Magic Bus UK

Registered charity 1124753 · since 2008magicbusuk.org·Bangladesh, India·Updated 29 October 2026

At a glance

£340k

Annual giving, year to 31 March 2025

From filed accounts

Key takeaways

Magic Bus UK raises money and passes it on to its programmes in India and Bangladesh, which are its stated priorities, so a request fits best if it links to gender equality, education, health or livelihood, to the Livelihood Programme, or to a particular community, city, state or region where Magic Bus operates.
Its giving totals £339,865 in the annual report, but no grant range is stated, so there is no published typical or largest grant to aim at and the request should be sized to the project itself.
No application process is published in the annual report, the register entry or its website, so the practical step is to use the contact shown on its website to ask whether a proposal would fit before writing one.
Any money given is used solely for programme delivery in those countries, as funders stipulate, so frame the request around delivery there.
No exclusions or eligibility conditions are stated, so the questions to settle are fit with its themes and geography.

Overview

Magic Bus UK is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1124753).

Magic Bus UK is a registered charity whose purpose is to relieve poverty, particularly among children and young people, including through mentoring, education and training, employability and livelihood skills, sport and recreation, and advice and information. It aims to equip the world's most disadvantaged young people with the life skills they need to break the cycle of poverty and thrive from childhood to livelihood. It raises funds that support Magic Bus programmes in India and Bangladesh, with £339,865 transferred for projects in those two countries. Magic Bus works with 360,000 children and 5,500 youth mentors in 23 states in India.

What they fund

Priority Areas

Magic Bus UK raises and channels UK philanthropy to programmes in India and Bangladesh, with funds for those geographies used solely for programme delivery as stipulated by funders. Its programme model supports children and young people in underserved communities to complete secondary education, build life skills and prepare for stable employment. It uses sport, play and mentoring alongside education enhancement, employability skills and community engagement. Trusts and foundations can direct support to gender equality, education, health or livelihood, to the Livelihood Programme, or to a programme in a particular community, city, state or region in countries where Magic Bus operates. Its approach is community-led and works with families, schools and communities; programmes are tailored to partner values and connect young people with routes to employment.

Themes

Gender equality
Education
Health
Livelihood

Geographic Focus

Priority: India; Bangladesh.

How to apply

No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

Bangladesh
India

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to Magic Bus UK.

N and R Karnani TrustNo public processGave £401k Training and Research Global Education Trust (TARGET)Invitation onlyGave £117k Narayan Seva Sansthan UKNo public processGave £346k British Asian TrustNo public processGave £4.6M Marr-Munning TrustInvitation onlyGave £531k India Youth FundNo public process The Parivar TrustNo public processGave £446k The Pakhar FoundationNo public processGave £340k Monsoon Accessorize TrustRollingGave £287k The Arisaig Partners FoundationRollingGave £232k

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 March 2021	£424,167	£470,702	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2021
year to 31 March 2022	£522,525	£481,019	£405,094	Accounts for year to 31 March 2022
year to 31 March 2023	£509,092	£514,798	£339,170	Accounts for year to 31 March 2023
year to 31 March 2024	£575,481	£564,203	£370,374	Accounts for year to 31 March 2024
year to 31 March 2025	£494,124	£552,764	£339,865	Accounts for year to 31 March 2025

Income vs grants paid

IncomeGrants paid

Total value each financial year

YE 2022

£405k grants

YE 2023

£339k grants

YE 2024

£370k grants

YE 2025

£340k grants

Grants paid stayed within income across the 4 years shown.

Grants paid, year to 31 March 2022; year to 31 March 2023; year to 31 March 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
Grants paid, year to 31 March 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.