--- title: "Bright Futures Early Learning rating | CharityCompare" description: "Is Bright Futures Early Learning a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 61/100. Accounts 2025: income £2.0m · 100% on charitable activities. Reg 1159674." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/bright-futures-early-learning retrieved: 2026-08-18T04:52:40.271Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is Bright Futures Early Learning a good charity? Bright Futures Early Learning scores 61/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£2.0m total income, 100% 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. Blackburn · BB4 8HW | Reg [1159674](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/bright-futures-early-learning) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.bfns.org/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1159674) Donate ## How can you give to Bright Futures Early Learning? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official Bright Futures Early Learning form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.bfns.org/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1159674) ## What does Bright Futures Early Learning do? Bright Futures Early Learning is a registered charity (no. 1159674) working in education in Blackburn · BB4 8HW. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 100% of spending to charitable activities, though its recent accounts were filed late. Reported income has been growing (≈38% 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 — Bright Futures Early Learning hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=bright-futures-early-learning) **In short:** Bright Futures Early Learning scores 61 out of 100 (3 stars). 100% average program spend (2-year average, disclosed years only). Review the pillar breakdown below. ## What is Bright Futures Early Learning? Bright Futures Early Learning has a Clarity Score of 61 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1159674. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Education. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £2.0m, with 100% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: late. 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](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026. Overall score 61/100 3★ · Needs improvement Cause spend 100% 2-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 75/100 Finance beacon Income £2.0m Latest year 2025 Reserves — Months of running costs Accounts filing Late Check register Fundraising efficiency not stated · 0% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: medium ## How does Bright Futures Early Learning compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers Bright Futures Early Learning scores higher than. Income band (£1m–£5m)11thpercentile **Scores higher than 11% of 2,776 charities in its income band** · 61/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). Education charities18thpercentile **Scores higher than 18% of 579 charities in this cause** · 61/100 vs 74 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is Bright Futures Early Learning's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2025 Filing date 24 June 2026 Profile reviewed 17 July 2026 Medium confidence — some data missing or late 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 Bright Futures Early Learning'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. 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, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three). | 100% | 3 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. 37/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 0% | Not stated · 0/15 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. | 20% | 51% · 1/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 100% | 100% · 10/10 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. 0/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 0% | Not reported · 0/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is Bright Futures Early Learning's Clarity Score? 61/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 75/100 Accountability & Transparency 37/100 Financial Health 100/100 Financial Efficiency 0/100 Community Support ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 75/100 Filing history (5 years)5/15 pts Trustee oversight3 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies10/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 37/100 Reserves (months of cash)Not stated · 0/15 pts Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets51% · 1/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 Program expense ratio100% · 10/10 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. 0/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratioNot reported · 0/10 pts ## How much does Bright Futures Early Learning raise and spend? Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £2.0m | — | | Total expenditure | £1.8m | — | | Charitable activities | £1.8m | 100% | | Governance & admin | £5k | 0% | 100%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2025) · £1.8m spent - Charitable activities100% · £1.8m - Governance0% · £5k ## What trust indicators does Bright Futures Early Learning have? 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) 3 trustees on the Charity Commission register Fundraising Regulator Not listed as member 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 1159674 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/1159674) ### Trustees & officers - Sharon Charlesworth since 2021 - Gemma Louise Nuttall since 2021 - Pagan Anne Cavaney Chair · since 2022 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 Bright Futures Early Learning'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 Bright Futures Early Learning? Overall score 61/100 (3★) Income £2.0m Cause spend 100% of expenditure Reg number 1159674 Scope Local (blackburn) Reserves — Trustees 3 Accounts year 2025 Filing late ## How does Bright Futures Early Learning compare, and where else can you look? [Compare Bright Futures Early Learning with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=bright-futures-early-learning) [More education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where Bright Futures Early Learning sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education) - [children charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/children) - [Charities in Blackburn](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/blackburn) ### Similar education charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [CHAPTER ONE (U.K.) LTD](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/chapter-one-u-k-ltd) 100/100 · £1.8m - [SCHOOL IN A BAG](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/school-in-a-bag) 100/100 · £600k - [THE BEN KINSELLA TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-ben-kinsella-trust) 100/100 · £596k - [EALING AND HOUNSLOW COMMUNITY VOLUNTARY SERVICE](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/ealing-and-hounslow-community-voluntary-service) 99/100 · £953k ## How can you share Bright Futures Early Learning's rating? 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Free to use — a lightweight HTML badge or an embeddable score widget, each linking back to this independent profile and our [methodology](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology). BadgeScore widget [♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 61/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/bright-futures-early-learning) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 61/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## What red flags does Bright Futures Early Learning have? ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about Bright Futures Early Learning's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is Bright Futures Early Learning a good charity? + Bright Futures Early Learning scores 61 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 100% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are late. 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 Bright Futures Early Learning a legitimate charity? + Yes — Bright Futures Early Learning is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1159674). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1159674. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is Bright Futures Early Learning's charity number? + Bright Futures Early Learning's charity number is 1159674. 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 Bright Futures Early Learning's charity rating? + Bright Futures Early Learning scores 61 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Needs improvement). 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 Bright Futures Early Learning have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Bright Futures Early Learning. 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 Bright Futures Early Learning? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 100% of Bright Futures Early Learning's total spending went to charitable activities (2-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 Bright Futures Early Learning's overheads? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 0% of total expenditure at Bright Futures Early Learning. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Bright Futures Early Learning'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 Bright Futures Early Learning receive? + Bright Futures Early Learning reported £2.0m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing. Are Bright Futures Early Learning's accounts up to date? + Filing status: late (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score. Where is Bright Futures Early Learning based? + Bright Futures Early Learning is listed at Blackburn · BB4 8HW, focused on education. How does CharityCompare score Bright Futures Early Learning? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Bright Futures Early Learning'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 Bright Futures Early Learning'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.