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Rating for THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST

69/100 Clarity Score · 2 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

69/100

Clarity score

Needs improvement

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London · UK-wide · SW1A 1BQ Reg 1016972 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST is a registered UK charity (1016972) working in children & youth across the United Kingdom. CharityCompare scores the organisation from public Charity Commission annual accounts — financial efficiency, transparency, and filing compliance — not programme outcomes.

In short: THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST scores 69 out of 100 (2 stars). 65% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.

Overview

THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST has a Clarity Score of 69 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1016972. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £6.9m, with 65% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 1 months of operating costs. 1 filing concern(s) noted on this profile. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation.

Data from Charity Commission register, last updated .

Overall score

69/100

2★ · Needs improvement

Cause spend

65%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

93/100

Finance beacon

Income

£6.9m

Latest year 2021

Reserves

1 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£3.7 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 32% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2021
Filing date
2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
Profile reviewed
2026-06-24

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons require information beyond public filings.

Beacon report

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from Charity Commission filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report.

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

93/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST
Metric Score Value
Filing history (5 years)

100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts.

100% 15/15 pts
Trustee oversight

Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts · one or two = 0 pts (governance red flag).

100% 11 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies

Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return.

70% 7/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

73/100

Financial Health metrics for THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of cash)

3–24 months = 15 pts · 1–3 months = 7 pts · under 1 month or over 3 years (hoarding) = 0 pts.

47% 1 months · 7/15 pts
Income stability / growth

Positive or stable three-year revenue trend = 10 pts · sustained decline = 0 pts.

100% 10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

Low debt (< 30% liabilities to assets) = 5 pts · high debt = 0 pts.

100% 13% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

50/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts.

50% 65% · 5/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

Spends ≤ £0.20 to raise £1 = 10 pts · £0.21–£0.35 = 5 pts · above £0.35 = 0 pts (fundraising cost ÷ income).

50% 27p per £1 income · 5/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

0/100

Community Support metrics for THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts.

0% Not reported · 0/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

69/100 total · Needs improvement · 2 of 4 stars

Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.

93/100
Accountability & Transparency
73/100
Financial Health
50/100
Financial Efficiency
0/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

93/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts
Trustee oversight11 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies7/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

73/100

Reserves (months of cash)1 months · 7/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets13% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

50/100

Program expense ratio65% · 5/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency27p per £1 income · 5/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

0/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratioNot reported · 0/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST revenue and expenses for 2021
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £6.9m
Total expenditure £43m
Charitable activities £34m 79%
Fundraising £8.6m 20%
Governance & admin £284k 1%
79%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2021) · £43m spent

  • Charitable activities79%
  • Fundraising20%
  • Governance1%
  • Other spending1%

Trust indicators

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    11 trustees on the Charity Commission register

Fundraising Regulator

Status not yet checked

Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 1016972

Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • VICE ADMIRAL CHARLES ANTHONY JOHNSTONE-BURT CB OBE DL since 2017
  • Dr ANNA JULIA KEAY since 2018
  • Marc Jan Bolland since 2017
  • Sir Brian Ivory since 2021
  • Dr Tonya Nelson since 2022
  • Monisha Shah since 2022
  • The Rt. Hon. Sir Clive Alderton KCVO since 2022
  • Sir Nicholas Bacon Bt KCVO since 2024
  • The Right Honourable Lord Richard Benyon since 2024
  • James Chalmers since 2025
  • James Lambert since 2026
How we score charities +

The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK Charity Commission data. Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

Full methodology →

Accountability & Transparency

Scored from filings

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15), declared policies (10).

Financial Health

Scored from filings

30 points — reserves (15), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5).

Financial Efficiency

Scored from filings

20 points — program expense ratio (10), fundraising efficiency (10). Kept at 20% to avoid punishing legitimate infrastructure costs.

Community Support

Scored from filings

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data.

Overall score

Sum of all pillar points. Translated to stars: 90–100 Exceptional (4★), 75–89 Good (3★), 60–74 Needs improvement (2★), below 60 Poor (1★).

Five-year trends

£0k £22500k £45000k £67500k £90000k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £6,877k Spending 2021: £43,191k Cause spend 2021: £33,960k Income 2022: £24,043k Spending 2022: £39,053k Cause spend 2022: £26,734k Income 2023: £61,894k Spending 2023: £53,930k Cause spend 2023: £32,347k Income 2024: £84,343k Spending 2024: £72,158k Cause spend 2024: £47,107k Income 2025: £89,934k Spending 2025: £76,010k Cause spend 2025: £53,948k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
69/100 (2★)
Income
£6.9m
Cause spend
65% of expenditure
Reg number
1016972
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
1 months
Trustees
11
Accounts year
2021
Filing
up to date

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Red flags

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST's charity rating? +

THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST scores 69 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars — Needs improvement). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from Charity Commission filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10).

Is THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1016972. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST's Charity Commission registration number? +

THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST's registration number is 1016972. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1016972

How much income does THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST receive? +

THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST reported £6.9m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 65% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 32% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 32%.

Are THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST's accounts up to date? +

Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST based? +

THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST is listed at London · UK-wide · SW1A 1BQ and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.

How does CharityCompare score THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST? +

We analyse Charity Commission annual accounts using three-year averages for program expense, fundraising efficiency, and overhead; working capital from reserves vs average expenditure; liabilities-to-assets from the latest balance sheet when available. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons are not yet assessed from public data alone. See our methodology for weights and thresholds.

Does CharityCompare recommend donating to THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST? +

No. CharityCompare provides independent scores and facts from official filings. We do not tell you where to donate or earn commission from charities.

How can I compare THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.