Armed forces · Reg 1146420
Rating for Army Benevolent Fund
65/100 Clarity Score · 2 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Needs improvement
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Mission
Army Benevolent Fund is a registered UK charity (1146420) working in armed forces 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: Army Benevolent Fund scores 65 out of 100 (2 stars). 59% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.
Overview
Army Benevolent Fund has a Clarity Score of 65 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1146420. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Armed forces. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £12m, with 59% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 81 months of operating costs. 2 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
65/100
2★ · Needs improvement
Cause spend
59%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
100/100
Finance beacon
Income
£12m
Latest year 2021
Reserves
81 mo
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
On time
Charity Commission
£3.4 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 44% 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.
50/100
| 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. | 0% | 81 months · 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. | 100% | 1% · 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% | 59% · 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% | 37p 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% | 1,000 volunteers / 84 staff · 10/10 pts |
Clarity Score
65/100 total · Needs improvement · 2 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.
50/100
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 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
|---|---|---|
| Total income | £12m | — |
| Total expenditure | £12m | — |
| Charitable activities | £8.3m | 67% |
| Fundraising | £4.0m | 33% |
| Governance & admin | £742k | 6% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2021) · £12m spent
- Charitable activities67% · £8.3m
- Fundraising33% · £4.0m
- Governance6% · £742k
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
84 employees · 1,000 volunteers (12:1 volunteer-to-staff)
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 1146420
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →Trustees & officers
- Amanda Metcalfe since 2017
- Anthony Craufurd Scott since 2019
- ROWENA RUTH FELL since 2020
- RACHEL SARAH BOOTH Chair · since 2020
- DAVID CHARLES GEORGE LONDON since 2020
- Julie White since 2023
- Caitlin Murea Hayden since 2024
- Anna Katherine Lucy Sedgley since 2024
- Mark George Culmer since 2024
- John Stephen Miller since 2025
- Maj Gen Jonathan Edward Alexander Chestnutt since 2026
- Brig Clare Patricia Phillips 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
- 65/100 (2★)
- Income
- £12m
- Cause spend
- 59% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 1146420
- Scope
- UK-wide
- Reserves
- 81 months
- Trustees
- 12
- Accounts year
- 2021
- Filing
- up to date
Compare & explore
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Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score
- BFBS 90/100 · £28m
- THE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE 80/100 · £25m
- THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST 57/100 · £44m
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Red flags
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Army Benevolent Fund's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is Army Benevolent Fund's charity rating? +
Army Benevolent Fund scores 65 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 Army Benevolent Fund a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — Army Benevolent Fund is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1146420. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is Army Benevolent Fund's Charity Commission registration number? +
Army Benevolent Fund's registration number is 1146420. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1146420
How much income does Army Benevolent Fund receive? +
Army Benevolent Fund reported £12m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.
What percentage of Army Benevolent Fund's spending goes to charitable activities? +
Approximately 59% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 41% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 44%.
Are Army Benevolent Fund'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 Army Benevolent Fund based? +
Army Benevolent Fund is listed at London · UK-wide · SW1W 9RB and operates UK-wide, focused on armed forces.
How does CharityCompare score Army Benevolent Fund? +
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 Army Benevolent Fund? +
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 Army Benevolent Fund with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put Army Benevolent Fund side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.