Children & youth · Reg 222879
Rating for THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
80/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Good
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Mission
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY is a registered UK charity (222879) 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 ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY scores 80 out of 100 (3 stars). 77% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.
Overview
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY has a Clarity Score of 80 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 222879. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £67m, with 77% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. 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
80/100
3★ · Good
Cause spend
77%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
100/100
Finance beacon
Income
£67m
Latest year 2021
Reserves
—
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
On time
Charity Commission
£4.3 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 24% 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% | 17 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% | 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. | 100% | 23% · 5/5 pts |
Financial Efficiency
How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.
75/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Program expense ratio ≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts. | 100% | 77% · 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). | 50% | 23p per £1 income · 5/10 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% | 2,081 volunteers / 1267 staff · 10/10 pts |
Clarity Score
80/100 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.
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.
75/100
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 | £67m | — |
| Total expenditure | £67m | — |
| Charitable activities | £51m | 76% |
| Fundraising | £16m | 24% |
| Governance & admin | £914k | 1% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2021) · £67m spent
- Charitable activities76% · £51m
- Fundraising24% · £16m
- Governance1% · £914k
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)
17 trustees on the Charity Commission register
-
Workforce on register
1267 employees · 2,081 volunteers (2:1 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 222879
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →Trustees & officers
- Matthew Philip Lindsey-Clark since 2016
- Kate Lampard since 2017
- Ruth Willmott since 2019
- Nicholas Dunn since 2019
- Keith Charles Frederick Weed CBE Chair · since 2020
- Prof Nicola Spence since 2021
- Pamela Maynard since 2021
- Wesley Albert Kerr since 2021
- Darren Share since 2022
- Anthony Kirkham since 2022
- Tazim Essani since 2022
- Claire Rose Austin since 2023
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
- 80/100 (3★)
- Income
- £67m
- Cause spend
- 77% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 222879
- Scope
- UK-wide
- Reserves
- —
- Trustees
- 17
- Accounts year
- 2021
- Filing
- up to date
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Frequently asked questions
Common questions about THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY's charity rating? +
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY scores 80 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 THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 222879. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY's Charity Commission registration number? +
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY's registration number is 222879. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/222879
How much income does THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY receive? +
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY reported £67m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.
What percentage of THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY's spending goes to charitable activities? +
Approximately 77% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 23% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 24%.
Are THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'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 ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY based? +
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY is listed at London · UK-wide · SW1P 2PE and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.
How does CharityCompare score THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY? +
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 ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY? +
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 ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.