Income at St John Ambulance decreased by £5m, mainly due to the sale of a “prime property” in the previous year, latest figures show.
The charity recorded an income of £101.8m according to its latest accounts, for the year to the end of December 2025, down from £106.8m previously.
Income from charitable activities fell by £1.8m to £79.5m in 2025 but the charity’s fundraising income increased by 11 per cent to £16.7m.
St John Ambulance had a net gain of £3.5m from asset disposals in 2025 compared with £7.8m in 2024, which included the disposal of a “prime property” in central London.
“The end of the NHS England ambulance auxiliary contract in June 2025 has had a significant impact on our charitable activity, contributing to a reduction in urgent and emergency care income of £2.6m (17 per cent) to £13.1m (2024: £15.7m),” the accounts say.
Legacy income at St John Ambulance increased to £5m in 2025 compared with £4m in 2024, mainly due to a £3.1m endowment, the accounts show.
Total costs at the charity decreased to £100.3m in 2025, a 5.1 per cent reduction compared with 2024.
Charitable activities expenditure reduced to £89.8m compared with £97.2m previously as the charity “[continues] to unlock efficiencies”.
Costs of generating fundraising income at St John Ambulance were £10.5m in 2025, an increase of 21 per cent on the £8.6m figure recorded in 2024.
These costs reflect the “increased investment needed in fundraising to support longer-term income growth” the accounts say.
Direct fundraising costs were £6.6m, up from £5.9m in 2024, and St John Ambulance recorded £2.5m in shared and support costs, and depreciation in 2025, up from £1.7m, previously.
St John Ambulance had a monthly average number of 1,290 staff in 2025 compared with 1,418 in 2024.
“In addition to the lower estate costs, our staff costs reduced by £0.9m (from £46.6m in 2024 to £45.7m in 2025) following the move to a volunteer-led NHSE auxiliary service in Urgent and Emergency Care part way through 2024 and ongoing operational efficiencies to maximise the contribution from our charitable activity,” the accounts say.
“The cost of volunteering increased by £1.8m to £9.8m (2024: £8m) due to investment in new county leadership and support structures and an increase in new volunteer recruitment.”