Disability · Reg 1098874
Rating for THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE
80/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Good
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Mission
THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE is a registered UK charity (1098874) working in disability 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 AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE scores 80 out of 100 (3 stars). 34% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.
Overview
THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE has a Clarity Score of 80 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1098874. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Disability. Latest accounts year 2020: total income £25m, with 34% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 7 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
80/100
3★ · Good
Cause spend
34%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
100/100
Finance beacon
Income
£25m
Latest year 2020
Reserves
7 mo
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
On time
Charity Commission
£1.7 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 66% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high
Data & confidence
- Source
- Charity Commission (E&W)
- Accounts year
- 2020
- 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% | 8 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.
100/100
| 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. | 100% | 7 months · 15/15 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% | 6% · 5/5 pts |
Financial Efficiency
How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.
0/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Program expense ratio ≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts. | 0% | 34% · 0/10 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). | 0% | 60p per £1 income · 0/10 pts (3-year average) |
Community Support
Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.
100/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer-to-staff ratio More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts. | 100% | 1,395 volunteers / 469 staff · 10/10 pts |
Clarity Score
80/100 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.
100/100
Financial Efficiency
How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.
0/100
Community Support
Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.
100/100
Revenue & expenses
Latest filed year 2020 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
|---|---|---|
| Total income | £25m | — |
| Total expenditure | £23m | — |
| Charitable activities | £8.8m | 38% |
| Fundraising | £14m | 62% |
| Governance & admin | £50k | 0% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2020) · £23m spent
- Charitable activities38% · £8.8m
- Fundraising62% · £14m
- Governance0% · £50k
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)
8 trustees on the Charity Commission register
-
Workforce on register
469 employees · 1,395 volunteers (3:1 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 1098874
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →Trustees & officers
- Professor Robert Allison CBE since 2022
- JOHN CHARLES ROGER TENNENT since 2022
- Phill Wells since 2022
- Sarah Baumann since 2022
- Christina Sheppard since 2022
- Andrew Hoyle since 2022
- Anthony Fradgley since 2023
- Joanna Walmsley since 2023
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
- 80/100 (3★)
- Income
- £25m
- Cause spend
- 34% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 1098874
- Scope
- UK-wide
- Reserves
- 7 months
- Trustees
- 8
- Accounts year
- 2020
- Filing
- up to date
Compare & explore
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Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score
- ELIM FOURSQUARE GOSPEL ALLIANCE 100/100 · £66m
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- THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS 97/100 · £37m
- AMANAT CHARITY TRUST 95/100 · £47m
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Red flags
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE's charity rating? +
THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE scores 80 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 THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1098874. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE's Charity Commission registration number? +
THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE's registration number is 1098874. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1098874
How much income does THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE receive? +
THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE reported £25m total income in its 2020 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.
What percentage of THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE's spending goes to charitable activities? +
Approximately 34% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 66% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 66%.
Are THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE'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 AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE based? +
THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE is listed at Coventry · UK-wide · CV21 3RQ and operates UK-wide, focused on disability.
How does CharityCompare score THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE? +
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 AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE? +
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 AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.