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BRITISH EPILEPSY ASSOCIATION

Registered charity 234343 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as EPILEPSY ACTION

Exists to improve the lives of people affected by epilepsy.

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£5.3m
Latest spending
£4.3m
Registered
1964
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated a net surplus of £1,048,119 for the year, bringing total funds to £4,529,739. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves of £3,331,171 are comfortably within the stated policy target range of four to twelve months of unrestricted income. The auditor confirmed that the financial statements give a true and fair view and identified no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £80,001 - £90,000 — above the median for charities its size (£70k)
“In the band £80,001- £90,000 1”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Largest income source: Legacies (47% of income)
“Legacy income returned to being the single largest source of funding, contributing 47% of total income, amounting to £2.52m (2024: £1.26m).” — page 17
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Fundraising cost ratio: 27.1% of fundraised income, as disclosed
“Fundraising costs, including other trading activities, amounted to £1,446,508 (2024: £1,459,054). The efficiency of our fundraising activity remains strong - for every £1 spent the charity generated £3.34 in income.” — page 4
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: four to twelve months of unrestricted income (held: £3.3m)
“In accordance with our reserves policy, unrestricted reserves are targeted to sit within a band equivalent to four to twelve months of unrestricted income - a range of £1,236,180 to £3,708,541 based on the 2025 unrestricted income target of £3,708,541.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: BEA Trading Limited, Epilepsy Action, Epilepsy UK
“British Epilepsy Association has three wholly owned subsidiary companies. Epilepsy Action and Epilepsy UK are both dormant companies. BEA Trading Limited was engaged in fundraising activities, the distribution of Christmas cards and associated merchandise. As of 30 June 2025, coinciding with the company financial year end, BEA Trading Limited also became a dormant company.” — page 11
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Saffery LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

BEA TRADING LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • The company's principal activity is trading for the benefit of its parent charity, British Epilepsy Association.

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.

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.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 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 · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income
£5.3m
Total spending
£4.3m
Cost of raising funds
£1.2m
Reserves (reported)
£3.5m
Employees
75

Reported reserves equal ~9.6 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 22.2% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

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

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2025£5.3m£4.3m
31/12/2024£3.6m£4.3m
31/12/2023£2.8m£4.1m
31/12/2022£5.3m£3.5m
31/12/2021£3.3m£3.3m

Common questions

Is BRITISH EPILEPSY ASSOCIATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a net surplus of £1,048,119 for the year, bringing total funds to £4,529,739. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves of £3,331,171 are comfortably within the stated policy target range of four to twelve months of unrestricted income. The auditor confirmed that the financial statements give a true and fair view and identified no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Saffery LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of BRITISH EPILEPSY ASSOCIATION earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £80,001 - £90,000 band.

Who funds BRITISH EPILEPSY ASSOCIATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name BRITISH EPILEPSY ASSOCIATION as a grant recipient include BERNARD LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST, OVE ARUP PARTNERSHIP CHARITABLE TRUST, THE ADINT CHARITABLE TRUST, THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITED, The Patricia Routledge Foundation.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
BERNARD LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£225kMedical general support
BERNARD LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£120kMedical general support
OVE ARUP PARTNERSHIP CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£75k
THE ADINT CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£10k
THE ADINT CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£10k
THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITEDFY2025£10k
The Patricia Routledge FoundationFY2025£6k
PILKINGTON CHARITIES FUNDFY2022£5k
THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATIONFY2023£5k
THE KEN AND EDNA MORRISON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£5k
THE WILLIAM ALLEN YOUNG CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£5k
THE BRITFORD BRIDGE TRUSTFY2022£5kPrimary - The advancement of health or the saving of lives
H M SASSOON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£5k
THE KEN AND EDNA MORRISON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
THE GERALD MICKLEM CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5kMedical conditions/research/hospitals
PILKINGTON CHARITIES FUNDFY2024£5k
THE JAMES WEIR FOUNDATIONFY2023£5k
MAY HEARNSHAW CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£4kRelief of poverty and sickness
THE A M FENTON TRUSTFY2022£4k
THE A M FENTON TRUSTFY2023£3k
THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATIONFY2024£3k
The Patricia Routledge FoundationFY2024£3k
THE A M FENTON TRUSTFY2021£3k
THE DE BRYE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£3k
THE MARY ROBERTSON TRUSTFY2022£3k
THE EDGAR E LAWLEY FOUNDATIONFY2025£2k
MAY HEARNSHAW CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£2kRelief of poverty and sickness
PILKINGTON CHARITIES FUNDFY2025£2k
THE MARY ROBERTSON TRUSTFY2024£2k
THE EARL FITZWILLIAM CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£2k
The Patricia Routledge FoundationFY2022£2k
THE WILLIAM ALLEN YOUNG CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£2k
THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£2k
THE JEANNINE VASSILIOU CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1k
THE CHAMPNISS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£1k
THE ANNIE TRANMER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2026£1k
THE ANNIE TRANMER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2026£1k
H M SASSOON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£1k
THE ANNIE TRANMER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£1k
THE SYLVIA AND COLIN SHEPHERD CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1k
THE MARY ROBERTSON TRUSTFY2023£1k
THE CHAMPNISS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1k
LILIAN FRANCES HIND BEQUEST (TRUSTEES OF LADY HIND)FY2021£1kMedical / Disabled
THE W E DUNN TRUSTFY2022£1kHealth, medicine etc
OVE ARUP PARTNERSHIP CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£1k
THE CHAMPNISS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£1k
THE BARBOUR FOUNDATIONFY2024£1k
SSP FOUNDATIONFY2024£1k
THE SAMUEL STOREY FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1k
DORIS FIELD CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1kSingle payment

