Rethink Mental Illness - Funding

Funding

Rethink Mental Illness has an annual income of over £54 million. According to its annual report and financial statements for 2010–2011, the vast majority of the funding, over £46 million, is from the UK government ("statutory" sources including local governmental health and social care bodies).

Some of Rethink's research that it uses to guide its campaigns, services and service users has been funded in partnership with pharmaceutical companies. The 2011 annual report and financial statements mention Astra Zeneca and Lundbeck as supporters or partners, and funding from other pharmaceutical companies in previous years is acknowledged on the charity's website. The charity reported total funding of £235,000 from six pharmaceutical companies and further gifts in kind from three in 2006–2007, and £110,000 in 2008–2009. Rethink informed a government committee in 2004 that it works in partnership with pharmaceutical companies and industry bodies and that, in addition to donations, it has for many years accepted pharmaceutical sponsorship of its publications, events and local projects. The then chief executive stated that all sources of funding come with bias and strings attached, that pharmaceutical funding is only a small minority of overall income, and that government funding is the top source of undue and improper influence on organisations. Rethink publishes its policy on sponsorship which states that pharaceutical sponsorship should not exceed 1% of turnover; in the accounts cited above, it was well below this level.