After attending the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Acquired Brain Injury in July 2025, it was apparent (after talking to brain injury survivors) that brain injury support services in the community are becoming harder to access, and many survivors are increasingly relying on charities to fill the gaps. If charity funding continues to fall, some services may close entirely, leaving survivors and families with limited support when they need it most.
After speaking with those involved in charities delivering services in the community, particularly from the valuable Headway brain injury charity regional group network, there was a real fear if the current decline of funding for these charitable services continued then some will disappear completely leaving limited or no service provision.
Since attending that reception in July 2025 there have been real time closures of a number of charities including two recent notable examples;
- The Queen Elizabeth Foundation for Disabled People in November 2025 announced it would close. The QEF had supported disabled people for over 90 years, providing expert services that had changed many lives.
- RoadPeace, the national road safety charity supporting those either bereaved or seriously injured after road crash, which after 34 years closed in January 2026.
The closure of these charities is not only a loss of service provision to those with disability or have been bereaved but also an economic cost to the country if those who otherwise will have used these services end up as hospital inpatients or their loved ones give up work to become carers.
A simple Google search provides data indicating that 151 major charities closed in 2024/25, a significant rise from 87 the previous year. The key factor for a reason in closure was a lack of funding to meet anticipated operating costs which reflects the stated position with the QEF and RoadPeace.
The closures of these charities are creating a situation where victims of accidents are at risk of no longer being able to access support.
Charity Commission
I was curious to find out more as to the state of the charity sector so I visited the Charity Commission website that includes for a Charity Sector Risk Assessment completed in 2025 which can be accessed here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charity-sector-risk-assessment-2025 .
The Charity Sector Risk Assessment makes for some alarming reading as to what is happening within the sector and what are the likely issues to be addressed. I set out some of the key highlights from the report below.
- The report found that “there is growing evidence of a financial squeeze within the sector, with the difference between sector income and expenditure reduced by almost three-quarters over the last two years”
- The report identified Key areas of concern as follows:-
- Increased employment costs, including tax changes.
- Challenges in securing sustainable public funding.
- Increasing demand for services.
- The report found that 42.6% of charities reported expenditure that exceeded income in their 2023 Annual Return, up from 38.3% in 2022, potentially depleting their reserves. This reflects an increasing trend over the past 5 years.
- Smaller charities are at particular risk according to the report. Collectively, charities with an income under £500,000 saw their outgoings exceed income.
- The report sets out some helpful actions for Trustees which include:
- Ensure you take the time to sufficiently plan your year ahead with income forecasts aligned with operating costs.
- Ensure your financial reporting is fit for purpose, regular and provides the level of detail to enable trustee decision making.
- Regularly review your financial forecasting to determine any variations to cost or revenue expectations to enable early intervention where appropriate.
- Consider if there are opportunities to deliver your charitable purpose more efficiently – for example, through joint ventures, collaborative bids, mergers or a combining of back-office functions with other charities.
Left without brain injury support services?
As a solicitor at Moore Barlow working on behalf of adults and children who have suffered life changing brain injury, or have been bereaved, to access rehabilitation to rebuild their lives the risk of even more depletion of community services is worrying.
We are at a turning point where there is no option of doing nothing as anyone could be affected by an injury (e.g stroke, tumour, aneurysm, trauma), or benefit from bereavement support, so get involved in supporting your local charity either by fundraising, supporting events or, if you have a skill, becoming a Trustee.
How Moore Barlow can help
As a firm we continue to support a number of charities by both fundraising for them as well as giving our time to support their functions to the benefit of those victims who otherwise would be left without support.
If you have suffered a serious injury as a result of an accident then we frequently are as part of an insurance claim able to access support for you funded by your opponent thereby taking the pressure off the charity sector. Matthew Claxson, Partner in the Personal Injury Team supporting those individuals who have suffered serious injury or bereavement after an accident can be contacted on 0800 157 7611 or https://www.moorebarlow.com/people/matthew-claxson/
If you are a trustee of a charity, please contact our specialist Charity and Social Enterprise solicitor to explore how they can assist you to navigate the complexities of the law in this area and support your charity. Contact Paul Ridout directly on 01483 417124 or https://www.moorebarlow.com/people/paul-ridout/
Support networks
Below is a list of support networks recommended by RoadPeace
Road victims’ bereavement support
- Brake | The Road Safety Charity – a national road safety charity with victim support services
- Road Victims Trust – a regional road safety charity with victim support services operating in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.
- Aftermath Support – Home – a regional road safety charity with victim support services operating in North West England
Bereavement support (not road crash specific)
- The Good Grief Trust – links to 1000 + charities and tailored local and national support services under one umbrella
- Cruse Bereavement Support – bereavement support across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- The Compassionate Friends – support for bereaved parents, adult siblings and grandparents
- Child Bereavement UK – bereavement support when a child grieves or when a child dies
