DEAF UNITY

Registered charity 1190885 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

We are a deaf-led, UK focused charity that works to empower, nurture and train deaf individuals. We have a strong focus on providing information and training to youths and graduates to ensure they have a fighting chance to achieve their goals. We also have a strong research focus, to better understand the challenges facing deaf and disabled people and the solutions that are needed.

Objects

1. TO DEVELOP THE CAPACITY AND SKILLS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY OF DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING PEOPLE ACROSS ENGLAND AND WALES IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY ARE BETTER ABLE TO IDENTIFY, AND HELP MEET, THEIR NEEDS AND TO PARTICIPATE MORE FULLY IN SOCIETY;2. THE PROMOTION OF EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY WORKING TOWARDS THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION ON THE GROUNDS OF DISABILITY AND BY FOSTERING UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE DEAF COMMUNITY AND WIDER SOCIETY; AND3. THE PROMOTION OF THE SOCIAL INCLUSION AMONG DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING PEOPLE WHO ARE SOCIALLY EXCLUDED FROM SOCIETY, OR PARTS OF SOCIETY, AS A RESULT OF BEING DEAF BY: A) PROVIDING EDUCATION AND INFORMATION TO SUPPORT AND ENABLE DEAF PARENTS TO MAXIMISE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND THEMSELVES;B) RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE ISSUES AFFECTING DEAF PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN, BOTH GENERALLY AND IN RELATION TO THEIR SOCIAL EXCLUSION;C) PROVIDING OTHER GENERAL SUPPORT INCLUDING ACCESS TO TRANSLATORS AND INTERPRETERS.

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

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Disability · Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Islington, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£148k

Latest spending

£161k

Registered

2020

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity incurred a net deficit of £12,548 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £64,512 to £51,964. Per the trustees' report, free reserves of £13,179 are below the stated policy target of approximately £30,000, though the trustees remain satisfied that sufficient resources exist to continue activities.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Charitable activities (65% of income)

“Total income for the year was £148,356 (2024: £128,578), of which £51,888 was received through grants and donations and £96,468 was generated from charitable activities and service fees.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £13k; policy: approximately £30,000)

“The trustees recognise that free reserves are below the target level and will continue to monitor the charity’s financial position, fundraising pipeline and expenditure commitments during 2026.” — page 9

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 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.

Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Paying staff
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
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 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 5

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Volunteers: 5

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Volunteers: 6
Government income: £8,996 — grants £8,996 (1); 8% of the £115,316 total gross income on the same return

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

Funders the charity credits

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

City Bridge Foundation — “The City Bridge Foundation supports our core activity, working with deaf Londoners to identify and break down barriers to learning and emplo…” (source page)
Trust for London — “Trust for London is funding an important period of organisational development for Deaf Unity, as we embed new structures and working practic…” (source page)
Heathrow Community Trust — “Heathrow Community Trust’s Communities Together grant programme and Barchester’s Charitable Foundation are helping us bring deaf people toge…” (source page)
Barchester’s Charitable Foundation — “Heathrow Community Trust’s Communities Together grant programme and Barchester’s Charitable Foundation are helping us bring deaf people toge…” (source page)
Birkdale Trust for Hearing Impaired Ltd — “We are grateful to these funders for the support that is allowing us to develop information/welcome packs for students just starting univers…” (source page)
Woodroffe Benton Foundation — “We are grateful to these funders for the support that is allowing us to develop information/welcome packs for students just starting univers…” (source page)
London Catalyst — “We are grateful to these funders for the support that is allowing us to develop information/welcome packs for students just starting univers…” (source page)
Lennox Hannay Charitable Trust — “We are grateful to these funders for the support that is allowing us to develop information/welcome packs for students just starting univers…” (source page)

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Alexandra Ruth Marchesi
Bassim Baz
Kirsty Laura Neale
Paul Ntulila
Stephen William Spencer Norton · trustee of 4 other charities

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£148k	£161k
31/12/2024	£129k	£146k
31/12/2023	£115k	£104k
31/12/2022	£89k	£66k
31/12/2021	£76k	£39k

Common questions

Is DEAF UNITY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity incurred a net deficit of £12,548 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £64,512 to £51,964. Per the trustees' report, free reserves of £13,179 are below the stated policy target of approximately £30,000, though the trustees remain satisfied that sufficient resources exist to continue activities. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds DEAF UNITY?

Funders whose own accounts filings name DEAF UNITY as a grant recipient include TRUST FOR LONDON, BIRKDALE TRUST FOR HEARING IMPAIRED LTD, LONDON CATALYST, BARCHESTER HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
TRUST FOR LONDON	FY2024	£20k	Disability justice fund
BIRKDALE TRUST FOR HEARING IMPAIRED LTD	FY2025	£3k
LONDON CATALYST	FY2022	£3k	A programme of Deaf aware health workshops and training resources.
BARCHESTER HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION	FY2024	£2k	Project coordinator costs for this charity supporting deaf individuals.

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
Greater London Authority	04/01/2023	£10k	Deaf Unity
The National Lottery Community Fund	22/07/2022	£10k	Deaf Eyes
The National Lottery Community Fund	24/06/2015	£9k	Motivating and inspiring young deaf learners

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
DAVID & RUTH LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£255k
PETER SOWERBY FOUNDATION	1	£225k
BERNARD LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£200k
JINGLE JAM	1	£197k
CARETECH CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£179k
Fight for Sight	1	£44k
THE RAYNE FOUNDATION	1	£43k
ROBERT LUFF FOUNDATION LIMITED	1	£40k

Charities like this

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

ACTION DEAFNESS income £3.1m
BRADFORD DEAF COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION income £210k
CAMDEN DISABILITY ACTION income £592k
DEAFWAY income £2.9m
AUTISTICA income £1.8m
UNITY (SOUTHERN) LTD income £887k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
DEAF UNITY	£148k	—	—	below	—	no doubt
ACTION DEAFNESS FY2025	£3.1m	—	3	below	—	no doubt
BRADFORD DEAF COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION FY2025	£210k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
CAMDEN DISABILITY ACTION FY2025	£592k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
DEAFWAY FY2025	£2.9m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
AUTISTICA FY2025	£1.8m	£90,001 - £100,000	3	unclear	—	no doubt

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