FIRST UK

Registered charity 1178433 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as FIRSTROBOTICS

We make STEM education and careers less intimidating, diverse and inclusive - using robots, mentors, accredited content, epic competitions, and industry judged awards. We support less represented 12 to 18 year-olds in schools and community groups across the UK to design, build, code, and compete with a robot to take on a global challenge.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total income grew 56% to £951,880 while expenditure increased only 9% to £757,863, resulting in a net surplus of £194,017. Unrestricted reserves increased to £222,184, which the trustees note covers five months of governance and operating costs under their stated reserves policy. The charity reports no material debt and maintains adequate resources for future operations.

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

What the accounts disclose

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).

• Purposeful Ventures — “Proudly fuelled by Purposeful Ventures partners with social entrepreneurs and philanthropists to improve the education and well-being of you…” (source page)
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) — “Proudly fuelled by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation a…” (source page)
• The Rigby Foundation — “Proudly fuelled by The Rigby Foundation supports programmes that enable young people, regardless of their background, to access the best edu…” (source page)
• Garfield Weston Foundation — “Proudly fuelled by Established in 1958, the Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded grant-maker that gives money to support a wide va…” (source page)
• RTX — “Proudly fuelled by RTX is accelerating ideas to solve some of the world's biggest challenges by bringing together the brightest, most innova…” (source page)
• Department for Education — “Funded by The Department for Education’s vision is for an education system that prepares young people for life in modern Britain, regardless…” (source page)
• The Gene Haas Foundation — “Proudly fuelled by The Gene Haas Foundation was established in 1999, by Gene Haas, founder and owner of Haas Automation, Inc., to support th…” (source page)
• Bloomberg — “Proudly fuelled by Bloomberg, the global business and financial information and news leader, gives influential decision makers a critical ed…” (source page)

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

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

Reported reserves equal ~5.4 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (93% 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: 3.4% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

• Amelia Gouldchair
• Christopher John Hatherall · trustee of 1 other charity
• Peter Jeremy May Bartholomew Stephens
• Peter Khalil
• Simon Peyton-Jones Prof
• Toby Peter Osborne

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Common questions

Known funders

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