Children & youth · Reg 208728
Rating for THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON
92/100 Clarity Score · 4 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Exceptional
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Mission
THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON is a registered UK charity (208728) 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: THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON scores 92 out of 100 (4 stars). 78% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.
Overview
THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON has a Clarity Score of 92 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 208728. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £59m, with 78% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 2 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
92/100
4★ · Great
Cause spend
78%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
100/100
Finance beacon
Income
£59m
Latest year 2021
Reserves
2 mo
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
On time
Charity Commission
£43.8 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 2% 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% | 11 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% | 2 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% | 18% · 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% | 78% · 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.
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% | 1,175 volunteers / 957 staff · 10/10 pts |
Clarity Score
92/100 total · Exceptional · 4 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.
100/100
Revenue & expenses
Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
|---|---|---|
| Total income | £59m | — |
| Total expenditure | £58m | — |
| Charitable activities | £48m | 82% |
| Fundraising | £3.7m | 6% |
| Governance & admin | £77k | 0% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2021) · £58m spent
- Charitable activities82% · £48m
- Fundraising6% · £3.7m
- Governance0% · £77k
- Other spending11% · £6.4m
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)
11 trustees on the Charity Commission register
-
Workforce on register
957 employees · 1,175 volunteers (1:1 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 208728
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →Trustees & officers
- Alexander Richard Brooks Large since 2018
- RICHARD JAMES SYKES since 2019
- Shruti Ajitsaria since 2019
- David St John Jones since 2020
- Richard Thomas Kimblin KC since 2021
- Professor James Cuthbert Smith FRS since 2021
- Dr May Chiao since 2022
- Loraine Woodhouse since 2023
- Jonathan Cracknell since 2023
- Dr Karen Lawrence since 2024
- Nikhil Jal Engineer 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
- 92/100 (4★)
- Income
- £59m
- Cause spend
- 78% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 208728
- Scope
- UK-wide
- Reserves
- 2 months
- Trustees
- 11
- Accounts year
- 2021
- Filing
- up to date
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Frequently asked questions
Common questions about THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON's charity rating? +
THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON scores 92 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Exceptional). 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 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 208728. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON's Charity Commission registration number? +
THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON's registration number is 208728. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/208728
How much income does THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON receive? +
THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON reported £59m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.
What percentage of THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON's spending goes to charitable activities? +
Approximately 78% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 2% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 2%.
Are THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON'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 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON based? +
THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON is listed at London · UK-wide · NW1 4RY and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.
How does CharityCompare score THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON? +
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 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON? +
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 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.