Our Annual Report

Throughout the year, we provided vital services for children, young people and families, while also working to drive longer-term change for future generations. We’re extremely proud that this year we reached over 356,000 children, young people, parents and carers, through our 760 services and partnerships.  

We couldn’t do this without our supporters, donors, and partners. We owe all of you our heartfelt thanks.   

For over 150 years, Barnardo’s has been there for children and young people who need us most – bringing love, care and hope into their lives and giving them a place where they feel they belong. We’ll continue to be here for as long as we’re needed. 

Last year, we reached 356,200 children, young people, parents and carers, through 760 services and partnerships.  

We continue to focus on supporting children living in poverty, in response to the huge need around the UK. Latest figures suggest that some 4.3m children (30% of all children in the UK) are living in poverty (Department for Work and Pensions, 2004), including some 1m in destitution (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2023). We provided practical support to families through our cost-of-living fund which provides immediate help to children and families who were struggling to afford the basics. In 2023–2024, we spent around £1m providing this essential support reaching 15,592 people. Our work included preventing hunger, providing suitable clothing and helping people keep warm. 

As well as working with children and young people directly, we’ve also been making sure their voices are heard in the rooms where decisions are being made to help drive long-term change across the UK. Find out more about the impact we’ve had in 2023-2024. 

a

In 2023-24 our total income was £326.1m. £187.3m of this came from fees and grants we received for our commissioned charitable activities.

The rest of our funding came from generous donations and money raised by the public, our local stores and online shop, and from investments and property development.  

This means that in 2023-24 for every £1 of income we received, approximately:  

• 57p came from grants and fees from partners for charitable activities (commissioned work). 

• 29p came from trading, including from our local stores and online shop.  

• 13p came from Trusts and Charitable Foundations, corporate partners and individual donations, including gifts and Wills.  

• 1p came from investments and property.  

a

We are so grateful to everyone who raises money and donates to us. Your support allows us to invest in our vital work changing children’s lives for the better – thank you.

This year, we raised £41.7m through fundraising, donations and gifts in wills. £12.3m was donated directly by our supporters, and £18.4m was gifted to us by supporters in their Wills.

We are always impressed by the energy and commitment of people across the UK who choose to support us through undertaking runs, hikes, treks, abseils, parachute jumps and other wonderfully imaginative ways of raising money to help change childhoods.

The London Marathon was a highlight yet again in 2023 with 119 runners raising over £325,000 as part of Team Barnardo’s!

In 2023–24, total sales across our retail stores were £93.1m, this was despite a challenging retail climate.

• E-commerce sales continued to grow strongly, up 42.9% to £4.9m.
• We launched our first Re-Fashion Hub pop-up to give items that are unable to be sold in their current condition a new lease of life. The hub is designed to be zero waste and generate further income for the charity.
• Sales of new goods in stores grew by 20% to £8.5m.

a

In 2023-24 we spent £235.9m on charitable activities, including £88m on retail costs, and £11.4m generating more funds for the charity.

Excluding retail costs, this means that out of every £1 we spent approximately: 

• 94p went on providing vital services and driving change for the children and young people who need our help the most.
• Less than 1p on investment management costs.
• T​​​he remaining amount - just over 5p - on raising the next £1.

If you want to know more about our activities and finances in recent years you can view previously published annual reports and accounts.