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Rating for THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND

67/100 Clarity Score · 2 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

67/100

Clarity score

Needs improvement

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Manchester · UK-wide · M1 1FN Reg 1036733 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND is a registered UK charity (1036733) working in human rights 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 ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND scores 67 out of 100 (2 stars). 100% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.

Overview

THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND has a Clarity Score of 67 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1036733. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Human rights. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £1489m, with 100% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. No major red flags from our filing review. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation.

Data from Charity Commission register, last updated .

Overall score

67/100

2★ · Needs improvement

Cause spend

100%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

93/100

Finance beacon

Income

£1489m

Latest year 2021

Reserves

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

Fundraising efficiency not stated · 49% 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 ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND
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% 16 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.

33/100

Financial Health metrics for THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND
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.

0% Not stated · 0/15 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.

0% 111% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

100% 100% · 10/10 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).

100% 0p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

0/100

Community Support metrics for THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND
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

67/100 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
33/100
Financial Health
100/100
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 oversight16 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies7/10 pts

Financial Health

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

33/100

Reserves (months of cash)Not stated · 0/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets111% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio100% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency0p per £1 income · 10/10 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 ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND revenue and expenses for 2021
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £1489m
Total expenditure £1420m
Charitable activities £1420m 100%
Governance & admin £57m 4%
100%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2021) · £1420m spent

  • Charitable activities100%
  • Governance4%

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)

    16 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 1036733

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • SIR NICHOLAS ANDREW SEROTA Chair · since 2017
  • HELEN JUDITH BIRCHENOUGH since 2018
  • David Bryan CBE since 2023
  • William Bush since 2022
  • Deborah Shaw since 2022
  • YolanDa Brown OBE DL since 2022
  • Abigail Pogson since 2022
  • Annabel Turpin since 2023
  • Sally Shaw MBE since 2023
  • Jonathan Douglas CBE since 2025
  • Pawlet Brookes MBE since 2025
  • Jo Verrent MBE since 2025
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 £372200k £744400k £1116600k £1488800k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £1,488,506k Spending 2021: £1,419,616k Cause spend 2021: £1,419,616k Income 2022: £941,845k Spending 2022: £952,650k Cause spend 2022: £952,650k Income 2023: £795,710k Spending 2023: £989,631k Cause spend 2023: £989,631k Income 2024: £803,065k Spending 2024: £756,289k Cause spend 2024: £756,289k Income 2025: £843,063k Spending 2025: £731,085k Cause spend 2025: £731,085k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
67/100 (2★)
Income
£1489m
Cause spend
100% of expenditure
Reg number
1036733
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
Trustees
16
Accounts year
2021
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND's charity rating? +

THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND scores 67 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 ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1036733. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND's Charity Commission registration number? +

THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND's registration number is 1036733. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1036733

How much income does THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND receive? +

THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND reported £1489m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: growing.

What percentage of THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 100% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 0% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 49%.

Are THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND'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 ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND based? +

THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND is listed at Manchester · UK-wide · M1 1FN and operates UK-wide, focused on human rights.

How does CharityCompare score THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND? +

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 ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND? +

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 ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.