Children & youth · Reg 1185265
Rating for NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE
82/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Good
Donate
Give to NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE
You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form.
Mission
NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE is a registered UK charity (1185265) 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: NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE scores 82 out of 100 (3 stars). 97% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.
Overview
NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE has a Clarity Score of 82 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1185265. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2020: total income £81m, with 97% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 3 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
97%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
93/100
Finance beacon
Income
£81m
Latest year 2020
Reserves
3 mo
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
On time
Charity Commission
£47.7 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 3% 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.
93/100
| 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% | 9 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.
83/100
| 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. | 0% | 51% · 0/5 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% | 97% · 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% | 2p 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% | Not reported · 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.
93/100
Financial Health
Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.
83/100
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 2020 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
|---|---|---|
| Total income | £81m | — |
| Total expenditure | £58m | — |
| Charitable activities | £57m | 99% |
| Fundraising | £394k | 1% |
| Governance & admin | £255k | 0% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2020) · £58m spent
- Charitable activities99% · £57m
- Fundraising1% · £394k
- Governance0% · £255k
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)
9 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 1185265
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →Trustees & officers
- Professor Sir Ian Lamont Boyd since 2019
- David Jeremy Darroch Chair · since 2022
- David Keith McSweeney since 2024
- Clare Mary Petre Harbord since 2024
- Dr HOSEIN KHAJEH-HOSSEINY since 2025
- John Francis Clarke since 2025
- Professor Lisa Maureen Collins since 2025
- Sir MICHAEL DIXON KBE BSC since 2024
- Rebecca Jane Munro 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
- 82/100 (3★)
- Income
- £81m
- Cause spend
- 97% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 1185265
- Scope
- UK-wide
- Reserves
- 3 months
- Trustees
- 9
- Accounts year
- 2020
- Filing
- up to date
Compare & explore
Similar children & youth charities
Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score
- ELIM FOURSQUARE GOSPEL ALLIANCE 100/100 · £66m
- THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY 100/100 · £53m
- THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS 97/100 · £37m
- NSPCC 95/100 · £125m
Export profile
Opens a printer-friendly view of this profile for NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE.
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 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE's charity rating? +
NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE 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 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1185265. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE's Charity Commission registration number? +
NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE's registration number is 1185265. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1185265
How much income does NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE receive? +
NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE reported £81m total income in its 2020 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.
What percentage of NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE's spending goes to charitable activities? +
Approximately 97% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 2% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 3%.
Are NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE'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 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE based? +
NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE is listed at Sheffield · UK-wide · SO14 3ZH and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.
How does CharityCompare score NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE? +
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 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE? +
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 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.