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund23/03/2026£5kEpilepsy Action Family Fun Day
The National Lottery Community Fund11/07/2022£5kEpilepsy My Family and Me
The National Lottery Community Fund15/04/2020£4k‘Epilepsy My Family and Me’ Event in North Wales
The National Lottery Community Fund28/11/2019£4kEpilepsy, My Family and Me event in Moneymore
The National Lottery Community Fund25/07/2019£4k'Epilepsy, My Family and Me' Event in Treharris
The National Lottery Community Fund23/03/2016£159kNorth Wales Bilingual Project
The National Lottery Community Fund26/03/2013£3kNear Me Project
The National Lottery Community Fund13/01/2010£5kEpiliepsy aware - dispelling the myths
The National Lottery Community Fund23/04/2008£5kConference 'Epilepsy' - The Options
The National Lottery Community Fund28/03/2007£4kEpilepsy Conference
The National Lottery Community Fund14/03/2007£38kEpilepsy Action's West Midlands Forum
The National Lottery Community Fund26/06/2006£3kEpilepsy Action Conference
The National Lottery Community Fund16/06/2006£1kEpilepsy Awareness Scheme
The National Lottery Community Fund22/05/2006£5kEpilepsy- a practical approach conference
The National Lottery Community Fund21/04/2006£2kMonthly Meetings
The National Lottery Community Fund26/01/2006£158kThere is no project name available for this record
The National Lottery Community Fund19/12/2005£5k'Epilepsy - Where we are now' conference
The National Lottery Community Fund23/11/2005£3kIn Focus
The National Lottery Community Fund12/08/2005£5kEpilepsy - Where We Are Now Conference
The National Lottery Community Fund20/07/2005£2kConference
The National Lottery Community Fund10/05/2005£147kResubmission: N.East regional development manager
The National Lottery Community Fund29/04/2004£177kInformation Services Development
The National Lottery Community Fund01/04/2004£1kEpilepsy Information Day

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 WILLIE AND MABEL MORRIS CHARITABLE TRUST2£5k
BARROW FOUNDATION UK1£1.2m
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION1£424k
THE THALES CHARITABLE TRUST1£156k
CARETECH CHARITABLE FOUNDATION1£69k
THE PENNIES FOUNDATION1£28k
THE WESTMINSTER FOUNDATION1£27k
PETER HARRISON FOUNDATION1£23k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with EPILEPSY SOCIETY.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
BRITISH EPILEPSY ASSOCIATION£5.3m£80,001 - £90,000—within27.1%no doubt
EPILEPSY SOCIETY FY2025£20.7m——unclear—no doubt
INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE AGAINST EPILEPSY (BRITISH BRANCH) FY2024£280k—0unclear—no doubt
THE FOUR SEASONS TRUST LIMITED FY2025£425k——unclear—no doubt
DRAVET SYNDROME UK FY2025£640k—0unclear—no doubt
THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EPILEPSY CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025£28.2m——unclear—no doubt

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