GAMBLING WITH LIVES

Registered charity 1184114 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Support families who have been bereaved by gambling related suicides, with peer support and access to counsellingRaise awareness amongst gamblers, their families and friends, and health professionals of the dangerous effects of gambling on mental health and the high suicide risk, through our website and other social media

Objects

THE OBJECTS OF THE CIO ARE:(A) TO PROMOTE THE PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF GOOD HEALTH AND THE SAVING OF LIVES BY RAISING AWARENESS OF THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF GAMBLING ON HEALTH, AND ESPECIALLY MENTAL HEALTH, TO HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL AND OTHERS, THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION AND SUPPORTING THE DISSEMINATING RESEARCH.(B) TO RELIEVE THE MENTAL DISTRESS AND PHYSICAL SICKNESS OF PERSONS SUFFERING BEREAVEMENT OR LOSS DUE TO SUICIDES RELATED TO GAMBLING OR PERSONS AFFECTED BY FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS WITH GAMBLING ADDICTION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY THE PROVISION OF COUNSELLING AND SUPPORT OF SUCH PERSONS.

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

Causes: The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Sheffield, Yorkshire and The Humber, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£630k

Latest spending

£960k

Registered

2019

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £330,038 for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in total net assets of £1,741,755. Per the trustees' report, the charity maintains unrestricted reserves of £927,252, which is below its stated policy target of six months' planned operating expenditure. The trustees and auditors confirm that the charity has adequate resources to continue as a going concern for at least the next 12 months.

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

What the accounts disclose

Employees paid over £60,000: 3

“The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was: 2025 No. In the band £60,001 - £70,000 2 In the band £70,001 - £80,000 1” — page 29

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: 6 months’ of planned operating expenditure (reserves figure: £927k)

“The current target level of reserves is set as the equivalent of 6 months’ of planned operating expenditure.” — page 14

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Pukka Films

“During the year, amounts totalling £10,070 (2024: £20,100) were paid to Pukka Films. The director of Pukka Films is a close family member of a trustee of the charity.” — page 36

“In the previous year, Jonathan Dawson was working for the organisation as Director of Operations and People but was made redundant during the prior year. He continued to work with the charity on a freelance basis and an amount totalling £525 (2024: £2,699) was paid in respect of his self-employed services.” — page 36

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Jonathan Dawson

“During the year, amounts totalling £10,070 (2024: £20,100) were paid to Pukka Films. The director of Pukka Films is a close family member of a trustee of the charity.” — page 36

“In the previous year, Jonathan Dawson was working for the organisation as Director of Operations and People but was made redundant during the prior year. He continued to work with the charity on a freelance basis and an amount totalling £525 (2024: £2,699) was paid in respect of his self-employed services.” — page 36

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Janet Paske

“During the year, amounts totalling £10,070 (2024: £20,100) were paid to Pukka Films. The director of Pukka Films is a close family member of a trustee of the charity.” — page 36

“In the previous year, Jonathan Dawson was working for the organisation as Director of Operations and People but was made redundant during the prior year. He continued to work with the charity on a freelance basis and an amount totalling £525 (2024: £2,699) was paid in respect of his self-employed services.” — page 36

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Peter Keogh

“During the year, amounts totalling £10,070 (2024: £20,100) were paid to Pukka Films. The director of Pukka Films is a close family member of a trustee of the charity.” — page 36

“In the previous year, Jonathan Dawson was working for the organisation as Director of Operations and People but was made redundant during the prior year. He continued to work with the charity on a freelance basis and an amount totalling £525 (2024: £2,699) was paid in respect of his self-employed services.” — page 36

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Voluntary Action Sheffield

“During the year, amounts totalling £10,070 (2024: £20,100) were paid to Pukka Films. The director of Pukka Films is a close family member of a trustee of the charity.” — page 36

“In the previous year, Jonathan Dawson was working for the organisation as Director of Operations and People but was made redundant during the prior year. He continued to work with the charity on a freelance basis and an amount totalling £525 (2024: £2,699) was paid in respect of his self-employed services.” — page 36

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Chapter One GwL

“Gambling with Lives set up a wholly owned subsidiary company, Chapter One GwL, on 10th June 2025. The company will enter into contracts for the provision of gambling harm prevention, training and support services.” — page 15

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Shorts. 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
Campaigns and political activity 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
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025

Volunteers: 12
Government income: £76,260 — contracts £76,260 (6); 12% of the £629,978 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 3 (£60,001–£70,000: 2; £70,001–£80,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

Volunteers: 15
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£70,001–£80,000: 1)

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £70,001–£80,000: 1)

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Corporate structure

Trading subsidiary: CHAPTER ONE GWL LIMITED Companies House 16509015

CHAPTER ONE GWL LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts

Company is dormant; no trading activity or intra-group transactions disclosed.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Gambling with Lives (matched by registered charity number).

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

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

Total income

£630k

Total spending

£960k

Reserves (reported)

£927k

Employees

10

Reported reserves equal ~11.6 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (81% 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 (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

CHARLES RITCHIE
Chloe Louise Long
David Campbell · trustee of 1 other charity
Elisabeth Katis
GREGORY CHALLIS
Leroy White
Peter Keogh
Professor Janet Anne O'Sullivan
Smriti Singh
Timothy FURNESS

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£630k	£960k
31/03/2024	£1.2m	£856k
31/03/2023	£100k	£1.0m
31/03/2022	£536k	£703k
31/03/2021	£3.3m	£551k

Common questions

Is GAMBLING WITH LIVES financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £330,038 for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in total net assets of £1,741,755. Per the trustees' report, the charity maintains unrestricted reserves of £927,252, which is below its stated policy target of six months' planned operating expenditure. The trustees and auditors confirm that the charity has adequate resources to continue as a going concern for at least the next 12 months. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Shorts.

Who funds GAMBLING WITH LIVES?

Funders whose own accounts filings name GAMBLING WITH LIVES as a grant recipient include THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUST, NETWORK FOR SOCIAL CHANGE CHARITABLE TRUST, THE WITHEREN FOUNDATION, THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST, DORIS FIELD CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£127k	Core costs
NETWORK FOR SOCIAL CHANGE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£20k	Fast Track
NETWORK FOR SOCIAL CHANGE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£20k	Pool/Fast Track
THE WITHEREN FOUNDATION	FY2025	£10k
THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£4k	Compassionate Support
DORIS FIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k	Single payment

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
GAMBLEAWARE	4	£12.2m
THE KRISTINA MARTIN CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£34k
THE BRITFORD BRIDGE TRUST	1	£30k
WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF BASKETMAKERS 2011 CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£23k
THE LAWSON TRUST CIO	1	£23k
THE ISABEL BLACKMAN FOUNDATION	1	£5k
SCHRODER CHARITY TRUST	1	£5k
THE SIR JAMES RECKITT CHARITY	1	£5k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with GAMFAM.

GAMFAM income £235k
Gambling Harm UK income £186k
GAMBLEAWARE income £29.7m
Recover Together income £801k
THE HIPPODROME CHARITABLE TRUST income £166k
GRASSROOTS SUICIDE PREVENTION income £923k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
GAMBLING WITH LIVES	£630k	—	3	unclear	—	no doubt
GAMFAM FY2025	£235k	£80,001 - £90,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
Gambling Harm UK FY2025	£186k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
GAMBLEAWARE FY2025	£29.7m	—	—	above	—	not going concern
Recover Together FY2025	£801k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE HIPPODROME CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£166k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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