THE PERCY HEDLEY FOUNDATION

Registered charity 515943 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE PERCY HEDLEY CENTRE FOR SPASTICS

The Percy Hedley Foundation was established, for the public benefit, to promote the care, welfare, interest, opportunities (including opportunities to gain meaningful employment), education and advancement of disabled people.

Objects

THE OBJECTS FOR WHICH THE FOUNDATION IS ESTABLISHED ARE (FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT) TO PROMOTE THE CARE, WELFARE, INTEREST, EDUCATION, TREATMENT AND ADVANCEMENT OF DISABLED PERSONS IN SUCH WAYS AS THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FROM TIME TO TIME THINK FIT.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · Disability · Accommodation/housing · Amateur Sport · Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: North Tyneside, North East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£40.5m

Latest spending

£37.8m

Registered

1985

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated a surplus of £4.574m for the year, driven by increased charitable activity income and significant actuarial gains on its pension scheme. Free reserves increased to £10.235m, which the trustees consider sufficient given ongoing capital expenditure programmes and their reserves policy target of holding 13-16% of operating expenditure in investments.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Charitable activities (98% of income)

“Income from charitable activities increased by a reasonable 10.28% year on year at £39.6m.” — page 33

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £10.2m)

“During the last few years, reserves have been built in line with the lower end of this policy. These are now reviewed annually as part of the corporate strategy with the intention to increase the value of the investments towards to the higher end of the range over the next three years.” — page 35

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Azets. Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.

In its annual return the charity told the Commission it is also regulated by: Care Quality Commission; Ofsted (Office For Standards In Education). This is the charity’s own declaration; it is not a rating and has not been verified by the Commission or by this site.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2025

Volunteers: 19
Government income: £39,458,630 — contracts £34,813,307 (565), grants £4,645,323 (16); 97% of the £40,483,000 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 15 (£60,001–£70,000: 5; £70,001–£80,000: 4; £80,001–£90,000: 2; £90,001–£100,000: 1; £100,001–£110,000: 2; £130,001–£140,000: 1)

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2024

Volunteers: 17
Government income: £35,517,968 — contracts £31,650,319 (571), grants £3,867,649 (14); 96% of the £36,965,000 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 19 (£60,001–£70,000: 7; £70,001–£80,000: 4; £80,001–£90,000: 2; £90,001–£100,000: 1; £100,001–£110,000: 3; £110,001–£120,000: 1; £150,001–£200,000: 1)

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2023

Volunteers: 22
Government income: £33,178,056 — contracts £29,140,262 (580), grants £4,037,794 (18); 92% of the £35,979,000 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 10 (£60,001–£70,000: 4; £70,001–£80,000: 3; £80,001–£90,000: 2; £100,001–£110,000: 1)

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

In the news

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

Percy Hedley Foundation Brings Inclusive Dining Experience to Gateshead newcastlemagazine.com · 26/10/2026
North Shields Dentists To Take On Copenhagen Ironman For Percy Hedley Foundation newcastlemagazine.com · 03/08/2026
Percy Hedley Foundation Golf Day Raises Funds For Life-Changing Support newcastlemagazine.com · 03/08/2026
ECBS joins forces with Percy Hedley Foundation as corporate partner northumberlandgazette.co.uk · 22/04/2026
North East charity the Percy Hedley Foundation celebrates 73 years of dedicated support for people with disabilities shieldsgazette.com · 16/02/2026
Disability charity the Percy Hedley Foundation has reached its £120,000 target to fund an inclusive sensory play area for students. newcastlemagazine.com · 05/12/2025
The Percy Hedley Foundation’s annual charity ball returns for 2025 sunderlandecho.com · 16/04/2025
Disability charity Percy Hedley Foundation announces theme for 2025 fundraising ball chroniclelive.co.uk · 16/04/2025

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 01855026

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Percy Hedley Foundation (matched by registered charity number).

Leadership, per the charity’s website

John Preston — Chief Executive Officer (source)
Janet Donnelly — Chair of the Board of Trustees (source)
Alison Williams — Director of Corporate Services (source)
Charlotte Jones — Director of Health and Wellbeing (source)
John Steward — Director of Education (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.

Funders the charity credits

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

Watson Family Charitable Trust — “Watson Family Charitable Trust Percy Hedley Ball 2023 Entertainment Sponsor” (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.

PROCTER, Nicola — director, appointed 14/08/2025on trustee list
CRAIK, Francesca Naomi Victoria — director, appointed 24/03/2025on trustee list
CRAIG, Lucy — director, appointed 26/04/2024on trustee list
HUTCHINSON, Nicola Claire, Dr — director, appointed 31/10/2022on trustee list
EMERSON, Peter Louis, Dr — director, appointed 31/10/2022on trustee list
DONNELLY, Janet — director, appointed 28/07/2022on trustee list
WEIR, Ewen Gordon — director, appointed 26/01/2021on trustee list
FOREMAN, Paul Andrew — director, appointed 30/12/2019on trustee list
DAWSON, Lynsey — secretary, appointed 01/10/2021

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

5 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.

CQC provider record: The Percy Hedley Foundation — Registered, 7 registered locations, 2 regulated activities, last inspected 27/10/2022.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): instagram (1,865 followers)

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

Total income

£40.5m

Total spending

£37.8m

Reserves (reported)

£28.5m

Employees

957

Reported reserves equal ~9.0 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.6 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: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.7%) (benchmarks).

