Charities in Colchester
There are 859 registered charities based in and around Colchester. 626 of them (73%) are small, with an income under £100,000 a year. The most common causes are children and young people, education, and the arts and heritage.
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What they work on
- Children and young people259
- Education223
- Arts and heritage114
- Disability97
- Older people63
- Poverty and hardship56
- Environment37
- Mental health17
We count a charity under a cause when its description on the register makes it clear, which is true of 572 of the 859. Charities are placed by their registered address, so the numbers include some national charities with an office here. Volunteers are as reported by the 536 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 Colchester
5 of the 259 we found.
Colchester Youth Arts Partnership
CO4 · Income under £10k
To provide young people in the colchester area with the opportunity to take part in a wide range of arts activities.
Colchester Children's Charity Appeal
CO2 · Small charity, income under £100k
A grant giving body for the relief of sickness and disability for children in the colchester area who are suffering from sickness, disability or terminal illness in any such way as the trustees may from time to time…
Colchester Korban Project
CO4 · Income £100k to £1m
Providing young people aged 16-25 with a home and support to overcome homelessness in Colchester. Helping them realise their potential and thrive, by providing accommodation, resources, holistic support and guidance…
5th Colchester Air Scout Group
CO2 · Small charity, income under £100k
Provision of scouting activites to young people
Colchester North District Scout Council
CO8 · Income £100k to £1m
The aim of the Scout Association is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical,intellectual, social and spiritual potential, as individuals,as responsible citizens and as members of…
Education charities in Colchester
5 of the 223 we found.
Colchester Royal Grammar School Association
CO3 · Small charity, income under £100k
CRGSA exists to support the activities of Colchester Royal Grammar School and to provide additional funds. The Committee is made up of parents of existing pupils, past pupils and staff.
The Colchester County High School for Girls, School Fund
CO3 · Small charity, income under £100k
The majority of the Fund's income is provided by parents of students at the School and the Trustees are grateful for their continuing support. Additional income is received from local businesses and other organisations…
Colchester County High School for Girls Ptfa
CO3 · Small charity, income under £100k
To provide grants for additional resources for the pupils of Colchester High School for Girls.
Humpty Dumpty Pre-school (Colchester)
CO4 · Income £100k to £1m
The object of the charity is to enhance the development of education of children understatutory school age by encouraging parents to understand and provide for the needs of theirchildren through community groups.The…
Layer De La Haye Pre-school Learning Alliance (Colchester)
CO2 · Income £100k to £1m
Pre-school offering full day care for children aged 2-5 years
Arts and heritage charities in Colchester
5 of the 114 we found.
The Colchester Symphony Orchestra Trust
CO6 · Small charity, income under £100k
Sustaining the CSO, largely made up of local musicians. Presenting public concerts to enhance the cultural life of Colchester. Providing an opportunity for local adult musicians, in a wide age range, to participate in…
Colchester Museums Development Foundation
CO3 · Small charity, income under £100k
Colchester Museums Development Foundation supports Colchester Museums to inspire and enrich the local community, through the preservation, exploration, and sharing of the town's heritage. The Foundation raises funds…
Colchester New Theatre Trust
CO3 · Income under £10k
Financial assistance to one specific theatre.
Friends of Colchester Museums and Art Galleries
CO2 · Small charity, income under £100k
To support the operation of the Colchester Museums and to enhance it's collections.
Colchester Operatic Society
CO1 · Income £100k to £1m
We're an amateur musical theatre company (consisting of members from 11 years & over) that produce shows & concerts in Colchester for the general public. Membership is open to all aged 16yrs plus & 11-24 yrs for our…
Disability charities in Colchester
5 of the 97 we found.
Phoenix Homes Colchester
CO3 · Income £100k to £1m
Our mission is the relief of hardship and the protection of persons with mental health issues or mild learning disabilities, through the provision of supported housing accommodation.We provide residents with an…
Colchester Gateway Clubs
CO3 · Income £100k to £1m
Colchester Gateway Clubs provides social clubs and activities for adults with learning disabilities. Our activities include craft, art, socialising, drama, music, dance, disco, trips, weekends away. We also provide an…
Colchester Phoenix Amateur Swimming Club
CO1 · Small charity, income under £100k
The objects shall be the relief of people with physical or learning disabilities by the teaching, development and practice of swimming and other water based activities for its members and shall, where appropriate, be to…
The Colchester and District Talking Newspaper
CO4 · Small charity, income under £100k
Provide weekly audio cassette tapes of local news free of charge for the blind and visually impaired.
North Colchester Men's Shed
CO4 · Small charity, income under £100k
We provide premises containing a full range of wood working machinery, supervision and training to enable members to work together to make and repair articles in wood. It also arranges visits to places of interest and…
Charities for older people in Colchester
5 of the 63 we found.
