It’s thanks to the generosity of our supporters that Age UK can be here for so many older people when they need us most.
In 2019/20, our wonderful supporters helped raise over £67 million.
We simply could not continue to help older people today or research and campaign to make later life better for future generations without the generosity of those leaving a gift in their will to Age UK.
In 2019/20, income from legacies totalled over £24.9 million.
The work of Age UK would simply not be possible without the generosity of the public. Each year thousands of supporters make one off or regular donations to support older people. This year, income from donations and gifts was £13.5 million. Donations and gifts remain our second biggest source of income after legacies and is an area which we hope to grow over the coming years.
My uncle was a gentle and generous man who enjoyed life and died just 3 weeks short of his 101st birthday. I know he would be very happy that his money is being spent on such a good cause helping others, perhaps less fortunate elderly people to get the most out of their final years.
In September 2019 we launched a joint campaign with Cadbury to raise awareness of loneliness in later life. Cadbury removed all the words from the front of its iconic Dairy Milk bar and donated 30p from the sale of each one to Age UK – raising over £300,000. Alongside this, the campaign also encouraged the public to reach out to older people who might be lonely with a friendly conversation or act of kindness. 460,000 people pledged their support to the campaign.
In 2019/20, we received £17.8 million in support from corporate partnerships, trusts and public sector grant-giving bodies and we are extremely grateful to all of them for their generosity. With this funding we have been able to support ground-breaking research into cognitive ageing, deliver programmes that tackle loneliness, promote health and wellbeing, and provide information and advice to older people most in need.
This year our net income from grants, partnerships and trusts was £9.4 million. Grants from organisations such as the Big Lottery Fund, Sport England, The Masonic Charitable Foundation, the Aged Veterans Fund (funded by the Chancellor using LIBOR funds) and City Bridge Trust helped fund programmes delivered by the Age UK network, supporting tens of thousands of the most vulnerable older people from veterans to the most isolated and lonely and those affected by scams and fraud.
“The hardest thing is not having someone to talk to when you’re on your own. When I rang Age UK, it was just as if I’d hit the jackpot. It’s given me a new meaning.”
Age UK Trading CIC, and its subsidiary Age UK Enterprises, offer financial services and products that support independent living under the Age Co brand, runs over 400 charity shops, and operates a social lottery and raffle. It gives all its profits to Age UK to fund our charitable work.
We have developed fundraising values that put older people at the very heart of what we do. Our supporters can be reassured that our fundraising will always be of the highest standard.
For more information about our work, read or download Age UK’s Report of Trustees and Annual Accounts for 2019/20.
