REFUGE
Refuge provides specialist support to women and children escaping domestic violence, modern slavery, human trafficking, forced prostitution, rape, forced marriage and 'honour' based violence. Services include: 24-hr national helpline, women's refuges, outreach and floating support, independent domestic and sexual violence advocates. We raise awareness and influence policy and legislative change.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity generated a surplus of £1.8m for the year ended 31 March 2025, a significant turnaround from the prior year's deficit. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves of £8.6m are currently above the stated policy maximum of £6.4m, providing resilience against financial shocks. The trustees confirm adequate resources to continue operations for the foreseeable future with no material uncertainties regarding going concern.
What the accounts disclose
“For every £1 our supporters give, 93p goes towards delivering vital services that change the lives of survivors and supporting costs. 7p is spent on fundraising to generate future income”
“The Board have taken a risk-based approach in setting the policy of general reserves to be within the range of £5.2m to £6.4m.”
“£70k in relation to estimated future deficits concerning Refuge’s Admitted Body Status of Hertfordshire LGPS scheme, a final salary scheme for one ex-employee”
“Refuge Trading Limited, a registered company and wholly owned subsidiary of Refuge, was established in 2021 to carry out non-primary purpose trading on behalf of Refuge.”
Advertised salaries (public job ads)
- Philanthropy Manager — £45,529.83 per year
- Refuge Worker — £29,701.36 per year
- Refuge Worker — £29,701.36 per year
- Independent Gender Violence Advocate (IGVA) — £29,701.36 per year
- Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) — £26,701.3 per year
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (18/10/2025)
- Received assets from another charity (15/11/2024)
Trustees
- Henrietta Barkworth-Nantonchair
- Alexandra Sufit
- Amy Lauren Nelsen
- Jeremy James Lewis
- Justin James Derbyshire
- Katharine Patel
- Laurie Victoria Boult
- Meera Bedi
- Selina Sagayam
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2025 | £32.0m | £30.1m |
| 31/03/2024 | £27.8m | £29.8m |
| 31/03/2023 | £25.4m | £30.1m |
| 31/03/2022 | £24.3m | £25.3m |
| 31/03/2021 | £34.0m | £22.3m |
Common questions
Is REFUGE financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a surplus of £1.8m for the year ended 31 March 2025, a significant turnaround from the prior year's deficit. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves of £8.6m are currently above the stated policy maximum of £6.4m, providing resilience against financial shocks. The trustees confirm adequate resources to continue operations for the foreseeable future with no material uncertainties regarding going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.
Who funds REFUGE?
Funders whose own accounts filings name REFUGE as a grant recipient include HOLLYHOCK CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, THE OLWYN FOUNDATION, THE BROOK TRUST, The Barratt Redrow Foundation, THE SOUTH STREET GREEN ROOM FOUNDATION.
Known funders
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 28/08/2025 | £494k | Eastern European Domestic Abuse Advocacy Service |
| London Borough of Hounslow | 04/06/2025 | £18k | Grant to Refuge |
| Postcode Lottery | 13/02/2025 | £300k | Special Award 2025 Year 2 of 3 |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 16/05/2024 | £20k | Vietnamese and Chinese Domestic Abuse Outreach Service |
| London Borough of Hounslow | 18/01/2024 | £1k | Grant to Refuge |
| Postcode Lottery | 01/12/2023 | £300k | Special Award 2024 Year 1 of 3 |
| Greater London Authority (GLA) | 13/03/2023 | £183k | Grant to Refuge |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 11/02/2022 | £498k | Eastern European Advocacy Service |
| London Councils | 24/11/2021 | £1.1m | Pan-London domestic and sexual violence helplines project |
| London Borough of Southwark | 01/04/2020 | £5k | Grant to Refuge |
| Greater London Authority | 01/01/2020 | £149k | Refuge |
| UK government | 01/04/2019 | £36k | Refuge |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 03/06/2016 | £93k | Safe@RAADA |
| City Bridge Foundation | 28/01/2016 | £85k | Grant to Refuge |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 19/09/2012 | £241k | Refuge Eastern European independent domestic violence advocacy service |
| City Bridge Foundation | 03/12/2009 | £140k | Grant to Refuge |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| SMALLWOOD TRUST | 2 | £64k |
| The Caring Family Foundation | 1 | £250k |
| THE KENNEL CLUB CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £101k |
| TRUST FOR LONDON | 1 | £92k |
| SANTANDER UK FOUNDATION LIMITED | 1 | £83k |
| THE PETS AT HOME FOUNDATION | 1 | £52k |
| THE TONY AND SHEELAGH WILLIAMS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | 1 | £50k |
| The Leathersellers' Foundation | 1 | £40k |
Charities like this
- REFUGE4PETS
- AYLESBURY WOMEN'S AID
- COVENTRY HAVEN
- NENE VALLEY CHRISTIAN FAMILY REFUGE LIMITED
- LATIN AMERICAN WOMEN'S AID REFUGE
- SAFENET DOMESTIC ABUSE AND SUPPORT SERVICES LTD
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REFUGE | £32.0m | — | — | above | 7.0% | no doubt |
| REFUGE4PETS | £255k | — | 0 | above | — | no doubt |
| AYLESBURY WOMEN'S AID | £1.1m | £60,001 - £70,000 | 1 | above | — | no doubt |
| COVENTRY HAVEN | £2.1m | — | — | below | — | no doubt |
| NENE VALLEY CHRISTIAN FAMILY REFUGE LIMITED | £856k | — | 0 | above | 0.6% | no doubt |
| LATIN AMERICAN WOMEN'S AID REFUGE | £2.6m | more than £60,000 | 1 | above | — | no doubt |