A year of growing need, greater reach and real change

2025 was a landmark for the BDA Benevolent Fund.

25 February, 2026 / infocus
Will Peakin

2025 was a landmark year for the BDA Benevolent Fund marked, the charity said, by “rising need, powerful stories and an unwavering commitment to supporting the dental community when it matters most.”

The demand for help reached its highest level on record. More dental students,refugee dentists, dentists, and their families than ever before turned to us for financial and wellbeing support as the rising cost of living continued to hit hard across the UK.

“But the real story of 2025 isn’t only about need,” said a spokesperson. “It’s about the difference we made as a dental community supporting one another.”

This year saw significant growth across every area of the charity’s work, allowing it to support more people, from early‑career students to experienced dentists rebuilding their futures.

Some detail:

221 applications for support: our highest ever and a 20% increase on last year.
131 new people applied for financial help (as people apply multiple times across the same year or across different years), with 4 applications processed every week.
There was a notable shift in who we supported: 44% were asylum seekers or refugee dentists, helped back into the profession to begin practising in the UK. 29% were dentists, 25% were dental students, and 1% dependent family members.
Applicants ranged from ages 19 to 60, with an average age of 32 years of age.
Top reasons for requesting support: retraining (i.e. qualifying in the UK), cash‑flow challenges, money‑management struggles.
Busiest months: July, September, October and November.

The charity’s visibility and engagement grew dramatically:

Website visits jumped 38%, which is well above the previous year’s 27% rise.
137,000 emails shared vital information, resources and support opportunities.
Social media delivered our biggest increase yet: 19% growth, 769 posts, 156,570 impressions (+342%), 8,142 engagements (+122%).