Children & youth · Reg 288018
Rating for THE CHILDREN'S TRUST
82/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Good
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Mission
THE CHILDREN'S TRUST is a registered UK charity (288018) 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 CHILDREN'S TRUST scores 82 out of 100 (3 stars). 87% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.
Overview
THE CHILDREN'S TRUST has a Clarity Score of 82 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 288018. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £28m, with 87% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: late. Reserves: approximately 1 months of operating costs. 1 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
82/100
3★ · Good
Cause spend
87%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
75/100
Finance beacon
Income
£28m
Latest year 2021
Reserves
1 mo
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
Late
Check register
£7.9 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 13% 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.
75/100
| 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. | 33% | 5/15 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% | 1 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% | 27% · 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% | 87% · 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% | 13p 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% | 1,519 volunteers / 502 staff · 10/10 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.
75/100
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 | £28m | — |
| Total expenditure | £29m | — |
| Charitable activities | £25m | 85% |
| Fundraising | £4.3m | 15% |
| Governance & admin | £450k | 2% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2021) · £29m spent
- Charitable activities85% · £25m
- Fundraising15% · £4.3m
- Governance2% · £450k
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)
11 trustees on the Charity Commission register
-
Workforce on register
502 employees · 1,519 volunteers (3:1 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 288018
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →Trustees & officers
- Timothy John Davies since 2015
- STEPHEN DAVID FLANAGAN since 2023
- Helen Hewitt since 2024
- Helen Farmer since 2024
- Deborah Ralls since 2025
- Richard Guest since 2025
- Lynn Harries since 2025
- Caroline Rivett since 2026
- Philip Hogan since 2026
- Louise Pollock since 2026
- Philip Harrison since 2026
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
- £28m
- Cause spend
- 87% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 288018
- Scope
- UK-wide
- Reserves
- 1 months
- Trustees
- 11
- Accounts year
- 2021
- Filing
- late
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Red flags
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about THE CHILDREN'S TRUST's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is THE CHILDREN'S TRUST's charity rating? +
THE CHILDREN'S TRUST 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 THE CHILDREN'S TRUST a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — THE CHILDREN'S TRUST is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 288018. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is THE CHILDREN'S TRUST's Charity Commission registration number? +
THE CHILDREN'S TRUST's registration number is 288018. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/288018
How much income does THE CHILDREN'S TRUST receive? +
THE CHILDREN'S TRUST reported £28m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.
What percentage of THE CHILDREN'S TRUST's spending goes to charitable activities? +
Approximately 87% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 12% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 13%.
Are THE CHILDREN'S TRUST'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 CHILDREN'S TRUST based? +
THE CHILDREN'S TRUST is listed at United Kingdom and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.
How does CharityCompare score THE CHILDREN'S TRUST? +
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 CHILDREN'S TRUST? +
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 CHILDREN'S TRUST with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put THE CHILDREN'S TRUST side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.