PRACTICAL ACTION
Latest income
£33.1m
Latest spending
£32.4m
Registered
1966
Accounts read
FY2025
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that total income increased by 10% to £33.1 million, while total expenditure rose by 6% to £32.4 million, resulting in a net surplus. Free unrestricted reserves of £5.7 million were maintained within the charity's stated target range of £4.9 million to £5.9 million, indicating adequate financial resilience.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: £4.9m-£5.9m (held: £5.7m)
“Free unrestricted reserves, excluding amounts related to fixed assets, remained at £5.7m, within our target range of £4.9m-£5.9m.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Management costs grant and charges between Charity and Practical Action Consulting Limited
“Practical Action Consulting Limited received a management costs grant of £18k (2024: £20k) from the charity, was charged a management fee of £18k (2024: £nil) and subsidiary activity costs totalling £208k (2024: £41k) by the charity” — page 32
“Practical Action Publishing Limited received a management costs grant of £50k (2024: £50k) from the charity, was charged payroll costs totalling £188k (2024: £200k) and subsidiary activity costs totalling £112k (2024: £422k) by the charity” — page 32
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Management costs grant and charges between Charity and Practical Action Publishing Limited
“Practical Action Consulting Limited received a management costs grant of £18k (2024: £20k) from the charity, was charged a management fee of £18k (2024: £nil) and subsidiary activity costs totalling £208k (2024: £41k) by the charity” — page 32
“Practical Action Publishing Limited received a management costs grant of £50k (2024: £50k) from the charity, was charged payroll costs totalling £188k (2024: £200k) and subsidiary activity costs totalling £112k (2024: £422k) by the charity” — page 32
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Management costs grant and charges between Charity and PAC India
“Practical Action Consulting Limited received a management costs grant of £18k (2024: £20k) from the charity, was charged a management fee of £18k (2024: £nil) and subsidiary activity costs totalling £208k (2024: £41k) by the charity” — page 32
“Practical Action Publishing Limited received a management costs grant of £50k (2024: £50k) from the charity, was charged payroll costs totalling £188k (2024: £200k) and subsidiary activity costs totalling £112k (2024: £422k) by the charity” — page 32
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Recharge of activity costs between Charity and PAC Nepal
“Practical Action Consulting Limited received a management costs grant of £18k (2024: £20k) from the charity, was charged a management fee of £18k (2024: £nil) and subsidiary activity costs totalling £208k (2024: £41k) by the charity” — page 32
“Practical Action Publishing Limited received a management costs grant of £50k (2024: £50k) from the charity, was charged payroll costs totalling £188k (2024: £200k) and subsidiary activity costs totalling £112k (2024: £422k) by the charity” — page 32
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Common Trustee between Charity and Pension Scheme Trustee
“Practical Action Consulting Limited received a management costs grant of £18k (2024: £20k) from the charity, was charged a management fee of £18k (2024: £nil) and subsidiary activity costs totalling £208k (2024: £41k) by the charity” — page 32
“Practical Action Publishing Limited received a management costs grant of £50k (2024: £50k) from the charity, was charged payroll costs totalling £188k (2024: £200k) and subsidiary activity costs totalling £112k (2024: £422k) by the charity” — page 32
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Pension scheme deficit: £344k
“The valuation of Practical Action’s pension scheme at March 31st, 2025, for the purposes of FRS 102, showed a deficit of £344k.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Practical Action Publishing Limited, Practical Action Consulting Limited
“The Charity has two wholly owned primary purpose trading subsidiaries registered in England and Wales: Practical Action Publishing Limited and Practical Action Consulting Limited.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Year-over-year changes
- Reserves position vs the charity's own policy moved from "above" (FY2024) to "within" (FY2025).
Leadership, per the charity’s website
- Sarah Roberts — Chief Executive Officer
- Akinyi Walender — Africa Director
- Ayan Banerjee — Asia Director
- Alicia Quezada — Latin America Director
- Chris Kelly — Chief Operations Officer
- Rachel Hudson — Fundraising, Marketing and Communications Director
- Simon Hotchkin — Impact, Influence and Innovation Director
- Susan Maina — Kenya Director
Funders the charity credits
- Postcode Lottery
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Comic Relief
- Maxwell Stuart Charitable Trust
- IKEA Foundation
- Z Zurich Foundation
- H&M Foundation
- innocent foundation
- Poul Due Jensen Foundation
- European Union
- UN agencies
- ADB
- World Bank
- EnDev
- Nordic Development Fund
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Total income
£33.1m
Total spending
£32.4m
Cost of raising funds
£2.4m
Reserves (reported)
£8.4m
Employees
478
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (02/08/2024)
- Received assets from another charity (12/03/2024)
- Received assets from another charity (29/03/2022)
- Received assets from another charity (14/05/2021)
Trustees
- Aki Temiseva
- Claire Ireland
- Deepali Khanna
- Fayezul Haque CHOUDHURY
- Isabel Studer Noguez
- Jane Louise Sloane
- MARTIN CHARLES TYLER
- Matthew James Haikin
- Mourad Wahba
- Philip Hunter Smith
- Sazini Mojapelo
- Shivani Wadhwa
- William Fu Wei Liao
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2025 | £33.1m | £32.4m |
| 31/03/2024 | £30.0m | £30.5m |
| 31/03/2023 | £26.9m | £28.9m |
| 31/03/2022 | £27.9m | £27.7m |
| 31/03/2021 | £30.4m | £29.2m |
Common questions
Is PRACTICAL ACTION financially healthy?
The accounts state that total income increased by 10% to £33.1 million, while total expenditure rose by 6% to £32.4 million, resulting in a net surplus. Free unrestricted reserves of £5.7 million were maintained within the charity's stated target range of £4.9 million to £5.9 million, indicating adequate financial resilience. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.
Who funds PRACTICAL ACTION?
Funders whose own accounts filings name PRACTICAL ACTION as a grant recipient include LLOYD'S REGISTER FOUNDATION, THE FRANK JACKSON FOUNDATION, THE JUSACA CHARITABLE TRUST, THE PATRICK & HELENA FROST FOUNDATION, THE RANWORTH TRUST 1985.
Known funders
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postcode Lottery | 10/02/2025 | £800k | Regular Grant 2025 |
| Postcode Lottery | 01/12/2023 | £500k | Regular Grant 2024 |
| Postcode Lottery | 09/02/2022 | £300k | Special Grant 2022 |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| ZOUQ FOUNDATION | 1 | — |
| DAVID & RUTH LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £1.9m |
| PENNY APPEAL | 1 | £1.3m |
| Frontline AIDS | 1 | £759k |
| THE KARUNA TRUST | 1 | £297k |
| ELRHA | 1 | £293k |
| THE LADY FATEMAH (A.S.) CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £211k |
| JIGSAW CHARITY | 1 | £151k |