WOLVERHAMPTON CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Registered charity 516877 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Guidance, advice and representation covering the city of Wolverhampton and Dudley borough, surrounding areas (for particular specialist legal aid cases, pension guidance, debt advice and most aspects of benefits). Influencing social policy, improving employability, financial capability and energy advice is also offered.

Objects

THE CHARITY’S OBJECTS ARE TO PROMOTE ANY CHARITABLE PURPOSE FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION, THE PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF HEALTH AND THE RELIEF OF POVERTY, SICKNESS AND DISTRESS, AND TO ENCOURAGE THE PRESERVATION, DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF FEATURES OF GENERAL PUBLIC AMENITY IN PARTICULAR, BUT WITHOUT LIMITATION, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITIES IN THE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF DUDLEY, CITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON AND SURROUNDING AREAS.

Area of benefit: METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF WOLVERHAMPTON AND ADJACENT AREAS

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

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£2.0m

Latest spending

£2.1m

Registered

1985

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £131,835 for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £2,641,529 to £2,509,694. The trustees maintain that unrestricted funds are held at a level equivalent to between three and six months' expenditure, a policy they state has been maintained throughout the year. Despite the deficit, the auditor confirmed no material uncertainties exist regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

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)

“The number of employees whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000 is as follows: £70,001 to £80,000” — page 22

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“The number of employees whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000 is as follows: £70,001 to £80,000” — page 22

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: three and six month's expenditure (held: £1.8m)

“It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three and six month's expenditure.” — page 10

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by CK Audit. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

In its annual return the charity told the Commission it is also regulated by: Financial Conduct Authority. 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
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Volunteer management

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

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

Total income

£2.0m

Total spending

£2.1m

Reserves (reported)

£1.8m

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~10.0 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (97% 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 (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (26/05/2022) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Jonathan Crockettchair
BERNARD CYSEWSKI · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr Clare Williams
Sarah Dugan · trustee of 1 other charity
Stephen Mark Handscomb

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

Operates in: Dudley · Sandwell · Walsall · Wolverhampton

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£2.0m	£2.1m
31/03/2024	£2.4m	£2.3m
31/03/2023	£2.6m	£2.2m
31/03/2022	£2.3m	£2.1m
31/03/2021	£2.3m	£1.5m

Common questions

Is WOLVERHAMPTON CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £131,835 for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £2,641,529 to £2,509,694. The trustees maintain that unrestricted funds are held at a level equivalent to between three and six months' expenditure, a policy they state has been maintained throughout the year. Despite the deficit, the auditor confirmed no material uncertainties exist regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by CK Audit.

What does the highest-paid employee of WOLVERHAMPTON CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX earn?

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

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	20/03/2020	£266k	Uplift
The National Lottery Community Fund	02/08/2012	£569k	Better off in Wolverhampton (BoW)
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	25/07/1995	£172k	"Wolverhampton Citizens advice Bureau"

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 COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR WILTSHIRE & SWINDON	1	£230k
COVENTRY BUILDING SOCIETY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£140k
LONDON LEGAL SUPPORT TRUST	1	£101k
THE BLAGRAVE TRUST	1	£21k
WILLIAM ADLINGTON CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£20k
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£10k
WOLVERHAMPTON LGBT+	1	£3k
THE EDGAR E LAWLEY FOUNDATION	1	£2k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with CITIZENS ADVICE IN NORTH & WEST KENT.

CITIZENS ADVICE IN NORTH & WEST KENT income £2.1m
COVENTRY CITIZENS ADVICE income £1.8m
WILTSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE income £1.6m
NOTTINGHAM AND DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU income £1.8m
Citizens Advice Sandwell & Walsall Ltd income £2.1m
CITIZENS ADVICE WALTHAM FOREST LTD income £1.3m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
WOLVERHAMPTON CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX	£2.0m	£70,001 - £80,000	1	within	—	no doubt
CITIZENS ADVICE IN NORTH & WEST KENT FY2025	£2.1m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
COVENTRY CITIZENS ADVICE FY2025	£1.8m	more than £60,000	1	above	—	no doubt
WILTSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE FY2025	£1.6m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
NOTTINGHAM AND DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU FY2025	£1.8m	—	0	below	—	no doubt
Citizens Advice Sandwell & Walsall Ltd FY2025	£2.1m	—	—	within	—	no doubt

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