# How many charities? Fifteen thousand fewer

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/02/03/how-many-charities-fifteen-thousand-fewer/
- Published: 2009-02-03T13:51:03+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

How many charities are there? Far more than most people imagine. But while there
are new charities being registered every week, other charities go out of business
or close down. And they do so not just because of the recession. Courtesy of a [Parliamentary question from David Evennett, Conservative MP for Bexleyheath & Crayford](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2009-01-27b.249554.h&m=1408#g249554.q0
),
we now know that 14,787 charities were removed from the [Charity Commission](http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk)‘
s register, which covers England and Wales, for the three years from 2005 to 2008.
In answering the written question, minister for the third sector Kevin Brennan MP
quoted from a letter from Andrew Hind, chief executive of the Charity Commission.
The Commission gave statistics for the removal of charities for four reasons: * 
Ceased to exist or operate due to merger, incorporation or transfer of funds (total
over three years: 4,753) * Ceased to exist or operate for other reasons (total over
three years: 9,305) * Voluntary removal of charities below the minimum registration
threshold (total over three years: 281) * Duplicate registrations and other corrections(
total over three years: 448) So, given new charities were registered during that
period, how many charities does that leave us with in England and Wales? According
to the [Register of Charities](http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/RegisterHomePage.aspx?Language=English),
there are currently 166,081 main charities, and 22,980 subsidiary and group/constituent
charities, making a total of 189,061 charities.

 * **[One third of charities say demand for services has exceeded supply](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/02/04/one-third-charities-say-demand-services-has-exceeded-supply/)**(
   4 February 2009)
 * **[Prince's Trust "wrong to hold joint fundraiser with political body"](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/04/16/prince039s-trust-quotwrong-hold-joint-fundraiser-political-bodyquot/)**(
   16 April 2009)
 * **[Are you working for a 'fake charity'?](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/04/20/are-you-working-039fake-charity039-0/)**(
   20 April 2009)