THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY

Registered charity 269425 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as ACTION FOR AUTISM, AUTISM UK, NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY, NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR AUTISTIC CHILDREN · also registered in Scotland as SC039427 (OSCR)

Campaigning and lobbying.Raising Awareness.Day and residential schools with outreach.Registered adult care homes, plus supported living.A diagnosis and assessment centre, and diagnostic training.Resource Centres.Family support.Social groups.Early intervention and post diagnosis support.Helpline.Education Rights and Welfare Rights services.Supported Employment.Information.

Causes: Education/training · Disability · Accommodation/housing · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£102.0m

Latest spending

£97.6m

Registered

1975

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net operating surplus of £4.5m, though the underlying operational surplus was £0.6m after excluding non-recurring items such as a £2.8m legacy and a £2m donation. Free reserves decreased to £4.7m, while the charity maintained sufficient cash and reserves to continue operations, with the Board confirming no material uncertainties regarding its going concern status.

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

What the accounts disclose

Fundraising cost ratio: 16.7% of fundraised income, as disclosed

“Expenditure on raising funds remained stable at £1.8m (2023/24: £1.8m) and therefore the net contribution to voluntary income increased to £10.7m (2023/24: £5.7m).” — page 41

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: between £4.5m and £9m (held: £4.7m)

“The Trustees had previously considered that a range of between £4.5m and £9m is a reasonable level of free reserves for this and next financial year whilst it moves forward with its strategic review of its operations.” — page 46

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

In the news

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

National Autistic Society Number of Employees 2026 | Employee Count & Headcount Data reveliolabs.com · 29/07/2026
A kind-hearted runner has raised over £7,000 across two London marathons for the National Autistic Society dewsburyreporter.co.uk · 04/05/2026
London Marathon confirms National Autistic Society as lead charity partner for 2027 event civilsociety.co.uk · 29/04/2026
New chairperson for Wrexham National Autistic Society branch wrexham.com · 26/03/2026
Probation for Claudy man who stole £29k from National Autistic Society due to gambling addiction derryjournal.com · 03/10/2025
Powerful National Autistic Society Film Calls for Changing Attitudes lbbonline.com · 02/04/2025
Ad of the Day: National Autistic Society’s doc-style portrait of father and daughter thedrum.com · 02/04/2025
The National Autistic Society Garden at Chelsea 2024 theenglishgarden.co.uk · 21/05/2024

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 01205298

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — National Autistic Society (matched by registered charity number).

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Bloomfield Trust — “A fantastic example is our partnership with the Bloomfield Trust. Together we deliver the Autism at Work programme” (source page)
The Entertainer — “Since 2017, they have supported their autistic customers and their families through regular in-store quiet hours.” (source page)
Marvel FMCG — “We are a current partner and they have also recently funded the new Buddy and Mentoring Programme within the Autism Know How team.” (source page)
Hagley West — “In 2024, Tim sold 800 watches with all profits going to the National Autistic Society.” (source page)
Winbricks — “Since March 2024, they have raised over £20,000.” (source page)
My Sliding Wardrobe — “To date, the initiative has raised and contributed over £7,400” (source page)
Computacenter — “We also could not achieve the work we do without our other wonderful supporters: Computacenter” (source page)

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.

VAN DICHELE, Guy — director, appointed 13/05/2026not on trustee list
WARREN, Andrew Mark — director, appointed 11/03/2026on trustee list
WALKER, Charlotte Lucy — director, appointed 11/03/2026on trustee list
ROACH, James Thomas — director, appointed 11/03/2026on trustee list
DUFFY THOMPSON, Simon John — director, appointed 11/03/2026not on trustee list
JACKSON, Sian — director, appointed 10/06/2025on trustee list
HOMMEL, Marc Theo — director, appointed 10/06/2025on trustee list
BOWEN-LOWE, Tracey Ann — director, appointed 10/06/2025on trustee list
NASH, Kerrie Ann — director, appointed 10/06/2025on trustee list
MARSDEN, Pamela Marie — director, appointed 19/07/2023on trustee list
WORDSWORTH, Hooman Eskisi — director, appointed 14/10/2022on trustee list
ROSCOE, John Hilton — director, appointed 14/10/2022on trustee list
LADYMAN, Stephen John, Dr — director, appointed 27/11/2021on trustee list
CLAYTON, Olga Frances — director, appointed 27/11/2021on trustee list
THOMPSON, Bruce — secretary, appointed 04/10/2018

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

41 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (19 freehold); recorded price paid £3.2m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

CQC provider record: National Autistic Society (The) — Registered, 63 registered locations, 2 regulated activities, last inspected 02/08/2023.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook (526,184 likes) · instagram (141K followers)

Advertised salaries (public job ads)

Roles this charity has advertised on CharityJob, matched on the exact employer name. A different source from the statutory pay bands above: these are asking salaries for vacancies, not what anyone was paid.

