The annual income of Save the Children UK rose to £305 million last year, boosted by increases in legacies and government funding for education, health services and nutrition.
This year’s cuts in foreign aid came too late to affect the total, which was disclosed in the charity’s annual report today (June 11). It was £9m up on 2023 and included £27m in legacies – £8m more than in the previous year – plus £61m from the UK government and £20m from the governments of Ireland and other countries.
Francis D’Souza, the chief financial officer, warned the aid cuts signalled a likely fall in work with vulnerable children in 2025. ‘We’ll be more reliant on the generosity of supporters from regular givers to corporate partners to maintain vital work with children in the UK and around the world,’ he said.
Last year saw small reductions in the amounts given by both individuals and companies. Money from the Disasters Emergency Committee and the United Nations was also down.
However, demands on the organisation rose sharply in a year of conflict in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere, along with a series of natural disasters linked to the climate crisis. Save the Children UK spent £95m on emergencies in 2024, compared with £79m in 2023.
The annual report shows Save the Children UK reached more than 41m children with health, nutrition and education programmes and collected 100,000 signatures on a petition calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. A campaign on child poverty in the UK enabled young people to discuss the issues with Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary.
The highest salary in 2024 was £143,000, earned by Gemma Sherrington, the interim CEO. The median ‘ethnicity pay gap’ – the difference between the pay of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and their white colleagues – halved to less than 1%.
For further information, please contact Sean Ryan or Dan Stewart on 07831 650409 or [email protected] / [email protected]