Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

BFBS

Registered charity 233480 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE SERVICES KINEMA CORPORATION, THE SERVICES SOUND AND VISION CORPORATION

We promote the efficiency of HM Armed Forces through the provision ofservices related to entertainment, information, education, welfare and training whilst stationed ordeployed abroad and local radio channels in military bases in the UK

Causes: Education/training · Armed Forces/emergency Service Efficiency · Recreation · Other Charitable Purposes · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£32.3m
Latest spending
£33.4m
Registered
1964
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total unrestricted reserves stood at £34,992,000, a decrease from the prior year's £35,645,000, driven by a net expenditure that exceeded income. The trustees report that the charity remains well-placed to manage operational risks and has adequate resources to continue as a going concern for at least twelve months, supported by significant investment assets and cash balances.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: MoD Broadcasting Contract (91% of income)
“These activities accounted for approximately 91% (2024: 92%) of the total income for the year.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: sufficient to ensure that there is no major disruption to our services for beneficiaries in the event of unforeseen increases in expenditure or reductions in income (held: £35.0m)
“The Charity’s policy is to maintain reserves at a level sufficient to ensure that there is no major disruption to our services for beneficiaries in the event of unforeseen increases in expenditure or reductions in income” — page 19
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustees' expenses reimbursed
“An amount of £1,163 for expenses (2024: £1,154) was reimbursed to 4 Trustees (2024: 2). The nature of the expenses was travel and subsistence.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Blick Rothenberg Audit LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

BFBS MEDIA LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Turnover: £1.3m
  • Profit before tax: £1.0m
  • Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £1.0m
  • Debtors: £443,628; Creditors: £62,638
“Dividends: Gift aid of profits to charitable parent entity”

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — BFBS (matched by registered charity number).

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

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

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

Total income
£32.3m
Total spending
£33.4m
Cost of raising funds
£186k
Reserves (reported)
£35.0m
Employees
291

Reported reserves equal ~12.6 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (96% 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: 0.6% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Buckinghamshire · Kent

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£32.3m£33.4m
31/03/2024£32.0m£32.2m
31/03/2023£29.3m£31.0m
31/03/2022£28.8m£30.0m
31/03/2021£27.6m£28.1m

Common questions

Is BFBS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total unrestricted reserves stood at £34,992,000, a decrease from the prior year's £35,645,000, driven by a net expenditure that exceeded income. The trustees report that the charity remains well-placed to manage operational risks and has adequate resources to continue as a going concern for at least twelve months, supported by significant investment assets and cash balances. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Blick Rothenberg Audit LLP.

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
MRS WATERHOUSE CHARITABLE TRUST1£40k
ROYAL ENGINEERS CENTRAL CHARITABLE TRUST1£30k
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUST1£13k
THE GEORGE CADBURY TRUST (GEORGE HENRY T AND LAURENCE J CADBURY SECTIONS)1£10k
THE WILLIAM ALLEN YOUNG CHARITABLE TRUST1£7k
THE JAMES WEIR FOUNDATION1£3k
THE SIMON GIBSON CHARITABLE TRUST1£3k
THE IAN ASKEW CHARITABLE TRUST1£2k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with OFFICERS' MESS RAF BENSON.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
BFBS£32.3m——unclear—no doubt
OFFICERS' MESS RAF BENSON FY2025£168k—0above—no doubt
SERGEANTS' MESS RAF BENSON FY2025£120k—0above—no doubt
BRITISH FORCES FOUNDATION FY2025£689k—0unclear—no doubt
ROYAL ENGINEERS HEADQUARTER MESS FY2024£269k—0above—no doubt
UKAF RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB FY2025£186k—0unclear—no doubt

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