BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION

Registered charity 225971 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BHF, THE HEART FOUNDATION · also registered in Scotland as SC039426 (OSCR)

Latest income
£410.6m
Latest spending
£427.1m
Registered
1963
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £6.0m for the year ended 31 March 2025, a shift from the previous year's surplus, primarily due to an 81% decline in retail profits and increased fundraising costs. Despite this, the charity maintains a strong liquidity position with £346.4m in cash and investments, significantly exceeding its stated reserves policy requirement of £142m to £176m. The trustees confirm the organization is well-positioned to continue operations and meet its grant obligations.

What the accounts disclose

Related-party transaction: Trustee Prof Sadaf Farooqi is at Univ of Cambridge, which received £7.0m.
Professor Sadaf Farooqi is a Trustee of the Charity and Wellcome Principal Research Fellow and Professor of Metabolism and Medicine at the University of Cambridge, which received £7.0m grant funding during the year (2024: £14.0m)
Professor Brian Walker is a Trustee of the Charity and Strategic Adviser and Professor of Medicine at Newcastle University, which received £1.8m grant funding during the year (2024: £1.4m).
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee Prof Brian Walker is at Newcastle Univ, which received £1.8m.
Professor Sadaf Farooqi is a Trustee of the Charity and Wellcome Principal Research Fellow and Professor of Metabolism and Medicine at the University of Cambridge, which received £7.0m grant funding during the year (2024: £14.0m)
Professor Brian Walker is a Trustee of the Charity and Strategic Adviser and Professor of Medicine at Newcastle University, which received £1.8m grant funding during the year (2024: £1.4m).
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: British Heart Foundation Ventures Limited, BHF Shops Limited
BHF has two wholly owned trading subsidiary undertakings: British Heart Foundation Ventures Limited and BHF Shops Limited.
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by BDO LLP.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — British Heart Foundation (matched by registered charity number).

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

Total income
£410.6m
Total spending
£427.1m
Cost of raising funds
£47.2m
Reserves (reported)
£106.5m
Employees
4,545

Reported reserves equal ~3.0 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 2.7 months; benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees

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

Operates in: Isle Of Man · Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£410.6m£427.1m
31/03/2024£398.9m£416.7m
31/03/2023£381.3m£370.1m
31/03/2022£351.7m£297.3m
31/03/2021£225.3m£242.3m

Common questions

Is BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION financially healthy?

The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £6.0m for the year ended 31 March 2025, a shift from the previous year's surplus, primarily due to an 81% decline in retail profits and increased fundraising costs. Despite this, the charity maintains a strong liquidity position with £346.4m in cash and investments, significantly exceeding its stated reserves policy requirement of £142m to £176m. The trustees confirm the organization is well-positioned to continue operations and meet its grant obligations. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by BDO LLP.

Who funds BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include REUBEN FOUNDATION, R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUST, ROSETREES, THE THALES CHARITABLE TRUST, MASONIC SAMARITAN FUND.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmount
REUBEN FOUNDATIONFY2022£755k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£500k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£500k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£500k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£500k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£500k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£450k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£450k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£450k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£400k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£400k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£350k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£350k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£300k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£300k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£300k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£300k
ROSETREESFY2023£168k
THE THALES CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£156k
MASONIC SAMARITAN FUNDFY2022£150k
THE PENNIES FOUNDATIONFY2024£80k
THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITEDFY2023£73k
THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITEDFY2024£68k
WHEELER MILL FOUNDATIONFY2025£59k
THE SHANTA FOUNDATIONFY2023£52k
THE 3 TS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£50k
THE ADA HILLARD CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£48k
The Trevor Hemmings FoundationFY2023£40k
THE ADA HILLARD CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£38k
TWO HANDS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£37k
THE ADA HILLARD CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£36k
THE LIDBURY FAMILY TRUSTFY2024£36k
PEACOCK CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£36k
P F CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£35k
THE MITIE FOUNDATIONFY2024£33k
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, PRIMROSE HILL WITH ST PAUL, AVENUE RDFY2023£31k
EDITH MURPHY FOUNDATIONFY2024£30k
R. DAPHNE PLUNKET CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£25k
THE LIDBURY FAMILY TRUSTFY2025£24k
THE ROAN CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£21k
THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITEDFY2025£17k
MISSION INDIAFY2023£15k
THE FRANCES AND AUGUSTUS NEWMAN FOUNDATIONFY2023£15k
THE PAUL BASSHAM CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£13k
THE ANNANDALE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£11k
CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£10k
THE CADOGAN CHARITYFY2023£10k
SIR SAMUEL SCOTT OF YEWS TRUSTFY2024£10k
DEVELOPMENTS IN LITERACY UK (UK)FY2023£10k
THE JORON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£10k

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

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