UNITED PURPOSE
Formerly known as Concern Universal, the organisation operates as an international development charity and wholly owned subsidiary of Self Help Africa CLG, focusing on alleviating poverty, hunger, and social inequality across sub-Saharan Africa, Bangladesh, and Brazil.
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Cash
£984k
+2.2% vs 2024
Net assets
-£1.1m
+25.4% vs 2024
Employees
94
-69.7% lowest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
—
Period ending 2025-12-31
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
Negative shareholders' funds
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Health Care median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total income | £12,108,729 | £4,884,450 | £3,777,039 | -22.7% | |
| Operating profit | — | — | — | — | |
| Profit before tax | — | — | — | — | |
| Net profit | -£1,723,109 | -£3,542,386 | £378,471 | +110.7% | |
| Cash | £2,979,388 | £962,510 | £984,123 | +2.2% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £2,967,845 | -£1,489,416 | -£1,110,945 | +25.4% | |
| Net assets | £2,052,970 | -£1,489,416 | -£1,110,945 | +25.4% | |
| Equity | £2,052,970 | — | -£1,110,945 | — | |
| Average employees | 401 | 310 | 94 | -69.7% | |
| Wages | £3,195,350 | £1,895,708 | £1,445,008 | -23.8% | |
| Directors' remuneration | — | — | — | — |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | -14.2% | -72.5% | 10.0% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 70.6% | 227.8% | 200.3% | |
| Current ratio | 1.65x | 0.41x | 0.47x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Name history
Renamed 2 times since incorporation
- UNITED PURPOSE 2016-11-10 → present
- UNITED PURPOSE LTD 2016-10-21 → 2016-11-10
- CONCERN UNIVERSAL 1976-09-27 → 2016-10-21
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Consolidated group
- Auditor
- RBK Audit UK Limited
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“Therefore, the Trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the annual Financial Statements. The Trustees believe that there is no material uncertainty about United Purpose’s ability to continue as a going concern.”
Group structure
- UNITED PURPOSE · parent
- Village Aid
Significant events
- “On 31 March 2025, Village Aid transferred their registration to Self Help Africa UK. The net assets of Village Aid on the 31 March 2025 were treated as gifts in kind transfer in the Financial Statements of the Charity.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
5 active · 54 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AKPAN, Augustine Emmanuel | Secretary | 2024-05-16 | — | — |
| HUSANI, Hadi | Director | 2016-01-07 | Oct 1975 | Canadian |
| MEAGHER, Geoff | Director | 2023-02-28 | Aug 1949 | Irish |
| OWENS, Dervla | Director | 2021-12-08 | May 1978 | Irish |
| ROBINSON, Mary Benita | Director | 2018-06-25 | Dec 1955 | British |
Show 54 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEAL, Tracey | Secretary | 2005-09-26 | 2007-05-21 |
| MCDEVITT, Peter Raymond | Secretary | 2022-05-24 | 2022-12-14 |
| OFOKANSI, Obiechina | Secretary | 2017-02-25 | 2019-06-18 |
| SHIRLEY, Rachel Kathleen | Secretary | — | 2005-09-26 |
| THOMAS, Melissa Jayne | Secretary | 2022-12-14 | 2024-05-16 |
| WHITE, Blaise Alexander | Secretary | 2011-10-08 | 2017-03-31 |
| ARDEN, Donald Seymour, Right Reverend | Director | 1995-09-04 | 2006-02-09 |
| ATFIELD, Peter John | Director | 2018-06-25 | 2021-08-04 |
| AYRES, Peter | Director | 2008-07-05 | 2021-08-04 |
| BARLOW, Susan Ann | Director | 2009-11-28 | 2014-10-21 |
| BISHOP, Daniel Charles | Director | 1998-07-18 | 2012-03-03 |
| BRIGGS, Ceri Suzanne | Director | 2018-03-27 | 2020-05-17 |
| BRIGGS, Ceri Suzanne | Director | 2017-05-18 | 2018-02-14 |
| BRIGGS, Nicholas Howard | Director | 2014-09-27 | 2016-04-25 |
| BULL CBE, David Neill | Director | 2016-11-26 | 2021-08-04 |
