Children & youth · Reg 209131
Rating for THE BRITISH COUNCIL
52/100 Clarity Score · 1 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Poor
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Mission
THE BRITISH COUNCIL is a registered UK charity (209131) 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 BRITISH COUNCIL scores 52 out of 100 (1 star). 99% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.
Overview
THE BRITISH COUNCIL has a Clarity Score of 52 out of 100 on CharityCompare (1 stars, Poor). Charity Commission registration number 209131. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £925m, with 99% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: late. 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
52/100
1★ · Poor
Cause spend
99%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
55/100
Finance beacon
Income
£925m
Latest year 2021
Reserves
—
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
Late
Check register
£22732.7 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 1% 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.
55/100
| 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. | 0% | 0/15 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. | 70% | 7/10 pts |
Financial Health
Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.
33/100
| 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% | Not stated · 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. | 0% | 66% · 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% | 99% · 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% | Not reported · 0/10 pts |
Clarity Score
52/100 total · Poor · 1 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.
55/100
Financial Health
Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.
33/100
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 | £925m | — |
| Total expenditure | £1015m | — |
| Charitable activities | £1008m | 99% |
| Fundraising | £69k | 0% |
| Governance & admin | £7.2m | 1% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2021) · £1015m spent
- Charitable activities99% · £1008m
- Fundraising0% · £69k
- Governance1% · £7.2m
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)
12 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 209131
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →Trustees & officers
- Professor Malcolm Colin Press since 2020
- Richard Mark Hookway since 2021
- Dr David John Lefevre since 2021
- Professor Wendy Cowan Alexander since 2022
- Paul Woodgates since 2023
- Dr Paul Thompson CBE Chair · since 2024
- Sushil Kumar Saluja since 2020
- David Andrew Thompson Todd since 2025
- Mariella Frostrup since 2025
- Alfred Yaw Oduro Nsarkoh since 2025
- Kate Marsh since 2025
- Desmond Patrick Neil Wigan CVO OBE 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
- 52/100 (1★)
- Income
- £925m
- Cause spend
- 99% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 209131
- Scope
- UK-wide
- Reserves
- —
- Trustees
- 12
- Accounts year
- 2021
- Filing
- late
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Red flags
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about THE BRITISH COUNCIL's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is THE BRITISH COUNCIL's charity rating? +
THE BRITISH COUNCIL scores 52 out of 100 on CharityCompare (1 stars — Poor). 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 BRITISH COUNCIL a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — THE BRITISH COUNCIL is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 209131. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is THE BRITISH COUNCIL's Charity Commission registration number? +
THE BRITISH COUNCIL's registration number is 209131. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/209131
How much income does THE BRITISH COUNCIL receive? +
THE BRITISH COUNCIL reported £925m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.
What percentage of THE BRITISH COUNCIL's spending goes to charitable activities? +
Approximately 99% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 0% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 1%.
Are THE BRITISH COUNCIL'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 THE BRITISH COUNCIL based? +
THE BRITISH COUNCIL is listed at London · UK-wide · E20 1JQ and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.
How does CharityCompare score THE BRITISH COUNCIL? +
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 BRITISH COUNCIL? +
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 BRITISH COUNCIL with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put THE BRITISH COUNCIL side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.