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GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION

Registered charity 230260 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q5523127 · Wikipedia

The Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded, charitable grant-making foundation. Privately funded, it supports a wide range of charities across the UK. From small community groups to large national institutions, the Foundation aims to support organisations with effective solutions to helping those most in need. We accept applications all year round. See more at garfieldweston.org

Objects

GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES AT THE TRUSTEES' DISCRETION.

Area of benefit: NATIONAL

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 · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

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

Latest income
£165.4m
Latest spending
£130.8m
Registered
1964
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total unrestricted income rose to £155.4 million, while charitable expenditure including grants reached £130.5 million. The charity maintains a strong financial position with total funds carried forward of £8.8 billion, supported by a permanent endowment largely comprised of shares in Associated British Foods.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Investment income from Wittington Investments Limited (98% of income)
“The unlisted investment income comprises dividends received from Wittington Investments Limited.” — page 38
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £70.1m; policy: approximately 50% of the Foundation’s annual income)
“At £70.1 million (2024: £32.1 million), total income reserves at the end of the year represented 42% of the Foundation’s income in the year – below the Trustees’ 50% policy”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Payments to trustees: Trustees Guy H Weston, George G Weston, and Anna Catrina Hobhouse received remuneration from Wittington Investments Limited or its subsidiaries (ABF, Fortnum & Mason) in their capacity as directors of those companies.
“Of these three Guy Weston and Anna Catrina Hobhouse received remuneration from Wittington Investments Limited. George Weston is Group Chief Executive Director of ABF and received remuneration from the company in that capacity. Anna Catrina Hobhouse is chairperson and a director of Fortnum & Mason plc and received remuneration from Wittington in that capacity.” — page 42
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Wittington Investments Limited recharges staff costs, rent and other office expenses to the Foundation.
“Wittington recharges staff costs in respect of the work undertaken by its employees for the Foundation, rent and other office expenses relating to the Foundation, all recharges of £1,848,077 (2024: £1,657,705) were made at arm’s length.”
“During the year, the Foundation received dividends of £151,642,000 (2024: £106,559,000) from Wittington.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Dividends received from Wittington Investments Limited.
“Wittington recharges staff costs in respect of the work undertaken by its employees for the Foundation, rent and other office expenses relating to the Foundation, all recharges of £1,848,077 (2024: £1,657,705) were made at arm’s length.”
“During the year, the Foundation received dividends of £151,642,000 (2024: £106,559,000) from Wittington.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustees Guy H Weston and Anna Catrina Hobhouse received remuneration from Wittington Investments Limited.
“Wittington recharges staff costs in respect of the work undertaken by its employees for the Foundation, rent and other office expenses relating to the Foundation, all recharges of £1,848,077 (2024: £1,657,705) were made at arm’s length.”
“During the year, the Foundation received dividends of £151,642,000 (2024: £106,559,000) from Wittington.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee George G Weston received remuneration from Associated British Foods plc.
“Wittington recharges staff costs in respect of the work undertaken by its employees for the Foundation, rent and other office expenses relating to the Foundation, all recharges of £1,848,077 (2024: £1,657,705) were made at arm’s length.”
“During the year, the Foundation received dividends of £151,642,000 (2024: £106,559,000) from Wittington.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee Anna Catrina Hobhouse received remuneration from Fortnum & Mason plc.
“Wittington recharges staff costs in respect of the work undertaken by its employees for the Foundation, rent and other office expenses relating to the Foundation, all recharges of £1,848,077 (2024: £1,657,705) were made at arm’s length.”
“During the year, the Foundation received dividends of £151,642,000 (2024: £106,559,000) from Wittington.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by UHY Hacker Young LLP. Discloses 5 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.

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 05/04/2025

  • Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 05/04/2024

  • Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 05/04/2023

  • Grant-making is its main activity

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

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Corporate structure

WITTINGTON INVESTMENTS LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Turnover: £19757.0m
  • Profit before tax: £1607.0m
  • The Group holds a 58.8% shareholding in Associated British Foods plc (ABF), which is quoted on The London Stock Exchange. The Garfield Weston Foundation holds 79.2% of Wittington's issued share capital.
ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOODS PLC — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Profit before tax: £311.0m
  • Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £350.0m
  • Amounts owed to subsidiaries: £470m
“Dividend income from investments in subsidiaries 350”

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

UK research funding (UKRI Gateway to Research)

Property (HM Land Registry)

17 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook (2,439 likes) · instagram (2,344 followers)

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 05/04/2025)

Total income
£165.4m
Total spending
£130.8m
Cost of raising funds
£306k
Reserves (reported)
£70.1m
Employees
0

Reported reserves equal ~6.4 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 2.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Investments (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: 0.2% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
05/04/2025£165.4m£130.8m
05/04/2024£110.3m£102.0m
05/04/2023£90.4m£91.9m
05/04/2022£84.0m£90.9m
05/04/2021£84.0m£98.7m

Common questions

Is GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total unrestricted income rose to £155.4 million, while charitable expenditure including grants reached £130.5 million. The charity maintains a strong financial position with total funds carried forward of £8.8 billion, supported by a permanent endowment largely comprised of shares in Associated British Foods. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by UHY Hacker Young LLP.

Who funds GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include CURE LEUKAEMIA, ATTEND, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY GREAT BRITAIN, NORTHUMBERLAND NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION, THE HAPPY BABY COMMUNITY.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
CURE LEUKAEMIAFY2024£150k
CURE LEUKAEMIAFY2022£100k
ATTENDFY2022£82k
ATTENDFY2025£36k
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY GREAT BRITAINFY2023£27kAdvocacy
NORTHUMBERLAND NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATIONFY2025£25kExhibition and engagement programme
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST. MARY OF THE ANNUNCIATION BEAMINSTERFY2024Unverified read£25kKitchen works
THE HAPPY BABY COMMUNITYFY2025£25kLondon community groups – core costs.
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST STEPHEN, LINDLEY, HUDDERSFIELDFY2024£20k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST STEPHEN, LINDLEY, HUDDERSFIELDFY2025£20k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH NORTH WEST SWINDON AND LYDIARD MILLICENTFY2024£20kNave Roof Repair
QUORN BAPTIST CHURCHFY2025£15kNew Building
UNSEEN (UK)FY2025£10kGeneral
RETFORD BAPTIST CHURCHFY2024£5kCAP activity delivered by The Well Community Projects
The Edge MinistriesFY2025£5kCore Costs
ADDENBROOKE'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2021amount not statedGrant received by ACT (Note: This is income, not a grant made BY ACT. Excluded based on Rule 1).

Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.

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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE GAUDIO FAMILY FOUNDATION (UK) LIMITED1£371k
CORAM LIFE EDUCATION1£2k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE WESTMINSTER FOUNDATION.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION£165.4m—0below—no doubt
THE WESTMINSTER FOUNDATION FY2025£5.0m—0unclear—no doubt
THE GRANT THORNTON FOUNDATION FY2026£364k—0unclear—no doubt
THE WEST FOUNDATION FY2025£77k—0above—no doubt
WICKENS FAMILY FOUNDATION FY2026£224k—0unclear—no doubt
THE KENTOWN WIZARD FOUNDATION FY2025£1.2m—0unclear—no doubt

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