Charities in Central Bedfordshire
There are 2,557 registered charities based in and around Central Bedfordshire. 1,941 of them (76%) are small, with an income under £100,000 a year. The most common causes are children and young people, education, and disability.
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What they work on
- Children and young people891
- Education788
- Disability252
- Arts and heritage247
- Poverty and hardship210
- Older people155
- Environment71
- Overseas aid69
We count a charity under a cause when its description on the register makes it clear, which is true of 1,748 of the 2,557. Charities are placed by their registered address, so the numbers include some national charities with an office here. Volunteers are as reported by the 1,511 local charities under £1 million a year that file an annual return, from the returns held in October 2026. Data from the Charity Commission register, last refreshed in June 2026.
Charities for children and young people in Central Bedfordshire
5 of the 891 we found.
Mitalee Youth Association
LU3 · Small charity, income under £100k
Advancing education for children, young people and their families. Organise school holiday programme, youth club/ drop-in and recreational activities and opportunities.Provide a rage of accredited and non-accredited…
Stopsley Baptist Church
LU2 · Income £100k to £1m
Activities include: prayer, worship,bible study, children's activities for those aged from babies to 11 years, youth activities for young people aged 11 to 19 years, mentoring support and developing social skills in…
Edo State Women Association
LU3 · Income under £10k
Youth Club activities recreational football for young people in Harrow, workshops on life skills, trips to local attractions. International Development Day-care / pre-school for market women children in Nigeria, Micro…
Sayes Mentoring
PE19 · Income £100k to £1m
The SAYes Transition to Independent Living (TIL) Programme provides guidance, advocacy and support to under-served young people, in particular care leavers, through evidence based one-to-one mentoring, in the UK, South…
Ashwell Village Hall Project
SG7 · Small charity, income under £100k
Village Hall for use by local groups, mainly young people; playgroup,youth club,stage school.
Education charities in Central Bedfordshire
5 of the 788 we found.
Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire
MK45 · Income £100k to £1m
Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire is the local consumer champion promoting choice and influencing the provision of high quality health, social care and wellbeing services for all across Central Bedfordshire.We engage and…
Bedford Physical Education Old Students' Association
SG7 · Small charity, income under £100k
BPEOSA funds support:-1. The International Physical Literacy Association2. The Bedford Physical Education Archive3. Projects to promote lifelong participation in physical activity.
Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre Charity Fund
LU2 · Income £100k to £1m
To enhance the provision offered by Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre through funding additional educational resources and opportunities to pupils that are not funded through the school's…
West's Educational
LU7 · Small charity, income under £100k
The Charity operates in the Parishes of Chalgrave and Hockliffe in the County of Bedfordshire. It derives its income from investments and pays grants to young people under the age of 25 years. These grants are for…
Salter Educational Foundation
HP4 · Income under £10k
Assistance to young people towards educational expenses
Disability charities in Central Bedfordshire
5 of the 252 we found.
Yawn
LU1 · Small charity, income under £100k
A charity supporting people with Learning Disabilities and their families: Current activities include:Regular social Family Disco for our beneficiaries and their family and friendsOccasional activities and outings for…
Friends of Grange School
MK42 · Income under £10k
Parent/Teacher Association of School for young people with Learning Disabilities including Autism.
Music24
LU1 · Income £100k to £1m
Music24 currently provides music therapy and other music-related activities that benefit health and wellbeing to various groups of people, including but not limited to: people with learning disabilities, mental health…
Jackie's Drop in Centre
SG6 · Income £100k to £1m
The provision of a drop in centre providing social and recreational facilities, advice and support for adults with learning disabilities.
Cherryhomes and Starfish Trust
SG8 · Income under £10k
We assist people with severe physical disabilities to maintain their personal independence in living as normal and fulfilled lives as possible in their own homes with the emphasis on adapting the home environment to…
Arts and heritage charities in Central Bedfordshire
5 of the 247 we found.
Riverside Theatre Company
PE19 · Small charity, income under £100k
Provides professional performing arts tuition for young people from all backgrounds including classes in dance, drama and singing. Assisted places scheme to encourage participation for children from low income families.…
Camden Symphony Orchestra
LU7 · Small charity, income under £100k
MUSIC PLAYING AND PERFORMANCECamden Symphony Orchestra is one of London's leading non-professional orchestras, rehearsing on a weekly basis and giving three major orchestral concerts a year. Founded as Camden Chamber…
Berkhamsted Local History and Museum Society
HP4 · Small charity, income under £100k
The Society promotes interest in local history of Berkhamsted and district, holds illustrated lectures, publishes annual journal of historical research, newsletters, arranges Heritage Open Days, encourages historical…
Redbourn Village Historical and Museum Group Limited
AL3 · Small charity, income under £100k
To advance and encourage the education of the public in the geography, history, natural history and architecture of Redbourn and the neighbouring areas.To provide research facilities for family history relating to the…
London Repertoire Orchestra
AL5 · Income under £10k
Amateur orchestra
Poverty and hardship charities in Central Bedfordshire
5 of the 210 we found.