Junior Production assistant (part time) · Remote
Speech and Language Therapy Assistant · Mauchline KA5 6NA
Support worker - part time · Humberside
Speech and Language Therapist · Radlett WD7 9HW
Support Worker (Maternity Cover) · Neath SA10 7HN
Service Manager · Axbridge BS26 2TT
Service Manager · Axbridge BS26 2TT
Waking Night Support Worker · Thornbury BS35 3RG

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

Total income

£102.0m

Total spending

£97.6m

Cost of raising funds

£1.8m

Reserves (reported)

£5.7m

Employees

2,265

Reported reserves equal ~0.7 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 2.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 1.8% of total income — below the median for charities its size (2.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (25/07/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (24/08/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (03/08/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (22/02/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (30/04/2021) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Dr Stephen John Ladymanchair
Andrew Mark Warren · trustee of 1 other charity
Hooman Eskisi Wordsworth
James Roach
John Hilton Roscoe
Kerrie Ann Nash
Marc Theo Hommel · trustee of 1 other charity
Olga Frances Clayton
Pamela Marie Marsden
Sian Angharad Jackson
Simon John Duffy Thompson
Tracey Ann Bowen-Lowe · trustee of 1 other charity

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

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

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£102.0m	£97.6m
31/03/2024	£95.4m	£96.2m
31/03/2023	£99.1m	£123.0m
31/03/2022	£95.6m	£94.8m
31/03/2021	£95.5m	£93.5m

Common questions

Is THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net operating surplus of £4.5m, though the underlying operational surplus was £0.6m after excluding non-recurring items such as a £2.8m legacy and a £2m donation. Free reserves decreased to £4.7m, while the charity maintained sufficient cash and reserves to continue operations, with the Board confirming no material uncertainties regarding its going concern status. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP.

Who funds THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY as a grant recipient include CULLUM FAMILY TRUST, MOTABILITY, THE BLOOMFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST, PROJECT GIVING BACK, THE PEARS FAMILY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
CULLUM FAMILY TRUST	FY2024	£768k	Cullum Centres
MOTABILITY	FY2025	£606k	User Research Grant
THE BLOOMFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£595k
PROJECT GIVING BACK	FY2024	£511k	2024 Garden costs
CULLUM FAMILY TRUST	FY2022	£306k
THE BLOOMFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£167k
THE PEARS FAMILY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2022	£90k	for a new Mental Health Policy Officer staff post.
THE RAYNE FOUNDATION	FY2022	£75k	Towards a free, moderated email support service for young people who are currently struggling to overcome their own eating disorder.
THE BLOOMFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£63k
THE BLOOMFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£63k
THE MEDLOCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£50k
THE SIMMONS AND SIMMONS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2025	£45k	Staff selections
THE GREENCLIFFE FOUNDATION LTD	FY2024	£25k
Z V M RANGOONWALA FOUNDATION	FY2024	£25k	Autism support services.
THE EDWARD GOSTLING FOUNDATION	FY2025	£25k	Grant
KUSUMA TRUST UK	FY2023	£21k	Autism-friendly Guides
THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED	FY2024	£15k	Disability
PILKINGTON CHARITIES FUND	FY2022	£13k
PAVERS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2025	£10k
PAVERS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2024	£10k
THE WILLIE AND MABEL MORRIS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k
THE HILARY AWDRY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k
THE ADINT CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£5k
THE ADINT CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£5k
THE STELLA MCCARTNEY FOUNDATION	FY2022	£5k	Donations made / Charitable activities
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£3k	Grant paid or payable
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£3k
CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£3k
CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£3k
THE ASTOR FOUNDATION	FY2023	£3k
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£3k
THE WILLIE AND MABEL MORRIS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£3k
THE ASTOR FOUNDATION	FY2025	£3k	Regular and rolling grants
THE EARL FITZWILLIAM CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£3k
THE CHERUBY TRUST	FY2023	£2k
THE HILARY AWDRY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£2k
WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF INSURERS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£2k	City Civic Grant
THE CHERUBY TRUST	FY2024	£2k
THE OAKDALE TRUST	FY2023	£2k
THE WILLIE AND MABEL MORRIS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£2k
THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£1k
JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k
THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k
JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2021	£1k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARTIN EAST HORSLEY	FY2022	£600	Secular Charities
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARTIN EAST HORSLEY	FY2025	£560	Secular Charity
ARIMATHEA CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£400
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARTIN EAST HORSLEY	FY2024	£400	Secular Charities
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARTIN EAST HORSLEY	FY2023	£385	Note 5 lists this as a specific line item under Secular Charities.
ARIMATHEA CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£300

