SUNDERLAND HEADLIGHT

Registered charity 1196126 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Headlight supports people experiencing mental health issues by providing a range of services and activities that enable them to step on the road to recovery and independence. Consultation with service users helps us to identify current need and develop effective practices. We work in a person centred way and offer people a place to belong and an opportunity to live a fulfilling life.

Objects

THE OBJECT OF THE CIO IS: FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT TO RELIEVE THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING, OR WHO HAVE SUFFERED, FROM POOR MENTAL HEALTH BY OFFERING EDUCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, SERVICES, SUPPORT, INFORMATION AND ADVICE TO SUCH PEOPLE, THEIR FAMILIES AND CARERS, TAILORED TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.

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 · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Sunderland, North East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£127k

Latest spending

£129k

Registered

2021

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a net expenditure of £1,802 for the year, reducing its total funds from £61,256 to £59,454. The trustees maintain a reserves policy to hold six months of running costs, with unrestricted funds currently standing at £59,454 against an estimated six-month wage requirement of £49,450. The accounts were examined by TTR Barnes Limited, who reported no material matters requiring attention.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: six months of unrestricted expenditure (reserves figure: £59k)

“The policy of the Management Committee is to ensure that all expenses are fully funded and reserves are sufficient to cover expenditure commitments for a six month period.” — page 5

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Year-over-year changes

Reserves position vs the charity's own policy moved from "below" (FY2024) to "above" (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

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
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
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media 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 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 8
Government income: £44,068 — grants £44,068 (1); 35% of the £126,945 total gross income on the same return

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

Volunteers: 7
Government income: £44,068 — grants £44,068 (1); 47% of the £93,843 total gross income on the same return

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

Volunteers: 7
Government income: £44,068 — grants £44,068 (1); 34% of the £130,977 total gross income on the same return

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

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

Register events

Received assets from another charity (11/01/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Robert Braineschair
Alyson Smith
Julie Graham
Michelle Unthank-Skinner
PAUL ALLISON
Susie Turner

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

Operates in: Sunderland

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£127k	£129k
31/12/2024	£94k	£136k
31/12/2023	£131k	£115k
31/12/2022	£88k	£54k

Common questions

Is SUNDERLAND HEADLIGHT financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported a net expenditure of £1,802 for the year, reducing its total funds from £61,256 to £59,454. The trustees maintain a reserves policy to hold six months of running costs, with unrestricted funds currently standing at £59,454 against an estimated six-month wage requirement of £49,450. The accounts were examined by TTR Barnes Limited, who reported no material matters requiring attention. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds SUNDERLAND HEADLIGHT?

Funders whose own accounts filings name SUNDERLAND HEADLIGHT as a grant recipient include THE ROSELINE FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE ROSELINE FOUNDATION	FY2023	£20k

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
Community Foundation North East	13/05/2021	£30k	A grant to Sunderland Headlight
Community Foundation North East	01/04/2016	£20k	Towards Salary and on costs of the Centre Manager Year 3
Community Foundation North East	08/09/2015	£3k	Towards Health & hygiene for people experiencing mental health issues
Community Foundation North East	01/04/2015	£20k	Towards Salary and on costs of the Centre Manager Year 2
Northern Rock Foundation	17/05/2011	£85k	Grant awarded to Sunderland Headlight (Tyne & Wear)
Northern Rock Foundation	11/12/2007	£96k	Grant awarded to Sunderland Headlight (Tyne & Wear)
The National Lottery Community Fund	10/11/2004	£100k	Continuation -mental health project

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
MIND (THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH)	2	£584k
ZURICH COMMUNITY TRUST (UK) LIMITED	1	£36k
E F BULMER TRUST	1	£14k
JOHNNIE JOHNSON TRUST	1	£13k
HEREFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	1	£12k
THE MRS SMITH AND MOUNT TRUST	1	£10k
THE JACK BRUNTON CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£5k
THE EARLEY CHARITY	1	£4k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with HEADLIGHT MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY.

HEADLIGHT MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY income £65k
SUNDERLAND MIND income £517k
SUNDERLAND LIGHTHOUSE COMMUNITY LTD income £209k
HEREFORDSHIRE MIND income £945k
THE RUSS DEVEREUX HEADLIGHT PROJECT income £263k
CARE IN MIND income £110k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
SUNDERLAND HEADLIGHT	£127k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
HEADLIGHT MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY FY2026	£65k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
SUNDERLAND MIND FY2025	£517k	—	0	within	—	no doubt
SUNDERLAND LIGHTHOUSE COMMUNITY LTD FY2025	£209k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
HEREFORDSHIRE MIND FY2025	£945k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE RUSS DEVEREUX HEADLIGHT PROJECT FY2025	£263k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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