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CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED

Charity rating & review

74/100 Clarity Score · 2 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
74 /100

Clarity score

Needs improvement

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Is CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED a good charity?

CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED scores 74/100 (Needs improvement) on our Clarity Score, with 100% 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.

Manchester · UK-wide · M4 5JA Reg 1089503 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED is a registered charity (no. 1089503) working in children & youth across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 100% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 2 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: CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED scores 74 out of 100 (2 stars). 100% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.

Overview

CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED has a Clarity Score of 74 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1089503. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £985k, with 100% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 2 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, last updated .

Overall score

74/100

2★ · Needs improvement

Cause spend

100%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

93/100

Finance beacon

Income

£985k

Latest year 2021

Reserves

2 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

Fundraising efficiency not stated · 4% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED compares

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

Income band (£500k–£1m)74 vs 78 avg

Ranks higher than 36% of 2,157 charities in its income band.

Children & youth charities74 vs 78 avg

Ranks higher than 36% of 3,988 charities in this cause.

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2021
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.

93/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED
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% 11 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies

Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return.

70% 7/10 pts

Financial Health

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

57/100

Financial Health metrics for CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED
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% 2 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.

0% 58% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

100% 100% · 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% 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

Community Support metrics for CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

0% Not reported · 0/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

74/100 total · Needs improvement · 2 of 4 stars

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

93/100
Accountability & Transparency
57/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
0/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

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

93/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts
Trustee oversight11 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies7/10 pts

Financial Health

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

57/100

Reserves (months of cash)2 months · 7/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets58% · 0/5 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

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED revenue and expenses for 2021
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £985k
Total expenditure £923k
Charitable activities £923k 100%
Governance & admin £16k 2%
100%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2021) · £923k spent

  • Charitable activities100%
  • Governance2%

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)

    11 trustees on the Charity Commission register

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 1089503

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Paul Dennett since 2016
  • David Meller since 2020
  • Professor Carolyn Wilkins OBE Chair · since 2022
  • Huw Thomas since 2022
  • Rebecca Deegan since 2022
  • Sonia Halliwell since 2023
  • Joe Dromey since 2023
  • Naila Wood since 2025
  • Caroline Wilson since 2025
  • Geraldine Brown since 2025
  • GAVIN LUKE WHITE since 2025
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 £400k £800k £1200k £1600k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £985k Spending 2021: £923k Cause spend 2021: £923k Income 2022: £1,016k Spending 2022: £1,280k Cause spend 2022: £1,280k Income 2023: £1,242k Spending 2023: £1,113k Cause spend 2023: £1,113k Income 2024: £1,098k Spending 2024: £1,233k Cause spend 2024: £1,233k Income 2025: £1,233k Spending 2025: £1,171k Cause spend 2025: £1,171k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
74/100 (2★)
Income
£985k
Cause spend
100% of expenditure
Reg number
1089503
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
2 months
Trustees
11
Accounts year
2021
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED's charity rating? +

CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED scores 74 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars — Needs improvement). 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 CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED a good charity to donate to? +

CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED scores 74 out of 100 (2 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 100% 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 CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1089503. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED's Charity Commission registration number? +

CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED's registration number is 1089503. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1089503

How much income does CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED receive? +

CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED reported £985k total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 100% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 0% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 4%.

Are CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED'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 CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED based? +

CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED is listed at Manchester · UK-wide · M4 5JA and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.

How does CharityCompare score CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED? +

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 CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED? +

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 CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.