THE CITY AND GUILDS OF LONDON INSTITUTE

Registered charity 312832 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as CITY & GUILDS, CITY AND GUILDS INTERNATIONAL, CITY AND GUILDS OF LONDON INSTITUTE, City & Guilds Foundation · also registered in Scotland as SC039576 (OSCR)

Providing internationally recognised qualifications, awards, assessments and support for individuals and organisations in the United Kingdom and overseas across a wide range of occupations in industry, commerce, the public services and elsewhere.

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

Latest income

£174.8m

Latest spending

£182.4m

Registered

1965

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the Group reported a net surplus of £0.6m for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total income of £174.8m and total expenditure of £182.4m. Per the trustees' report, the charity holds free reserves of £46.1m, which is slightly below the deemed appropriate level of £46.6m, and maintains a cash balance of £16.7m. The financial position was further secured by a post-balance sheet divestment of commercial operations to PeopleCert Group, which generated estimated net proceeds of £166m.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Educational services (64% of income)

“Of total income, 64% (2023-24: 61%) is classed as educational in the Financial Statements.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £46.1m)

“The level of free reserves deemed appropriate for the Group at 31 August 2025 was £46.6m (2024: £34.3m). The value of the actual free reserves at 31 August 2025 was £46.1m”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Guarantee for Intertrain UK Limited

“On 21 April 2022, the Institute signed a Deed of Guarantee to become primary obliger in guaranteeing the obligations and liabilities of its subsidiary Intertrain UK Limited” — page 38

“On 11 September 2023, the Institute provided a standby letter of credit for £350,000 in respect of card payment and banking facilities related to TradeSkills 4U Limited.” — page 38

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Standby letter of credit for TradeSkills 4U Limited

“On 21 April 2022, the Institute signed a Deed of Guarantee to become primary obliger in guaranteeing the obligations and liabilities of its subsidiary Intertrain UK Limited” — page 38

“On 11 September 2023, the Institute provided a standby letter of credit for £350,000 in respect of card payment and banking facilities related to TradeSkills 4U Limited.” — page 38

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Pension scheme deficit: £14.2m

“At 31 August 2025, the funding of the defined benefit City and Guilds (1966) Pension Scheme was in deficit by £14.2m (2024: £17.6m).”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by BDO LLP. Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.

Charity Commission inquiry

Per the Commission’s published report. Summary is automated; the official report is authoritative.

In the news

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

WorldSkills UK boss to lead City & Guilds Foundation feweek.co.uk · 12/05/2026
“Culinary father figure” Michael Kitts awarded Fellowship of The City and Guilds of London Institute caterermiddleeast.com · 08/04/2021
“Culinary father figure” Michael Kitts awarded Fellowship of The City and Guilds of London Institute hoteliermiddleeast.com · 08/04/2021
MP John Hayes granted Fellowship of the City and Guilds of London Institute fenews.co.uk · 06/06/2018

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Interim CEO — Interim CEO (source)
Polly Rowe — Senior Impact, Programme and Engagement Manager (source)
Lan Che — Awards Manager (source)
Lauren Roberts — Advocacy Lead (source)

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.

Property (HM Land Registry)

4 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 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 (3,538 likes) · instagram (682 followers)

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2025)

Total income

£174.8m

Total spending

£182.4m

Cost of raising funds

£61.2m

Reserves (reported)

£46.1m

Employees

1,506

Reported reserves equal ~3.0 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 2.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (64% 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: 35.0% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 2.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Andy Marchant
DICK PALMER
FRANK LANZA DOUGLAS
Ian Ailles · trustee of 2 other charities
JANE ELIZABETH GIBBON
Jessica Leigh Jones · trustee of 1 other charity

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

Operates in: Afghanistan · Australia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belgium · Bermuda · Botswana · British Virgin Islands · Brunei · Bulgaria

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£174.8m	£182.4m
31/08/2024	£174.1m	£174.6m
31/08/2023	£159.0m	£167.9m
31/08/2022	£142.5m	£146.9m
31/08/2021	£129.9m	£137.4m

Common questions

Is THE CITY AND GUILDS OF LONDON INSTITUTE financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the Group reported a net surplus of £0.6m for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total income of £174.8m and total expenditure of £182.4m. Per the trustees' report, the charity holds free reserves of £46.1m, which is slightly below the deemed appropriate level of £46.6m, and maintains a cash balance of £16.7m. The financial position was further secured by a post-balance sheet divestment of commercial operations to PeopleCert Group, which generated estimated net proceeds of £166m. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by BDO LLP.

Who funds THE CITY AND GUILDS OF LONDON INSTITUTE?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE CITY AND GUILDS OF LONDON INSTITUTE as a grant recipient include THE FEDERATION OF GROUNDWORK TRUSTS, THE DE LASZLO FOUNDATION, THE VANDERVELL FOUNDATION, TALLOW CHANDLERS BENEVOLENT FUND NO 2, THE CARPENTERS COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE FEDERATION OF GROUNDWORK TRUSTS	FY2022	£66k	Grant from list of funders thanked
THE DE LASZLO FOUNDATION	FY2024	£35k	Student support
THE VANDERVELL FOUNDATION	FY2022	£18k	Advancement of education
TALLOW CHANDLERS BENEVOLENT FUND NO 2	FY2024	£10k
THE CARPENTERS COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£10k	Miscellaneous / City & Guilds
THE CARPENTERS COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£10k	Other education
THE CARPENTERS COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£10k	Grants to institutions
THE CARPENTERS COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£10k	Education/Training
SALTERS' CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2023	£5k	Relief of Need - Bursaries and education
THE VANDERVELL FOUNDATION	FY2024	£5k	Advancement of education
THE DYERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£5k	Education and the Young
The Merchant Taylors' Foundation	FY2022	£5k	Education (from unrestricted funds)
THE VANDERVELL FOUNDATION	FY2021	£5k	Advancement of education
SALTERS' CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2022	£2k	Relief of Need - Bursaries and education
SALTERS' CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2025	£2k	Relief of Need - Bursaries and education
SALTERS' CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2024	£2k	Relief of Need - Bursaries and education
THE GOLSONCOTT FOUNDATION	FY2024	£1k
THE WEAVERS' COMPANY BENEVOLENT FUND	FY2023	£500	Grant from unrestricted funds
THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF CUTLERS GENERAL CHARITABLE FUND	FY2022	£500	City and Guilds of London Institute prize and The Fox Medal

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
ROYAL FEMALE SCHOOL OF ART FOUNDATION	1	£35k
BNA CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION	1	£19k
THE GOSLING FOUNDATION LIMITED	1	£10k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with SKILLS AND EDUCATION GROUP AWARDS LIMITED.

SKILLS AND EDUCATION GROUP AWARDS LIMITED income £3.0m
THE CHARTERED QUALITY INSTITUTE income £7.3m
CVQO LTD income £3.9m
LYCEE INTERNATIONAL DE LONDRES income £13.9m
NOCN income £20.1m
CITY OF LONDON CRIME PREVENTION ASSOCIATION income £330k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE CITY AND GUILDS OF LONDON INSTITUTE	£174.8m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
SKILLS AND EDUCATION GROUP AWARDS LIMITED FY2025	£3.0m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE CHARTERED QUALITY INSTITUTE FY2024	£7.3m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
CVQO LTD FY2025	£3.9m	—	3	unclear	—	no doubt
LYCEE INTERNATIONAL DE LONDRES FY2024	£13.9m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
NOCN FY2025	£20.1m	—	—	within	—	no doubt

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