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BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)

Charity rating & review

80/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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80 /100

Clarity score

Good

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Is BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) a good charity?

BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) scores 80/100 (Good) on our Clarity Score, with 81% of spending going to charitable activities and accounts up to date. This reflects financial transparency and stewardship from Charity Commission filings — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.

CM2 0QT Reg 1084189 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) is a registered charity (no. 1084189) working in animals in CM2 0QT. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 81% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 78 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been declining over recent years. 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.

In short: BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) scores 80 out of 100 (3 stars). 81% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) has a Clarity Score of 80 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1084189. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Animals. Latest accounts year 2020: total income £4.8m, with 81% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 78 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

80/100

3★ · Good

Cause spend

81%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£4.8m

Latest year 2020

Reserves

78 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£4.5 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 19% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) compares

Clarity Score benchmarked against similar UK charities — higher is better.

Income band (£1m–£5m)80 vs 77 avg

Ranks higher than 55% of 3,014 charities in its income band.

Animals charities80 vs 76 avg

Ranks higher than 59% of 2,982 charities in this cause.

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2020
Filing date
2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
Profile reviewed
2026-06-25

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons require information beyond public filings.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales . Open Government Licence v3.0 .

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.

100/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)
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% 9 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.

50/100

Financial Health metrics for BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)
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.

0% 78 months · 0/15 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% 1% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

75/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts.

100% 81% · 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).

50% 23p per £1 income · 5/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

100/100

Community Support metrics for BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts.

100% 209 volunteers / 53 staff · 10/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

80/100 total · Good · 3 of 4 stars

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

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
50/100
Financial Health
75/100
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 oversight9 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

50/100

Reserves (months of cash)78 months · 0/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets1% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

75/100

Program expense ratio81% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency23p per £1 income · 5/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

100/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio209 volunteers / 53 staff · 10/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2020 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) revenue and expenses for 2020
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £4.8m
Total expenditure £5.2m
Charitable activities £4.2m 80%
Fundraising £1.1m 20%
Governance & admin £62k 1%
80%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2020) · £5.2m spent

  • Charitable activities80%
  • Fundraising20%
  • Governance1%

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)

    9 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    53 employees · 209 volunteers (4:1 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 1084189

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Miles Courtenay Ambler since 2018
  • Stephen White since 2020
  • Robert Kerrigan since 2021
  • Richard Gilbert since 2022
  • Neil Heritage since 2023
  • COLIN WHITWORTH since 2023
  • Alan Mistlin since 2023
  • Edward Grant Martin Davis CB CBE Chair · since 2024
  • Lisa Johnston since 2024
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.

Full methodology →

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

£0k £1700k £3400k £5100k £6800k 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Income 2020: £4,758k Spending 2020: £5,232k Cause spend 2020: £4,165k Income 2021: £4,226k Spending 2021: £5,399k Cause spend 2021: £4,292k Income 2022: £3,956k Spending 2022: £6,355k Cause spend 2022: £5,292k Income 2023: £5,366k Spending 2023: £6,083k Cause spend 2023: £4,921k Income 2024: £6,537k Spending 2024: £6,540k Cause spend 2024: £5,242k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
80/100 (3★)
Income
£4.8m
Cause spend
81% of expenditure
Reg number
1084189
Scope
Local (—)
Reserves
78 months
Trustees
9
Accounts year
2020
Filing
up to date

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Red flags

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)'s rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)'s charity rating? +

BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) scores 80 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 BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) a good charity to donate to? +

BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) scores 80 out of 100 (3 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 81% 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 BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1084189. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)'s Charity Commission registration number? +

BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)'s registration number is 1084189. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1084189

How much income does BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) receive? +

BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) reported £4.8m total income in its 2020 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)'s spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 81% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 19% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 19%.

Are BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)'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 BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) based? +

BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) is listed at CM2 0QT, focused on animals.

How does CharityCompare score BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)? +

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 BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA)? +

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 BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put BRITISH LIMBLESS EX-SERVICE MEN'S ASSOCIATION (BLESMA) side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.