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

THE BELL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED

Registered charity 311585 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BELL INTERNATIONAL

Creating opportunity, changing lives and overcoming disadvantage through language education.We work with partners on innovation, research, training and practical interventions. By generating and applying evidence, we aim to change practice, policy and systems for children, adults and communities in the UK disadvantaged through language.

Causes: Education/training · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£1.6m
Latest spending
£2.7m
Registered
1973
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £1,076,000 for the year, driven by a £2,000,000 realized loss on its former trading subsidiary. Despite this loss, the charity maintains significant net assets of £44,975,000 and unrestricted reserves of £106,000, supported by substantial investment holdings valued at £29,061,000.

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

What the accounts disclose

Related-party transaction: Lease of premises by the charity to Bell Educational Services Ltd for educational purposes: £705,000 (2024: £705,000), of which £176,250 has been provided as a bad debt.
“Lease of premises by the charity to Bell Educational Services Ltd for educational purposes: £705,000 (2024: £705,000), of which £176,250 has been provided as a bad debt.” — page 47
“Bell Educational Services Ltd had the right to use the Bell name and logos under a royalty agreement with the charity, resulting in royalties of £137,595 owed to the charity (2024: £143,353), of which £104,063 has been provided as a bad debt.” — page 47
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Bell Educational Services Ltd had the right to use the Bell name and logos under a royalty agreement with the charity, resulting in royalties of £137,595 owed to the charity (2024: £143,353), of which £104,063 has been provided as a bad debt.
“Lease of premises by the charity to Bell Educational Services Ltd for educational purposes: £705,000 (2024: £705,000), of which £176,250 has been provided as a bad debt.” — page 47
“Bell Educational Services Ltd had the right to use the Bell name and logos under a royalty agreement with the charity, resulting in royalties of £137,595 owed to the charity (2024: £143,353), of which £104,063 has been provided as a bad debt.” — page 47
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Prepayments and drawdowns made to and from the Revolving Credit Facility (loan) by Bell Educational Services Ltd resulted in a net prepayment in the period to 4 November 2025 of £1,100,000 (2023: net drawdown £100,000).
“Lease of premises by the charity to Bell Educational Services Ltd for educational purposes: £705,000 (2024: £705,000), of which £176,250 has been provided as a bad debt.” — page 47
“Bell Educational Services Ltd had the right to use the Bell name and logos under a royalty agreement with the charity, resulting in royalties of £137,595 owed to the charity (2024: £143,353), of which £104,063 has been provided as a bad debt.” — page 47
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Interest received by the charity from Bell Educational Services Ltd in respect of the Revolving Credit Facility (loan): £63,310 (2024: £68,567).
“Lease of premises by the charity to Bell Educational Services Ltd for educational purposes: £705,000 (2024: £705,000), of which £176,250 has been provided as a bad debt.” — page 47
“Bell Educational Services Ltd had the right to use the Bell name and logos under a royalty agreement with the charity, resulting in royalties of £137,595 owed to the charity (2024: £143,353), of which £104,063 has been provided as a bad debt.” — page 47
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Provision under an agreement of premises and other support services by Bell Educational Services Ltd to the charity: £87,600 (2024: £92,976).
“Lease of premises by the charity to Bell Educational Services Ltd for educational purposes: £705,000 (2024: £705,000), of which £176,250 has been provided as a bad debt.” — page 47
“Bell Educational Services Ltd had the right to use the Bell name and logos under a royalty agreement with the charity, resulting in royalties of £137,595 owed to the charity (2024: £143,353), of which £104,063 has been provided as a bad debt.” — page 47
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Bell Educational Services Ltd
“The Directors of the trading subsidiary Bell Educational Services Ltd took the decision to put it into administration following ongoing financial fragility since 2020.” — page 4
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by PEM Audit Limited. Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.

Insolvency history (Companies House)

Trading subsidiary BELL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES LTD has insolvency history on the Companies House record (company status: administration).
in-administration — 2025-11-04
Official Companies House insolvency record. Insolvency of a subsidiary does not mean the charity is insolvent.

Corporate structure

BELL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES LTD — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Turnover: £11.0m
  • Profit before tax: £-561k
  • Intercompany balance owed by Bell Switzerland SA to Bell Educational Services Ltd of £47k.

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)

2 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (2 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

Total income
£1.6m
Total spending
£2.7m
Cost of raising funds
£633k
Reserves (reported)
£45.0m
Employees
28

Reported reserves equal ~201.1 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Investments (95% 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: 39.3% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2025£1.6m£2.7m
31/12/2024£15.6m£16.7m
31/12/2023£15.0m£15.1m
31/12/2022£10.1m£11.1m
31/12/2021£5.7m£8.3m

Common questions

Is THE BELL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £1,076,000 for the year, driven by a £2,000,000 realized loss on its former trading subsidiary. Despite this loss, the charity maintains significant net assets of £44,975,000 and unrestricted reserves of £106,000, supported by substantial investment holdings valued at £29,061,000. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by PEM Audit Limited.

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
Unbound Philanthropy14/11/2018£205kGrant to The Bell Educational Trust Limited

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 JULIA RAUSING TRUST1£4.2m
THE FOYLE FOUNDATION1£1.8m
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST1£1.6m
IRWIN MITCHELL CHARITIES FOUNDATION1£591k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION1£400k
THE EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION1£245k
THE ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION1£240k
The Goldsmiths' Foundation1£195k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with WILLIAM GIBBS RELIGIOUS AND EDUCATIONAL TRUST.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE BELL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED£1.6m——unclear—no doubt
WILLIAM GIBBS RELIGIOUS AND EDUCATIONAL TRUST FY2024£389k—0above—no doubt
THE BELL CONCORD EDUCATIONAL TRUST LTD FY2025£27.7m——below—no doubt
THE BELLASIS TRUST FY2025£661k—0unclear—no doubt
A S HORNBY EDUCATIONAL TRUST CIO FY2025£326k—0unclear—no doubt
BELLJOE TZEDOKO LIMITED FY2024£725k—0unclear—no doubt

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