Save the Children UK’s income rose by 23% to £294m last year after two successive annual declines, the charity has reported.
According to its accounts for the 2022 calendar year, the charity dismissed two volunteers for sexual harassment during the year and received nearly 200 more complaints from the public on its fundraising activity.
The charity’s expenditure increased by £50m, with the organisation reporting that overlapping crises in 2022 had tested its teams “as never before”.
Income
Save the Children UK received £34m from the Disasters Emergency Committee, £24m of which was through its Ukraine appeal.
The charity received £10m more from the United Nations for its work in Ethiopia and Yemen.
One-off donations rose by £6m to £19m, which the charity attributed to its Ukraine and Pakistan appeals, but regular donations fell by £900,000 as the charity’s investment in fundraising has reduced since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Major donors and trusts gave £12m more than in 2021, in part to the charity’s emergency fund.
The charity received £19m from corporate partners, £3m up on the previous year.
Last year was the first annual increase in the charity’s income for three years. It reported a £49m decline in 2021.
Complaints
The charity investigated four safeguarding complaints and dismissed two volunteers for sexual harassment.
It took action against another volunteer for aggressive behaviour but said an allegation of misconduct by a member of staff was found to be unsubstantiated.
Meanwhile, the charity received 465 complaints from members of the public about its fundraising activity, compared to 269 in 2021, none of which were investigated by the Fundraising Regulator.
It said the rise was due to its resumption of face-to-face fundraising activities and a decision to decline a gift from fossil fuel company Neptune Energy during the year.
The charity said it expects complaints to increase again in 2024 “as we return to pre-pandemic levels of fundraising activity”.
Expenditure
Save the Children UK’s expenditure increased by £50m on the previous year to £286m last year.
The charity’s staff costs remained flat at £47m.
Chief executive Gwen Hines’ salary remained unchanged at £143,000, while her executive team was cut by one post and cost 14% less than in the previous year.