Colchester U3a
CO3 · Small charity, income under £100k
U3A is an international organisation for the retired and others with time to devote to learning and teaching. People gain valuable knowledge through life's experiences which they can pass on to others by means of shared…
Winnocks and Kendalls Almshouse Charity
CO6 · Income £100k to £1m
Provision of almshouses for older people of Colchester.
E.w.king Elderly Poor, Sick & Blind Fund
CO6 · Income under £10k
Financial aid to elderly poor, sick and blind people living in Coggeshall. This aid usually takes the form of a small gift of money at Christmas time. Occasaionaly small amounts of money are also granted to people, who…
Greenstead Evangelical Free Church
CO4 · Income £100k to £1m
The Church meets every Sunday to worship God and proclaim His Word, and on a Wednesday evening for Bible study and prayer. A weekly parents and toddlers group ("Little Fishies") and groups for children are held during…
The Rettendon Almshouse Charity
CO6 · Small charity, income under £100k
Provision of affordable housing in the form of Almshouses to residents of Rettendon.
Poverty and hardship charities in Colchester
5 of the 56 we found.
Colchester Cma Debt Centre
CO2 · Small charity, income under £100k
The relief of poverty through debt counselling, money advice, job clubs and other related activities in the Colchester, Essex area.
Here for Good Colchester
CO3 · Income under £10k
Providing a range of services which meet the needs of the people in Colchester. These activities are:1) Precious Bundles: offering free, good condition clothes and essentials for children aged 0-5 years old2) Kingsland…
Colchester Foodbank
CO3 · Income £100k to £1m
Colchester Foodbank seeks to address food poverty in the local area by giving food parcels to clients who have been issued with a voucher from a professional agency. In addition, we seek to make available signposting…
Colchester Engagement & Next Steps Ltd
CO3 · Income £100k to £1m
Colchester Emergency Night Shelter provides short-term emergency accommodation and meals to single homeless persons, normally for up to 28 days. During their stay, staff work intensively with residents to ensure that…
Home-start Colchester, Jaywick & Clacton
CO4 · Income £100k to £1m
Home-Start Colchester Jaywick and Clacton makes a real difference to the lives of children 0 - 14 years and their parents. We do this by offering bespoke family support to respond to requests for help. We invest in…
Small charities in Colchester
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.
Friends of Copford Church
CO6 · Income under £10k
To conserve, maintain, conserve, repair and improve the fabric, fittings, furnishings, wall paintings and churchyard of St Michael & All Angels (a grade 1 listed building) in Copford, Essex, for public worship and for…
Parsons Heath Ptfa
CO4 · Income under £10k
We are a PTFA that raises funds solely for the use of the pupils and school community at Parsons Heath CofE (VC) Primary School. All monies raised is used to enhance the education and wellbeing of the children and…
The Association of Friends of St Nicholas School
CM9 · Small charity, income under £100k
Fund raising for school
Maldon Museum in the Park
CM9 · Income under £10k
To advance the education of the public in the history of Maldon and the local district byproviding and maintaining a museum and by protecting, conserving and displayingartefacts and items from the collections held by…
Aoife's Bubbles Charity
CO7 · Small charity, income under £100k
The UKs only childhood cancer charity dedicated to raising awareness of germ cell cancer in children alongside providing mental health and emotional support to families affected by childhood cancer, childhood cancer…
East Donyland Community Association - Rowhedge - Colchester
CO5 · Small charity, income under £100k
To maintain the village hall for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Parish of East Donyland
The Foundation for Healthcare
CO7 · Small charity, income under £100k
The object of the CIO is to relieve sickness and to preserve the health of people residing in Pakistanthrough the prevention and cure of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in particular but not exclusively by makinggrants to…
Fordham Village Hall Management Committee
CO6 · Income under £10k
The village hall is managed by the committee for the use of the inhabitants of the Parish of Fordham Essex, without distinction of political, religious or other opinions. The use includes use for meetings, lectures and…
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Tell us a little about what matters to you, and we'll pick the few local charities that really fit, with the reasons why. We never ask for any personal details.
Get my personal shortlistQuestions people ask
How many charities are there in Colchester?
There are 859 registered charities based in and around Colchester. 626 of them (73%) 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 Colchester work on?
The most common causes are children and young people (259), education (223), and the arts and heritage (114). We count a charity under a cause when its own description on the register makes that clear, which is true of 572 of the 859, so the real numbers are higher.
How many people volunteer for charities in Colchester?
Local charities in and around Colchester have 9,383 volunteers between them. That's what 536 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 Colchester to support?
Start with what matters to you. Answer a few short questions and we'll pick the few Colchester 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 Colchester 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.