BRIGHTSPARKS ARTS IN MENTAL HEALTH CIO

Registered charity 1190327 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

BrightSparks Arts provides creative opportunities for people living with mental health conditions in the regions of Leicestershire and Northamptonshire to enable them to build self esteem, develop skills and challenge stigma. BSA delivers workshops, projects, events, exhibitions and publications to showcase the work of participants, and provides advocacy and advice to organisations/ the public.

Causes: The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Economic/community Development/employment · Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£126k

Latest spending

£113k

Registered

2020

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total income for the year was £125,501 against total expenditure of £112,746, resulting in a surplus. The charity holds total funds of £189,813, comprising £43,432 in unrestricted funds and £146,381 in restricted funds. The trustees report that the charity does not carry out significant fundraising activities and relies principally on grant income.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: designate funds for ongoing projects which are not funded through grant income (£10,343) and to cover c.6 months of a project worker salary (£18,000) (held: £15k)

“The reserves policy of the Board of Trustees is to designate funds for ongoing projects which are not funded through grant income (£10,343) and to cover c.6 months of a project worker salary (£18,000), this currently equates to £28,343. This leaves an unrestricted (free) reserves balance of £15,089.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — BrightSparks Arts in Mental Health CIO (matched by registered charity number).

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Charlotte Richardson
Damola Hazzan
Elizabeth Haynes
Grant Paton
Joe Nixon
Naishad Chhatralia
Norman Leet
Steve Dyer
Suzanne Elliott

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

Operates in: Leicester City · Leicestershire · Northamptonshire · Nottingham City · Nottinghamshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
19/07/2025	£126k	£113k
19/07/2024	£102k	£103k
19/07/2023	£80k	£87k
19/07/2022	£118k	£67k
19/07/2021	£74k	£63k

Common questions

Is BRIGHTSPARKS ARTS IN MENTAL HEALTH CIO financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total income for the year was £125,501 against total expenditure of £112,746, resulting in a surplus. The charity holds total funds of £189,813, comprising £43,432 in unrestricted funds and £146,381 in restricted funds. The trustees report that the charity does not carry out significant fundraising activities and relies principally on grant income. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	24/03/2023	£251k	Comedy Asylum 2
UK government	18/09/2020	£7k	Coronavirus Community Support Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	18/10/2012	£5k	"Exploring the lunatic asylums of Leicester and Leicestershire"