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
Community Foundation North East	22/01/2026	£1k	Grant to The National Autistic Society
Community Foundation North East	23/01/2025	£1k	Grant to The National Autistic Society
The National Lottery Community Fund	27/10/2022	£111k	Skills for Life
The National Lottery Community Fund	06/09/2022	£10k	Media Explorers
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	10/08/2022	£245k	"Sixty years of the National Autistic Society - the story of autism so far: voices, journeys and lives"
The National Lottery Community Fund	14/07/2022	£195k	26 + Mentoring and Social Groups
The National Lottery Community Fund	22/09/2021	£10k	Support for Life - Lending Library
Foundation Scotland	08/03/2021	£5k	Grant to National Autistic Society
The National Lottery Community Fund	11/11/2020	£69k	Autism Community Hub
UK government	26/08/2020	£99k	Coronavirus Community Support Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund	18/06/2020	£32k	Covid-19 Responding to Covid-19 and transforming support for autistic people
The National Lottery Community Fund	16/06/2020	£10k	Supporting autistic people in Northern Ireland through Covid-19
The National Lottery Community Fund	09/06/2020	£49k	COVID19 - Information advice and support for the autistic people in Scotland
UK government	28/04/2020	£60k	Complex Needs Consortium (Supplier: The National Autistic Society)
Foundation Scotland	06/04/2020	£5k	Grant to National Autistic Society
The National Lottery Community Fund	24/06/2019	£9k	NAS Cymru Social Groups
UK government	01/04/2019	£103k	HMPPS Innovation Grant Programme 19-20
Barrow Cadbury Trust	07/07/2018	£50k	Criminal Justice and Young Autistic Adults
UK government	03/04/2018	£42k	Cyber Skills Immediate Impact Fund
UK government	01/04/2018	£45k	Health and Wellbeing Alliance-Complex Needs Consortium
City Bridge Foundation	11/05/2017	£199k	Grant to National Autistic Society
The National Lottery Community Fund	01/09/2016	£10k	National Autistic Society NAS Juniors
The National Lottery Community Fund	12/01/2016	£3k	Chepstow Social Group
City Bridge Foundation	23/09/2015	£40k	Grant to National Autistic Society
The National Lottery Community Fund	08/09/2015	£5k	NAS DUNDEE BRANCH FOOTBALL CLUB

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE WILL CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£48k
THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	2	£38k
SKIPTON BUILDING SOCIETY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	2	£2k
THE JONES 1986 CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£38k
TWO RIDINGS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	1	£32k
TALBOT VILLAGE TRUST	1	£25k
THE HARGREAVES FOUNDATION	1	£22k
THE SHERLING CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£20k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with LEEDS AUTISM SERVICES.

LEEDS AUTISM SERVICES income £2.1m
AUTISM PLUS LIMITED income £13.3m
AUTISM HAMPSHIRE income £7.1m
MORE EDUCATION income £531k
EDUCATION AND SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM LIMITED income £20.9m
BERKSHIRE AUTISTIC SOCIETY income £207k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY	£102.0m	—	—	unclear	16.7%	no doubt
LEEDS AUTISM SERVICES FY2025	£2.1m	—	0	unclear	—	noted
AUTISM PLUS LIMITED FY2025	£13.3m	—	—	below	0.0%	no doubt
AUTISM HAMPSHIRE FY2025	£7.1m	—	1	unclear	—	no doubt
MORE EDUCATION FY2025	£531k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
EDUCATION AND SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM LIMITED FY2025	£20.9m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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