---
title: "Braintree Area Foodbank Limited rating | CharityCompare"
description: "Is Braintree Area Foodbank Limited a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 88/100. Accounts 2025: income £421k · 32% on charitable activities. Reg 1148782."
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/braintree-area-foodbank-limited
retrieved: 2026-08-18T01:33:13.156Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

Quick answer

## Is Braintree Area Foodbank Limited a good charity?

Braintree Area Foodbank Limited scores 88/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£421k total income, 32% 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.

Chelmsford · CM7 3RU |
Reg [1148782](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/braintree-area-foodbank-limited) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.braintree.foodbank.org.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1148782)

Donate

## How can you give to BRAINTREE AREA FOODBANK LIMITED?

You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official BRAINTREE AREA FOODBANK LIMITED form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form.

[Donate](https://www.braintree.foodbank.org.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1148782)

## What does Braintree Area Foodbank Limited do?

Braintree Area Foodbank Limited is a registered charity (no. 1148782) working in poverty relief in Chelmsford · CM7 3RU. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 32% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 12 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈5% 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 — Braintree Area Foodbank Limited hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=braintree-area-foodbank-limited)

**In short:** BRAINTREE AREA FOODBANK LIMITED scores 88 out of 100 (4 stars). 32% average program spend (Latest year, disclosed years only). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

## What is Braintree Area Foodbank Limited?

Braintree Area Foodbank Limited has a Clarity Score of 88 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1148782. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Poverty relief. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £421k, with 32% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 12 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](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026.

Overall score

88/100

4★ · Good

Cause spend

32%

latest year · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£421k

Latest year 2025

Reserves

12 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

Fundraising efficiency not stated ·
Overhead not disclosed · Website on register ·
Confidence: high

## How does BRAINTREE AREA FOODBANK LIMITED compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers BRAINTREE AREA FOODBANK LIMITED scores higher than.

Income band (£100k–£500k)90thpercentile

**Scores higher than 90% of 972 charities in its income band** · 88/100 vs 70 peer average (marker).

Poverty relief charities75thpercentile

**Scores higher than 75% of 1,502 charities in this cause** · 88/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

## How reliable is Braintree Area Foodbank Limited's data?

Source

Charity Commission (England & Wales)

Accounts year

2025

Filing date

24 June 2026

Profile reviewed

17 July 2026

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](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/),
[Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator](https://www.oscr.org.uk/) and
[Charity Commission for Northern Ireland](https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/).
[Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/).

## What is Braintree Area Foodbank Limited'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
| 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% | 7 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.

93/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 100% | 12 months · 15/15 pts |
| Income stability / growth +20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between. | 80% | 8/10 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.

50/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 0% | 32% · 0/10 pts (3-year average) |
| Fundraising efficiency ≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income). | 100% | 0p 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 Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 100% | 145 volunteers / 3 staff · 10/10 pts |

[How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

## What is Braintree Area Foodbank Limited's Clarity Score?

88/100 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

93/100

Financial Health

50/100

Financial Efficiency

100/100

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 oversight7 trustees · 15/15 pts

Declared policies10/10 pts

### Financial Health

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

93/100

Reserves (months of cash)12 months · 15/15 pts

Income stability / growth8/10 pts · 3-year average

Liabilities to assets2% · 5/5 pts

### Financial Efficiency

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

50/100

Program expense ratio32% · 0/10 pts (3-year average)

Fundraising efficiency0p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

### Community Support

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

100/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio145 volunteers / 3 staff · 10/10 pts

## How much does Braintree Area Foodbank Limited raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total income | £421k | — |
| Total expenditure | £424k | — |
| Charitable activities | Not disclosed | — |

## Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £424k spent. Not disclosed in this filing — the Charity Commission return omits the charitable-activities split.

## What trust indicators does Braintree Area Foodbank Limited have?

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

- ✓ Accounts filed on time

up to date · last filing 24 June 2026

- ✓ Trustee board size (3–12)

7 trustees on the Charity Commission register

- ✓ Workforce on register

3 employees · 145 volunteers (48:1 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 →](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/members/)

Official register

Reg 1148782

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

[View on Charity Commission →](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1148782)

### Trustees & officers

- Lyndon John Hopkins since 2022
- Zelma Holt since 2023
- Malcolm Seward since 2023
- Dale West since 2024
- Nicholas Clive Vosper since 2024
- Claire Yvonne Gibson since 2025
- John Hartwell since 2025

100
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 →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/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 Braintree Area Foodbank Limited's finances changed over five years?

- 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 Braintree Area Foodbank Limited?

Overall score

88/100 (4★)

Income

£421k

Cause spend

32% of expenditure

Reg number

1148782

Scope

Local (chelmsford)

Reserves

12 months

Trustees

7

Accounts year

2025

Filing

up to date

## How does BRAINTREE AREA FOODBANK LIMITED compare, and where else can you look?

[Compare BRAINTREE AREA FOODBANK LIMITED with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=braintree-area-foodbank-limited) [More poverty relief charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/poverty) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

### Where BRAINTREE AREA FOODBANK LIMITED sits

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

- [poverty charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/poverty)
- [children charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/children)
- [elderly charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/elderly)
- [disability charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/disability)
- [Charities in Chelmsford](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/chelmsford)
- [poverty charities in Chelmsford](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/poverty/chelmsford)

### Similar poverty relief charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

- [AMOS TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/amos-trust) 100/100 · £2.6m
- [SUFRA - NW LONDON](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/sufra-nw-london) 100/100 · £1.7m
- [WILDERNESS FOUNDATION UK](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/wilderness-foundation-uk) 100/100 · £1.6m
- [BIRMINGHAM CITY MISSION](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/birmingham-city-mission) 100/100 · £1.4m

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## Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Braintree Area Foodbank Limited's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Braintree Area Foodbank Limited a good charity? + Braintree Area Foodbank Limited scores 88 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 32% 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 Braintree Area Foodbank Limited a legitimate charity? + Yes — Braintree Area Foodbank Limited is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1148782). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1148782. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is Braintree Area Foodbank Limited's charity number? + Braintree Area Foodbank Limited's charity number is 1148782. 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 Braintree Area Foodbank Limited's charity rating? + Braintree Area Foodbank Limited scores 88 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 Braintree Area Foodbank Limited have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Braintree Area Foodbank Limited. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts. For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate.

How much of my donation reaches Braintree Area Foodbank Limited? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 32% of Braintree Area Foodbank Limited's total spending went to charitable activities. 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 Braintree Area Foodbank Limited's overheads? + Braintree Area Foodbank Limited's recent UK regulator filings do not disclose a fundraising or governance cost split, so no official overhead percentage is available. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Braintree Area Foodbank Limited'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 Braintree Area Foodbank Limited receive? + Braintree Area Foodbank Limited reported £421k total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are Braintree Area Foodbank Limited'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 Braintree Area Foodbank Limited based? + Braintree Area Foodbank Limited is listed at Chelmsford · CM7 3RU, focused on poverty relief.

How does CharityCompare score Braintree Area Foodbank Limited? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Braintree Area Foodbank Limited'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 Braintree Area Foodbank Limited's most recent accounts cover 2025. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.