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United Purpose

Also known as: Concern Universal

United Purpose's activities can be broadly summarised as follows:Partnership and local capacity strengthening;Emergency prevention, preparedness and response; Health, including HIV/AIDS prevention and care; Rights and equity; Water and sanitation;Sustainable livelihoods, including food security and micro-enterprise.

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Activities & Mission

United Purpose's activities can be broadly summarised as follows:Partnership and local capacity strengthening;Emergency prevention, preparedness and response; Health, including HIV/AIDS prevention and care; Rights and equity; Water and sanitation;Sustainable livelihoods, including food security and micro-enterprise.

Areas of Operation

Where this charity is registered to operate, as self-declared to the Charity Commission. These are regulatory classifications, not a list of active programmes, and don't necessarily indicate fundraising activity in each location.

Show all 10 areas of operation

Financial Information

Latest Income
£4,884,450
Latest Expenditure
£8,426,836

Financial Efficiency

Program Ratio 129.3%
% of income going directly to charitable activities

Higher than 96% of UK Economic and community development charities with income £1M to £10M (sample: 829). How is this calculated?

Overall Efficiency 74.9%
% of expenditure going to programs (vs overhead)

Higher than 10% of UK Economic and community development charities with income £1M to £10M. How is this calculated?

Administrative Ratio 0.4%
Overhead (fundraising + governance) as % of total expenditure

Lower overhead than 80% of UK Economic and community development charities with income £1M to £10M. (Lower overhead is generally read as more efficient.) How is this calculated?

Latest Financial Breakdown

Income Sources

Donations & Legacies £130,014
Charitable Activities £4,734,114
Other Trading £0
Investments £0
Other Income £20,322

Expenditure Categories

Charitable Expenditure £6,314,909
Raising Funds £15,447
Governance £21,900
Grants to Institutions £408,711
Other Expenditure £2,096,480

Financial Trend

Annual Returns

As filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Most recent filing covers the financial year ending 2024.

One or more years show a significant change in income (over ±100%) compared with the prior year. This usually reflects a merger, transfer of activities, restated accounts, or a one-off legacy — not necessarily a real change in operating scale. See the methodology for context.

The Commission record shows this related event on the register:

  • Asset transfer in in 2016 — International Inspiration (organisation 5009682)
Financial YearIncomeExpenditureCharitable SpendingNet AssetsReservesStaff
2024
£4,884,450
£8,426,836£6,314,909-£1,489,416£0310 / 0
2023
£12,725,389
£14,448,498£14,413,327£2,052,970£1,532,990401 / 0
2022
£15,019,901
£15,978,485£15,904,125£3,776,079£3,776,079489 / 0
2021
£19,772,222
£18,715,993£18,468,304£6,350,103£363,143540 / 0
2021
£8,900,345
£10,515,786£10,431,082£4,734,663£272,897554 / 0

Staff column shows: Employees / Volunteers

Frequently asked questions about United Purpose

What does United Purpose do?

United Purpose's activities can be broadly summarised as follows:Partnership and local capacity strengthening;Emergency prevention, preparedness and response; Health, including HIV/AIDS prevention and care; Rights and equity; Water and sanitation;Sustainable livelihoods, including food security and micro-enterprise.

How much income did United Purpose report in 2024?

United Purpose reported total income of £4.88m and reported expenditure of £8.43m for the financial year ending 2024, based on the most recent annual return filed with the Charity Commission.

How efficient is United Purpose?

United Purpose has a program ratio of 129.3%, meaning that share of its income goes directly to charitable activities. This is higher than 96% of UK Economic and community development charities with income £1M to £10M (sample of 829 charities). See our methodology for how this is calculated.

When was United Purpose registered as a charity?

United Purpose was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 15 December 1976 as charity number 272465. It has been registered for 50 years.

Who runs United Purpose?

United Purpose is governed by a board of 4 trustees. Trustees are legally responsible for the charity's governance and are listed in full on its profile.

Where does United Purpose operate?

United Purpose operates across 10 areas, including Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon and 7 others. The full list is shown on its profile.

Is United Purpose a registered charity?

Yes — United Purpose is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 272465.

Details

Address
Office 124 (Lewis Street)
W2 1st Floor Wellington House
Wellington Road
Cardiff
CF11 9BE
Registration Date
15 December 1976
Status
Registered

Registry Information

Organisation Number
272465
Charity Number
272465

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Other notable Economic and community development charities

Major UK charities in the same primary sector, drawn from the curated priority cohort.

Trustees

Dervla Owens
Also governs 2 other charities
Geoff Meagher
Also governs 2 other charities
Hadi Husani
Mary Robinson
Also governs 2 other charities

Also Known As

  • Concern Universal

Data & trust

Register data refreshed
14 May 2026
Report a data issue