The Need Project Central Bedfordshire
SG5 · Income £100k to £1m
The Need Project exists to provide compassionate and practical Christian responses to all our neighbours who are experiencing the effects of poverty and hardship. Our responses include the provision of food parcels for…
Money Advice St Neots
PE19 · Small charity, income under £100k
The relief of financial hardship through the provision of debt counselling and other money advice services
Jubilation Action Group
MK42 · Small charity, income under £100k
We are a Community Food Pantry and we serve two Wards in Bedford, namely Kingsbrook Ward and Cauldwell Ward. We operate out of Scott Hall Community Centre and we serve the families in the community that are struggling…
Communities Defeating Poverty
MK45 · Income under £10k
Fundraising activities and events raising money to pay for training courses (based on a needs assessment) of local people in communities throught the world that are suffering from poverty, to teach those communities how…
Wend Konta
PE19 · Small charity, income under £100k
The charity assists those in need by reason of ill-health, sickness, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage, by the provision of support for children who are enrolled in the nutrition programme in clinics…
Charities for older people in Central Bedfordshire
5 of the 155 we found.
Leighton Linslade U3a
LU7 · Small charity, income under £100k
Leighton-Linslade U3A is a self-help, self-managed lifelong learning co-operative for older people no longer in full time work, providing opportunities for members to share learning experiences in a wide range of…
Age Concern, Luton
LU1 · Income £100k to £1m
Age Concern Luton provides a wide range of services to meet the different needs of older people and their carers in Luton. This includes home support, gardening service, a visiting scheme, telephone club, home repair…
The St Neots & District U3a
PE19 · Small charity, income under £100k
The advancement of education and, in particular, the education of older people and those who are retired from full time work, by all means including associated activities conducive to learning and personal development,…
Hitchin University of the Third Age
SG17 · Small charity, income under £100k
The advancement of education and, in particular, the education of older people and those who are retired from full time work, by all means including associated activities conducive to learning and personal development.
The University of the Third Age ( Dunstable )
LU6 · Small charity, income under £100k
The advancement of education and in particular the education of older people and those retired from full time work by all means including associated activities conducive to learning and personal development in the area…
Small charities in Central Bedfordshire
Most charities here are small, often a few volunteers doing good work close to home, and few of them can afford to advertise. Each of these has an income under £100,000 a year and has reported its accounts recently.
Partners of Wilshere-dacre Academy
SG5 · Income under £10k
Engaging in activities or providing facilities and equipment which support the School and advance the educational experience of the pupils aged 7 - 11 (School years 3 -6).
Raynham Way Community Centre
LU2 · Small charity, income under £100k
Maintain and manage a community centre.
The Nature Trust (Sandy)
SG19 · Small charity, income under £100k
In promoting it's environmental objects the Charity makes grants to the RSPB, or any organisation such as landfill operators, environmental bodies or other organisations operating within the context of the Landfill…
The Lamplighter International Trust
SG16 · Small charity, income under £100k
The Trust continues its links with Providence Homes Orphanage in Mawatagama, Sri Lanka. There are now sponsors for 31 children, who each contribute up to £20 per month per child. This year the charity repaired a leaking…
The Parents Teachers and Friends of Fowlmere School
SG8 · Income under £10k
Raises funds to further enrich the environment and learning opportunities for the pupils of Fowlmere School.
Meldreth Village Hall Trust
SG8 · Small charity, income under £100k
Meldreth Village Hall provides local, affordable facilities for a wide range of activities supporting all age groups. It offers an excellent venue for key activities such as Babies and Toddlers' Groups, Table Tennis,…
Francis John Clear Almshouses
SG8 · Small charity, income under £100k
Provision of 4 almshouses for single ladies of reduced means, Melbourn, Cambs.
The Barkway Non-ecclesiastical Charities
SG8 · Income under £10k
Help is available in the form of small grants and loans to those in financial need or with unexpected financial burdens in the villages of barkway and nuthampstead. the charity can help individuals with the provision of…
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Get my personal shortlistQuestions people ask
How many charities are there in Central Bedfordshire?
There are 2,557 registered charities based in and around Central Bedfordshire. 1,941 of them (76%) are small, with an income under £100,000 a year. The figures come from the Charity Commission register for England and Wales, last refreshed in June 2026, and count charities by their registered address.
What do charities in Central Bedfordshire work on?
The most common causes are children and young people (891), education (788), and disability (252). We count a charity under a cause when its own description on the register makes that clear, which is true of 1,748 of the 2,557, so the real numbers are higher.
How many people volunteer for charities in Central Bedfordshire?
Local charities in and around Central Bedfordshire have 35,556 volunteers between them. That's what 1,511 charities with an income under £1 million a year told the Charity Commission in their latest annual return. Charities with an income under £10,000 don't have to report it, so the real number is higher.
How do I choose a charity in Central Bedfordshire to support?
Start with what matters to you. Answer a few short questions and we'll pick the few Central Bedfordshire charities that fit you best, with the reasons why. It's free, takes a couple of minutes, and we never ask for any contact details. No charity can pay to appear on your list. Start with your story.
How can I check a charity in Central Bedfordshire is genuine?
Look it up on the Charity Commission register by its name or charity number. Its page there shows what it does, who its trustees are and its latest accounts. Every charity on this page links straight to its register record.
Charities in places nearby
Somewhere else, or closer to your street? Search by postcode.