Older people · Reg 265249
Rating for UNITED RESPONSE
74/100 Clarity Score · 2 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Needs improvement
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Mission
UNITED RESPONSE is a registered UK charity (265249) working in older people 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: UNITED RESPONSE scores 74 out of 100 (2 stars). 98% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.
Overview
UNITED RESPONSE has a Clarity Score of 74 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 265249. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Older people. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £97m, with 98% 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
74/100
2★ · Needs improvement
Cause spend
98%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
93/100
Finance beacon
Income
£97m
Latest year 2021
Reserves
2 mo
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
On time
Charity Commission
£379.8 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 1% 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.
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% | 14 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.
57/100
| 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. | 0% | 45% · 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% | 98% · 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% | 17 volunteers / 3358 staff · 0/10 pts |
Clarity Score
74/100 total · Needs improvement · 2 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.
57/100
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 | £97m | — |
| Total expenditure | £95m | — |
| Charitable activities | £95m | 100% |
| Fundraising | £216k | 0% |
| Governance & admin | £365k | 0% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2021) · £95m spent
- Charitable activities100% · £95m
- Fundraising0% · £216k
- Governance0% · £365k
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)
14 trustees on the Charity Commission register
-
Workforce on register
3358 employees · 17 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 265249
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →Trustees & officers
- Malcolm Graham McCaig Chair · since 2018
- Mark Hugh McLaughlin since 2019
- Alison Helen Stanley since 2019
- Satya Kanta Samal since 2021
- Lisa Odendaal since 2022
- Vicky Whelan since 2023
- Joseph Anichebe since 2024
- Guy Van Dichele since 2025
- Stephen Charles Maltby since 2025
- Jonathan James Barton since 2025
- Stuart James Love since 2025
- Linda Jane Main 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
- 74/100 (2★)
- Income
- £97m
- Cause spend
- 98% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 265249
- Scope
- UK-wide
- Reserves
- 2 months
- Trustees
- 14
- Accounts year
- 2021
- Filing
- up to date
Compare & explore
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Frequently asked questions
Common questions about UNITED RESPONSE's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is UNITED RESPONSE's charity rating? +
UNITED RESPONSE scores 74 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars — Needs improvement). 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 UNITED RESPONSE a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — UNITED RESPONSE is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 265249. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is UNITED RESPONSE's Charity Commission registration number? +
UNITED RESPONSE's registration number is 265249. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/265249
How much income does UNITED RESPONSE receive? +
UNITED RESPONSE reported £97m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.
What percentage of UNITED RESPONSE's spending goes to charitable activities? +
Approximately 98% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 0% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 1%.
Are UNITED RESPONSE'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 UNITED RESPONSE based? +
UNITED RESPONSE is listed at United Kingdom and operates UK-wide, focused on older people.
How does CharityCompare score UNITED RESPONSE? +
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 UNITED RESPONSE? +
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 UNITED RESPONSE with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put UNITED RESPONSE side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.