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Arthritis Action

Charity rating & review

76/100 Clarity Score · 4 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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76 /100

Clarity score

Good

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Quick answer

Is Arthritis Action a good charity?

Arthritis Action scores 76/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£1.3m total income, 83% of spending on charitable activities). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.

London · UK-wide · EC1V 2PR Reg 292569 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does Arthritis Action do?

Arthritis Action is a registered charity (no. 292569) working in disability across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 83% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 44 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈34% a year). CharityCompare's Clarity Score rates the organisation only from public Charity Commission accounts — accountability, financial health, efficiency and community support — not the quality or impact of its programmes.

Summarised from public filings — Arthritis Action hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: ARTHRITIS ACTION scores 76 out of 100 (4 stars). 83% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

What is Arthritis Action?

Arthritis Action has a Clarity Score of 76 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 292569. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Disability. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £1.3m, with 83% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 44 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

76/100

4★ · Good

Cause spend

83%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£1.3m

Latest year 2024

Reserves

44 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£4.4 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 24% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does ARTHRITIS ACTION compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers ARTHRITIS ACTION scores higher than.

Income band (£1m–£5m)41stpercentile

Scores higher than 41% of 2,776 charities in its income band · 76/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

Disability charities39thpercentile

Scores higher than 39% of 711 charities in this cause · 76/100 vs 79 peer average (marker).

How reliable is Arthritis Action's data?

Source
Charity Commission (England & Wales)
Accounts year
2024
Filing date
Profile reviewed

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Clarity Score measures how clearly the charity accounts for money in those filings — not programme impact.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources: Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Open Government Licence v3.0 .

What is Arthritis Action's Beacon report?

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from UK regulator filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report.

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for ARTHRITIS ACTION
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, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three).

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.

60/100

Financial Health metrics for ARTHRITIS ACTION
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of cash)

3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts.

20% 44 months · 3/15 pts
Income stability / growth

+20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between.

100% 10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt.

100% 2% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

70/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for ARTHRITIS ACTION
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below.

80% 83% · 8/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income).

60% 22p per £1 income · 6/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

40/100

Community Support metrics for ARTHRITIS ACTION
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between.

40% 12 volunteers / 16 staff · 4/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is Arthritis Action's Clarity Score?

76/100 total · Good · 4 of 5 stars

Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
60/100
Financial Health
70/100
Financial Efficiency
40/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts
Trustee oversight11 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

60/100

Reserves (months of cash)44 months · 3/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets2% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

70/100

Program expense ratio83% · 8/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency22p per £1 income · 6/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

40/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio12 volunteers / 16 staff · 4/10 pts

How much does Arthritis Action raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings

ARTHRITIS ACTION revenue and expenses for 2024
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £1.3m
Total expenditure £1.2m
Charitable activities £869k 73%
Fundraising £322k 27%
Governance & admin £79k 7%
73%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2024) · £1.2m spent

  • Charitable activities73%
  • Fundraising27%
  • Governance7%

What trust indicators does Arthritis Action have?

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    11 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    16 employees · 12 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 292569

Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Colin Peter Beevor since 2020
  • Professor Sarah Anne Vickerstaff since 2021
  • Matthew John Myles-Brown since 2023
  • Ricardo Borges since 2023
  • Elizabeth Takyi since 2023
  • Caroline Alexia Langley since 2024
  • Susan Powell since 2024
  • Dirk Vennix since 2025
  • Funmi Akinfenwa since 2026
  • Andrzej Kawalec since 2025
  • Pille Harrison since 2025
How we score charities +

The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

Full methodology →

Accountability & Transparency

Scored from filings

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10).

Financial Health

Scored from filings

30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises).

Financial Efficiency

Scored from filings

20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below).

Community Support

Scored from filings

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio.

Overall score

Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated.

How have Arthritis Action's finances changed over five years?

£0k £400k £800k £1200k £1600k 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Income 2020: £391k Spending 2020: £1,106k Cause spend 2020: £0k Income 2021: £606k Spending 2021: £1,108k Cause spend 2021: £975k Income 2022: £919k Spending 2022: £1,201k Cause spend 2022: £1,048k Income 2023: £602k Spending 2023: £1,221k Cause spend 2023: £1,069k Income 2024: £1,261k Spending 2024: £1,191k Cause spend 2024: £869k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Cause spend plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission accounts

What are the key facts about Arthritis Action?

Overall score
76/100 (4★)
Income
£1.3m
Cause spend
83% of expenditure
Reg number
292569
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
44 months
Trustees
11
Accounts year
2024
Filing
up to date

Where ARTHRITIS ACTION sits

The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby.

Similar disability charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

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What red flags does Arthritis Action have?

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Arthritis Action's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Arthritis Action a good charity? +

Arthritis Action scores 76 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 83% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are up to date. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate.

Is Arthritis Action a legitimate charity? +

Yes — Arthritis Action is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 292569). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/292569. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is Arthritis Action's charity number? +

Arthritis Action's charity number is 292569. Check that number on the official register (Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI) or this CharityCompare profile before you donate — scammers sometimes reuse real numbers on fake appeals.

What is Arthritis Action's charity rating? +

Arthritis Action scores 76 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Good). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from UK regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). Stars use the same bands as those labels — 90+ is 5★ Exceptional. It is not an impact ranking.

Does Arthritis Action have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Arthritis Action. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts (1 filing concern(s) noted on this profile). For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate.

How much of my donation reaches Arthritis Action? +

According to its 2024 regulator filing, 83% of Arthritis Action's total spending went to charitable activities (3-yr avg across disclosed years). That is the closest official figure to "how much of your donation reaches the cause" — it is an average across all spending in the filing, not a pound-by-pound breakdown of an individual gift.

What are Arthritis Action's overheads? +

According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 17% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 24% of total expenditure at Arthritis Action. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Arthritis Action's chief executive is paid — where disclosure rules apply, senior pay appears in the trustees' annual report on the Charity Commission register.

How much income does Arthritis Action receive? +

Arthritis Action reported £1.3m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are Arthritis Action's accounts up to date? +

Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is Arthritis Action based? +

Arthritis Action is listed at London · UK-wide · EC1V 2PR and operates UK-wide, focused on disability.

How does CharityCompare score Arthritis Action? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Arthritis Action's regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 points — filing history, trustees, policies), Financial Health (30 — reserves, income trend, debt), Financial Efficiency (20 — cause spend and fundraising cost, on a graduated scale) and Community Support (10 — volunteer-to-staff ratio). An open statutory inquiry scores 0. The score measures reporting on paper, not programme impact. CharityCompare is free for donors, takes no commission on donations, and scores cannot be bought.

How often is this page updated? +

This profile was last updated on 17 July 2026 from the latest UK regulator data available to CharityCompare, and Arthritis Action's most recent accounts cover 2024. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.