Children & youth · Reg 1156258
Rating for REAL LIFE OPTIONS
77/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Good
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Mission
REAL LIFE OPTIONS is a registered UK charity (1156258) 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: REAL LIFE OPTIONS scores 77 out of 100 (3 stars). 100% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.
Overview
REAL LIFE OPTIONS has a Clarity Score of 77 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1156258. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £45m, with 100% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: late. Reserves: approximately 3 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
77/100
3★ · Good
Cause spend
100%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
68/100
Finance beacon
Income
£45m
Latest year 2021
Reserves
3 mo
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
Late
Check register
Fundraising efficiency not stated · 0% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: medium
Data & confidence
- Source
- Charity Commission (E&W)
- Accounts year
- 2021
- Filing date
- 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
- Profile reviewed
- 2026-06-24
Medium confidence — some data missing or late
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.
68/100
| 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. | 33% | 5/15 pts |
| Trustee oversight Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts · one or two = 0 pts (governance red flag). | 100% | 7 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.
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% | 3 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% | 27% · 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% | 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
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer-to-staff ratio More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts. | 0% | 16 volunteers / 1949 staff · 0/10 pts |
Clarity Score
77/100 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.
68/100
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.
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 | £45m | — |
| Total expenditure | £45m | — |
| Charitable activities | £44m | 99% |
| Governance & admin | £100k | 0% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2021) · £45m spent
- Charitable activities99% · £44m
- Governance0% · £100k
- Other spending1% · £379k
Trust indicators
Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.
-
Accounts filed on time
Filing status: late
-
Trustee board size (3–12)
7 trustees on the Charity Commission register
-
Workforce on register
1949 employees · 16 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 1156258
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →Trustees & officers
- David Wilkin since 2013
- Charles Andrew Maltby since 2020
- Jean Trench since 2025
- Colin Ronald McCorkindale since 2020
- Andrew Graham Pope since 2025
- Anna Elzbieta Rymarczyk since 2025
- Emma Louise Springer 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.
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
- 77/100 (3★)
- Income
- £45m
- Cause spend
- 100% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 1156258
- Scope
- UK-wide
- Reserves
- 3 months
- Trustees
- 7
- Accounts year
- 2021
- Filing
- late
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Red flags
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about REAL LIFE OPTIONS's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is REAL LIFE OPTIONS's charity rating? +
REAL LIFE OPTIONS scores 77 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 REAL LIFE OPTIONS a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — REAL LIFE OPTIONS is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1156258. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is REAL LIFE OPTIONS's Charity Commission registration number? +
REAL LIFE OPTIONS's registration number is 1156258. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1156258
How much income does REAL LIFE OPTIONS receive? +
REAL LIFE OPTIONS reported £45m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.
What percentage of REAL LIFE OPTIONS'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 0%.
Are REAL LIFE OPTIONS's accounts up to date? +
Filing status: late (last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.
Where is REAL LIFE OPTIONS based? +
REAL LIFE OPTIONS is listed at London · UK-wide · WF11 0BU and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.
How does CharityCompare score REAL LIFE OPTIONS? +
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 REAL LIFE OPTIONS? +
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 REAL LIFE OPTIONS with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put REAL LIFE OPTIONS side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.