Care Quality Commission ratings

CQC inspection ratings for services run by a provider matching this charity’s name (matched by name; verify provider identity on CQC’s site).

Tyne House: Good (08/12/2022) · CQC record
Wansbeck House: Good (28/10/2025) · CQC record
Leybourne: Good (25/08/2022) · CQC record

Register events

Received assets from another charity (19/01/2021) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Janet Donnellychair
Dr Nicola Claire Hutchinson
Dr Peter Louis Emerson
Ewen Gordon Weir
Francesca Naomi Victoria Craik
Lucy Craig
Nicola Procter
Paul Foreman

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

Operates in: Durham · Gateshead · Newcastle Upon Tyne City · North Tyneside · Northumberland · South Tyneside · Sunderland

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£40.5m	£37.8m
31/08/2024	£37.0m	£36.8m
31/08/2023	£36.0m	£35.6m
31/08/2022	£34.0m	£30.4m
31/08/2021	£32.0m	£31.1m

Common questions

Is THE PERCY HEDLEY FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a surplus of £4.574m for the year, driven by increased charitable activity income and significant actuarial gains on its pension scheme. Free reserves increased to £10.235m, which the trustees consider sufficient given ongoing capital expenditure programmes and their reserves policy target of holding 13-16% of operating expenditure in investments. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Azets.

Who funds THE PERCY HEDLEY FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE PERCY HEDLEY FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include THE ROTHLEY TRUST, THE CATHERINE COOKSON CHARITABLE TRUST, THE IAN KARTEN CHARITABLE TRUST, THE BARBOUR FOUNDATION, THE WATSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE ROTHLEY TRUST	FY2023	£154k	Children and Young People
THE CATHERINE COOKSON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£20k	Disability
THE IAN KARTEN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£19k	Karten Centres
THE IAN KARTEN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£18k	Karten Centres
THE IAN KARTEN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£18k	Karten Centres
THE IAN KARTEN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£18k	Karten Centres
THE BARBOUR FOUNDATION	FY2022	£10k
THE WATSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£10k
THE WATSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£5k
THE CATHERINE COOKSON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£5k	Disability
WOMBLE BOND DICKINSON (UK) CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION	FY2022	£3k
THE ROTHLEY TRUST	FY2025	£3k
THE ROTHLEY TRUST	FY2024	£3k
HAYS TRAVEL FOUNDATION	FY2025	£2k
WOMBLE BOND DICKINSON (UK) CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION	FY2021	£2k
THE JOICEY TRUST	FY2025	£2k
FRAZER TRUST	FY2024	£2k	Children
THE ROTHLEY TRUST	FY2022	£2k	Institutional grant
FRAZER TRUST	FY2025	£2k	Disabled
THE NINEVEH CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£2k
FRAZER TRUST	FY2023	£2k	Children
FRAZER TRUST	FY2022	£2k
THE MIDDLETON FOUNDATION	FY2022	£1k
HAYS TRAVEL FOUNDATION	FY2024	amount not stated
HAYS TRAVEL FOUNDATION	FY2024	amount not stated
BLUESPARK FOUNDATION	FY2024	amount not stated	Sensory theatre experience delivered in school by a theatre company to 36 severely disabled pupils who would be unable to visit a conventional theatre

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	06/07/2026	£10k	Pilot Farm Based Environmental Learning Project
Community Foundation North East	30/03/2023	£3k	Grant to The Percy Hedley Foundation
Community Foundation North East	23/06/2022	£250	Grant to The Percy Hedley Foundation
Community Foundation North East	24/03/2022	£2k	A grant to The Percy Hedley Foundation
Community Foundation North East	16/09/2021	£250	A grant to The Percy Hedley Foundation
Community Foundation North East	20/05/2021	£250	A grant to The Percy Hedley Foundation
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	30/08/2018	£42k	"Hedley's Heritage - disabled young people learning to archive and record their heritage"
Community Foundation North East	07/03/2018	£250	Annual donation
Sport England	10/01/2017	£7k	Community Coaching for Disabled Young People
The National Lottery Community Fund	24/03/2015	£441k	The Employability Project
The National Lottery Community Fund	18/04/2012	£280k	The Employability Project
The National Lottery Community Fund	25/11/2010	£10k	Percy Hedley Social History Project
The National Lottery Community Fund	29/01/2007	£5k	The 'I Don't Believe it' Drama Group
The National Lottery Community Fund	24/07/2006	£5k	Garden
Northern Rock Foundation	13/07/2004	£150k	Grant awarded to The Percy Hedley Foundation (Tyne & Wear)
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	18/08/2000	£15k	"THE PERCY HEDLEY ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITY CENTRE"
Northern Rock Foundation	14/04/1998	£150k	Grant awarded to The Percy Hedley Foundation (Tyne & Wear)

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
Evergreen Care UK	1	£500

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with HEDLEY FOUNDATION LIMITED.

HEDLEY FOUNDATION LIMITED income £1.5m
JAMES PERCY FOUNDATION income £808k
THE PERCY BILTON CHARITY income £1.5m
PERRY FOUNDATION income £198k
THE HADLEY TRUST income £13.0m
PS FOUNDATION income £560k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE PERCY HEDLEY FOUNDATION	£40.5m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
HEDLEY FOUNDATION LIMITED FY2024	£1.5m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
JAMES PERCY FOUNDATION FY2025	£808k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE PERCY BILTON CHARITY FY2026	£1.5m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
PERRY FOUNDATION FY2025	£198k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE HADLEY TRUST FY2025	£13.0m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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