
Rebecca Harding
SASHA DENISE BRENDON

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

Operates in: Zambia

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£287k	£270k
31/03/2024	£214k	£203k
31/03/2023	£194k	£179k
31/03/2022	£114k	£115k
31/03/2021	£38k	£89k

Common questions

Is Play it Forward financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total funds stood at £85,513 at 31 March 2025, which the Trustees confirm is more than six months' operating costs. The charity reports a net income of £17,685 for the year, with core running costs fully covered by trustee contributions to ensure all donations go directly to projects. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds Play it Forward?

Funders whose own accounts filings name Play it Forward as a grant recipient include THE BLOOM FOUNDATION, MERCURY PHOENIX TRUST, THE ASHWORTH CHARITABLE TRUST, MISS E F RATHBONE CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE BLOOM FOUNDATION	FY2024	£100k
THE BLOOM FOUNDATION	FY2025	£50k
MERCURY PHOENIX TRUST	FY2025	£17k	Zambia
MERCURY PHOENIX TRUST	FY2023	£9k
THE ASHWORTH CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2026	£3k
MISS E F RATHBONE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£2k	International

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
THE LONDON MARATHON CHARITABLE TRUST LIMITED	1	£2.3m
TRUST FOR LONDON	1	£90k
THE MARY KINROSS CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£80k
THE CAROLE AND GEOFFREY LAWSON FOUNDATION	1	£63k
RANDEREE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£25k
The Ashley Family Foundation	1	£20k
THE BARBARA WARD CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION	1	£15k
ALLAN AND NESTA FERGUSON CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	1	£15k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with RIGHT TO PLAY UK LIMITED.

RIGHT TO PLAY UK LIMITED income £2.4m
PLAY FOR PROGRESS income £276k
Swindon Town FC Community Foundation income £1.4m
THE PLAYERS FOUNDATION income £1.3m
FOOTBALL FOR PEACE FOUNDATION income £115k
PLAY WALES/CHWARAE CYMRU income £607k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
Play it Forward	£287k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
RIGHT TO PLAY UK LIMITED FY2024	£2.4m	£90,001 - £100,000	1	above	—	no doubt
PLAY FOR PROGRESS FY2025	£276k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
Swindon Town FC Community Foundation FY2025	£1.4m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE PLAYERS FOUNDATION FY2025	£1.3m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
FOOTBALL FOR PEACE FOUNDATION FY2025	£115k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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