OSCR Scottish charity profile

Thistle Foundation

ActiveCharity number SC016816
Registered16 November 1976
Main locationCity of Edinburgh
Legal formCompany (the charity is registered with Companies House)

01 Identity

Scottish charity record

Snapshot 25 August 2026
OSCR charity number
SC016816
Status
Active
Regulatory type
Standard
Designated religious body
No
Geographical spread
More than one local authority area in Scotland
Volunteers
0 volunteers
Staff
375
Postcode
EH16 4EA

02 Purpose and work

What the charity exists to do

Thistle Foundation provides a range of person-centred health and wellbeing services and activities in Scotland for disabled people and people living with long-term health conditions. Thistle works in partnership with local authorities, the NHS, other third sector organisations, the people we support and their families, to build capacity, resilience, and coping skills, that support people to lead good lives and achieve what matters most to them.

Charitable purposes

  • the advancement of education
  • the advancement of health
  • the advancement of citizenship or community development
  • the provision of recreational facilities, or the organisation of recreational activities, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the persons for whom the facilities or activities are primarily intended
  • the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage

Beneficiaries

  • People with disabilities or health problems

Activities

  • It makes grants, donations or gifts to organisations
  • It carries out activities or services itself

Constitutional objectives

The company's objects are:- 1 To relieve those who are in need, of all ages, by reason of disability, long term health condition, poverty or other disadvantage through providing support with the aim of assisting such individuals to lead fulfilled lives over which they have control. 2 To advance health including the prevention or relief of ill health, disabilities and/or long term conditions. 3 To advance education, training and research in the development of individual capacities , skills and understanding as these relate to living with or providing care and support for people with disabilities or health conditions . 4 To provide recreational facilities and organise recreational activities with the object of improving the conditions of life of individuals who are in need by reason of disability, long term health condition, poverty or other disadvantage. 5 To advance citizenship and community development with a view to:- 5.1 individuals who are disabled or who have a long term health condition playing a full part in civic life and making a contribution to society. 5.2 communities developing capacity to foster, and benefit from, the contribution of people with disabilities or long term health conditions. 6 To promote equality and diversity. 7 To promote, establish, operate and/or support other similar schemes and projects which further charitable purposes.

03 Annual returns

Income and expenditure history

5 periods
Year endTotal incomeDonationsCharitable activities incomeTrading incomeInvestment incomeOther incomeTotal expenditureRaising fundsCharitable activities spendingOther spendingStaffReturn received
31 March 2025£8,506,947£0£8,345,977£0£69,286£91,684£8,758,054£13,615£8,701,972£42,46737524 December 2025
31 March 2024£7,421,163£0£7,318,462£0£102,701£0£8,109,163£13,993£8,095,170£037520 December 2024
31 March 2023£6,479,473£0£6,369,247£0£110,226£0£8,263,255£22,050£8,241,205£037522 December 2023
31 March 2022£5,893,060£0£5,759,893£0£133,167£0£7,236,360£28,352£7,208,008£037516 December 2022
31 March 2021£6,139,495£70,000£5,920,399£0£149,096£0£6,126,781£27,845£6,098,936£037523 December 2021

Figures are those reported by the charity and supplied in the OSCR bulk download. Blank facts remain distinct from zero.

04 Contact record

Principal office or trustees address

Address supplied to OSCR
13 Queen's Walk, Edinburgh
Website supplied to OSCR
www.thistle.org.uk
Parent charity
Not supplied

No direct external links on this profile. The official OSCR record and source documentation are available through BritDB’s dedicated source page.

05 Provenance

Source for this profile

© Crown Copyright and database right 2026. Contains information from the Scottish Charity Register supplied by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. BritDB is an independent service and does not claim to be the Scottish Charity Register.