Animals · Reg 1097940
Rating for ACTION FOR CHILDREN
82/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Good
Donate
Give to ACTION FOR CHILDREN
You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official ACTION FOR CHILDREN form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form.
Mission
ACTION FOR CHILDREN is a registered UK charity (1097940) working in animals 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: ACTION FOR CHILDREN scores 82 out of 100 (3 stars). 96% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.
Overview
ACTION FOR CHILDREN has a Clarity Score of 82 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1097940. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Animals. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £145m, with 96% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 1 months of operating costs. 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
82/100
3★ · Good
Cause spend
96%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
100/100
Finance beacon
Income
£145m
Latest year 2021
Reserves
1 mo
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
On time
Charity Commission
£22.8 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 5% 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.
100/100
| 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% | 12 trustees · 15/15 pts |
| Declared policies Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return. | 100% | 10/10 pts |
Financial Health
Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.
73/100
| 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% | 25% · 5/5 pts |
Financial Efficiency
How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.
100/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Program expense ratio ≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts. | 100% | 96% · 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% | 4p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) |
Community Support
Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.
0/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer-to-staff ratio More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts. | 0% | 475 volunteers / 4395 staff · 0/10 pts |
Clarity Score
82/100 total · Good · 3 of 4 stars
Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.
Accountability & Transparency
Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.
100/100
Financial Health
Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.
73/100
Financial Efficiency
How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.
100/100
Community Support
Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.
0/100
Revenue & expenses
Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
|---|---|---|
| Total income | £145m | — |
| Total expenditure | £139m | — |
| Charitable activities | £134m | 96% |
| Fundraising | £5.4m | 4% |
| Governance & admin | £746k | 1% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2021) · £139m spent
- Charitable activities96% · £134m
- Fundraising4% · £5.4m
- Governance1% · £746k
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)
12 trustees on the Charity Commission register
-
Workforce on register
4395 employees · 475 volunteers (0:1 volunteer-to-staff)
Fundraising Regulator
Not listed as member
Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.
Check Fundraising Regulator →Official register
Reg 1097940
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →Trustees & officers
- Sarika Patel Chair · since 2019
- Enda Michael Johnson since 2020
- Rev Michael John Adrian Long since 2020
- Steven David Bell since 2020
- Peter Thomas Curran since 2021
- Lynne Ann Atkin since 2022
- Charles Nairn Geekie KC since 2023
- Navin Kaul since 2024
- Anthony Hunter since 2026
- Elizabeth Bell since 2026
- Richard Eastmond since 2026
- Robert Fleming 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.
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
- Income
- Spending
- Cause spend
Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts
Key facts
- Overall score
- 82/100 (3★)
- Income
- £145m
- Cause spend
- 96% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 1097940
- Scope
- UK-wide
- Reserves
- 1 months
- Trustees
- 12
- Accounts year
- 2021
- Filing
- up to date
Compare & explore
Similar animals charities
Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score
- ELIM FOURSQUARE GOSPEL ALLIANCE 100/100 · £66m
- ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE 100/100 · £36m
- Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 95/100 · £143m
- Dogs Trust 95/100 · £128m
Export profile
Opens a printer-friendly view of this profile for ACTION FOR CHILDREN.
For this charity
Show your score on your website
Embed your independent Clarity score — free to use with a link back to your profile and our methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about ACTION FOR CHILDREN's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is ACTION FOR CHILDREN's charity rating? +
ACTION FOR CHILDREN scores 82 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Good). 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 ACTION FOR CHILDREN a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — ACTION FOR CHILDREN is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1097940. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is ACTION FOR CHILDREN's Charity Commission registration number? +
ACTION FOR CHILDREN's registration number is 1097940. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1097940
How much income does ACTION FOR CHILDREN receive? +
ACTION FOR CHILDREN reported £145m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.
What percentage of ACTION FOR CHILDREN's spending goes to charitable activities? +
Approximately 96% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 4% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 5%.
Are ACTION FOR CHILDREN'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 ACTION FOR CHILDREN based? +
ACTION FOR CHILDREN is listed at London · UK-wide · WD18 8AG and operates UK-wide, focused on animals.
How does CharityCompare score ACTION FOR CHILDREN? +
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 ACTION FOR CHILDREN? +
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 ACTION FOR CHILDREN with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put ACTION FOR CHILDREN side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.