SWITCH THE PLAY FOUNDATION
Registered charity 1187733 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register
The Switch the Play Foundation is the UK's only charity dedicated to supporting all sportspeople to successfully transition to life outside of sport. Evidence shows that leaving a life in sport can be really tough. We work with individuals, clubs, governing bodies, parents and organisations involved in the world of elite sport to help make transition to life outside sport a positive experience.
Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity generated a net operating surplus of £21,245 for the year ended 31 January 2025, driven by a 150% increase in revenue. However, the charity continues to report a cumulative deficit on the balance sheet of £118,353, with unrestricted funds at a negative £142,801. The trustees confirm adequate resources for going concern, supported by a new significant unrestricted grant from the Jacobs Futura Foundation.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Largest income source: none
“The main reasons for this are: - Increase service delivery costs as the breadth of the offer has expanded over the last 12 months. - 17% increase in wages amounting to a small growth in the staff team. - The distribution of Athlete Grants for the FA Performance and Wellbeing Grants.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: 2-3 months operating costs (held: £-143k)
“By the end of 2025/26 financial year {revised year end of 31 July 2026 to be put in place } = 2 months operating costs. - By the end of 2026/27 (July 27) = 3 months operating costs. - Years 3-5 = maintained at 3 months operating costs” — page 11
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Switch the Play Foundation (matched by registered charity number).
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/01/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£45k
Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (100% 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: 6.3% of total income — above the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).
- Benjamin Hawes MBE
- Christopher Charles Brindley
- Craig Francis Donaldson
- Emma Penelope Mason
- Justin Johnson · trustee of 1 other charity
- Martin John Bould
- Mary Few
- Stacey Knight
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales
Income and spending
Common questions
Is SWITCH THE PLAY FOUNDATION financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a net operating surplus of £21,245 for the year ended 31 January 2025, driven by a 150% increase in revenue. However, the charity continues to report a cumulative deficit on the balance sheet of £118,353, with unrestricted funds at a negative £142,801. The trustees confirm adequate resources for going concern, supported by a new significant unrestricted grant from the Jacobs Futura Foundation. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.
Who funds SWITCH THE PLAY FOUNDATION?
Funders whose own accounts filings name SWITCH THE PLAY FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include CHAPMAN CHARITABLE TRUST, THE REED FOUNDATION.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE CHANGE FOUNDATION.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.