| BYRNE, Tony | Director | 1999-05-22 | 2001-10-16 |
| CHESHIRE, Leonard | Director | — | 1992-08-01 |
| COLLIE, Rosemary Jane | Director | 2006-09-23 | 2010-06-26 |
| COTTRELL, Catherine Anne | Director | 2020-06-22 | 2024-07-24 |
| DAVIDSON, Martin Stuart | Director | 2016-09-24 | 2021-08-04 |
| DAVIES, Alan | Director | 2014-06-28 | 2018-06-30 |
| DEAL, Tracey | Director | 2004-06-05 | 2009-11-27 |
| DIBBA-WADDA, Oley Lucretia Clara | Director | 2009-11-28 | 2011-11-13 |
| FITZGIBBON, Catherine Anne | Director | 2021-08-13 | 2022-06-30 |
| FOX, Carmel | Director | 2021-08-13 | 2023-02-28 |
| GORMLEY, Michael, Professor | Director | 2021-08-13 | 2022-11-28 |
| HOWARD, Friedenstern | Director | 1990-10-10 | 2006-04-08 |
| HOWE, Sara | Director | 2012-09-22 | 2015-05-26 |
| HUGHES, Josephine, Treasurer | Director | — | 1995-06-08 |
| LAURENTI, Tiziano, Father | Director | 1995-07-04 | 1999-02-20 |
| LENNON, Colm Anthony | Director | 1995-07-31 | 1997-07-22 |
| LLOYD, Michael Antony | Director | 2001-06-02 | 2010-02-12 |
| MARSHALL, Steven | Director | 2016-01-07 | 2020-11-30 |
| MCGEE, Joan Maureen | Director | — | 2009-11-28 |
| MCLEISH, Donald John, Chairman | Director | — | 2005-04-27 |
| MINCHINTON, Rachal Jane | Director | 2020-06-22 | 2020-09-01 |
| MPOKOSA, Chikondi | Director | 2008-07-05 | 2009-10-02 |
| MPOKOSA, Chikondi | Director | 2008-07-05 | 2016-12-01 |
| MUSHET, Nicola Mary | Director | 2004-11-27 | 2018-05-31 |
| ODONOVAN, Jerome Finbarr | Director | 1995-07-31 | 1999-08-24 |
| PHIRI, Macduff | Director | 2011-12-21 | 2013-01-10 |
| PLUMEREL, Joelle | Director | 2010-10-05 | 2013-08-06 |
| POWNER, Michael Gerard | Director | 2002-11-23 | 2006-01-03 |
| PULMAN, Nicola | Director | 2018-06-25 | 2020-03-30 |
| SHERLOCK, Tracey | Director | 2010-11-17 | 2012-02-15 |
| SHIRLEY, Rachel Kathleen | Director | 2005-09-26 | 2009-11-28 |
| TAMUNO, Philip Biodomo Ladele, Dr | Director | 2010-11-17 | 2014-03-24 |
| TAYLOR, Fiona Deirdre | Director | 2010-11-17 | 2012-11-04 |
| TODD, Robin | Director | 2013-12-01 | 2016-11-25 |
| TODD, Robin Edward | Director | 2006-09-23 | 2010-08-01 |
| TUCKER, Benjamin | Director | 2007-11-24 | 2010-01-28 |
| VERNES, Hajnal Ildiko | Director | 2020-06-22 | 2020-11-30 |
| WESTON, Lucy | Director | 2010-08-17 | 2016-08-16 |
| WYNNE, Adam Mark | Director | 2014-09-27 | 2018-03-31 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorta | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors, Appoints directors (as firm) | 2021-08-04 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 233 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-21 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2026-08-14 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2026-08-13 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2026-08-05 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2025-09-30 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2025-08-12 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-04-09 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2024-08-21 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-08-01 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-05-28 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2024-05-28 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2024-04-17 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2024-03-16 | DISS40 | gazette | Gazette filings brought up to date | |
| 2024-03-12 | GAZ1 | gazette | Gazette notice compulsory | |
| 2023-08-17 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-03-22 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-03-22 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-01-04 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2023-01-03 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2023-01-03 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 4
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.