ADOPTION MATTERS

Registered charity 512892 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as ADOPTION MATTERS NORTH WEST, CHESTER DIOCESAN ADOPTION SERVICES, FORMERLY: THE CHESTER DIOCESAN BOARD OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Comprehensive Adoption Services

Causes: Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£4.3m

Latest spending

£4.8m

Registered

1983

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £523,361 for the year, resulting in a decrease in general reserves to £639,323. The auditors identified a material uncertainty regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern due to recurring deficits and cash outflows, although the trustees maintain that adequate resources exist based on budget predictions and cost-reduction strategies.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £70,001 - £80,000 — above the median for charities its size (£70k)

“One employee received employment benefits (excluding employer pension contributions) between £70,000 and £79,999” — page 24

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“One employee received employment benefits (excluding employer pension contributions) between £70,000 and £79,999 (2024:1). No employees earned between £60,000 and £69,999 (2024: 0).” — page 24

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: four months of total expenditure (held: £639k)

“Adoption Matters Reserves Policy is to be able to cover a four-month period” — page 11

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: The Chief Executive’s husband was paid £171 for various building and maintenance services throughout the year.

“The Chief Executive’s husband was paid £171 for various building and maintenance services throughout the year.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by UHY Hacker Young. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Going concern: material uncertainty (FY2024) → no going-concern doubt (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Adoption Matters (matched by registered charity number).

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 freehold); recorded price paid £360k. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

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

Total income

£4.3m

Total spending

£4.8m

Cost of raising funds

£67k

Reserves (reported)

£1.0m

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~2.5 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (98% 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: 1.6% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Margaret Ann Joneschair · trustee of 1 other charity
ANNESLEY WRIGHT · trustee of 4 other charities
Anna Cohen
Anne Elizabeth Fleming
Dr Yvonne Ball
Graham Alton
JOSEPH JAMES MCARDLE
James Martin Robert Bennett
Julie Elizabeth Rimmer
Rita Therese Waters
Robert Wilkinson
Ryan David Oxley

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£4.3m	£4.8m
31/03/2024	£4.1m	£4.8m
31/03/2023	£4.5m	£4.8m
31/03/2022	£4.1m	£4.5m
31/03/2021	£4.9m	£4.2m

Common questions

Is ADOPTION MATTERS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £523,361 for the year, resulting in a decrease in general reserves to £639,323. The auditors identified a material uncertainty regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern due to recurring deficits and cash outflows, although the trustees maintain that adequate resources exist based on budget predictions and cost-reduction strategies. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by UHY Hacker Young.

What does the highest-paid employee of ADOPTION MATTERS earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £70,001 - £80,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds ADOPTION MATTERS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name ADOPTION MATTERS as a grant recipient include THE BLOOMFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST, EARL OF CHESTER'S FUND, THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST. MARY ON THE HILL, CHESTER, THE ICELAND FOODS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE BLOOMFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£15k
THE BLOOMFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2026	£15k
EARL OF CHESTER'S FUND	FY2024	£3k
EARL OF CHESTER'S FUND	FY2025	£2k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST. MARY ON THE HILL, CHESTER	FY2025	£2k	Local Charity
THE ICELAND FOODS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2024	£100	Donation - Adoption Matters
THE ICELAND FOODS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2025	£0	Donation - Adoption Matters

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 FOOTBALL FOUNDATION	1	£1.6m
ISSA FOUNDATION	1	£415k
YESHIVAS BEIS DOVID	1	£208k
BEIS MENACHEM CHABAD LUBAVITCH	1	£183k
ACHISOMOCH AID COMPANY LIMITED	1	£100k
LATATE LIMITED	1	£48k
THE BEAVERBROOKS CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£43k
M O CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£32k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BNJC.

BNJC income £4.1m
SPECIAL SPIRITS income £490k
YESHIVAS BEIS DOVID income £279k
THE GATESHEAD CHEDER LIMITED income £2.5m
ASTON VILLA FOUNDATION income £2.9m
YAD VEACHISOMOCH L'CHAIM income £834k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
ADOPTION MATTERS	£4.3m	£70,001 - £80,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
BNJC FY2025	£4.1m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
SPECIAL SPIRITS FY2025	£490k	—	0	unclear	4.7%	no doubt
YESHIVAS BEIS DOVID FY2025	£279k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE GATESHEAD CHEDER LIMITED FY2024	£2.5m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
ASTON VILLA FOUNDATION FY2025	£2.9m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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