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Challenge Ministries UK

Charity rating & review

99/100 Clarity Score · 5 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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99 /100

Clarity score

Exceptional

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Quick answer

Is Challenge Ministries UK a good charity?

Challenge Ministries UK scores 99/100 (5 stars, Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£544k total income, 93% 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.

Hemel Hempstead · UK-wide · HP18 9EW Reg 1162211 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does Challenge Ministries UK do?

Challenge Ministries UK is a registered charity (no. 1162211) working in international aid across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 93% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 3 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been broadly stable 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.

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

In short: Challenge Ministries UK scores 99 out of 100 (5 stars). 93% average program spend (Latest year, disclosed years only). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

What is Challenge Ministries UK?

Challenge Ministries UK has a Clarity Score of 99 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 1162211. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: International aid. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £544k, with 93% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 3 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

99/100

5★ · Exceptional

Cause spend

93%

latest year · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£544k

Latest year 2025

Reserves

3 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£42.0 raised per £1 fundraising (latest year) · 2% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does Challenge Ministries UK compare?

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

Income band (£500k–£1m)98thpercentile

Scores higher than 98% of 2,187 charities in its income band · 99/100 vs 79 peer average (marker).

International aid charities98thpercentile

Scores higher than 98% of 618 charities in this cause · 99/100 vs 75 peer average (marker).

How reliable is Challenge Ministries UK's data?

Source
Charity Commission (England & Wales)
Accounts year
2025
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 Challenge Ministries UK'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 Challenge Ministries UK
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% 8 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.

97/100

Financial Health metrics for Challenge Ministries UK
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% 3 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.

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

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

80% 9% · 4/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for Challenge Ministries UK
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

100% 93% · 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% 2p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

100/100

Community Support metrics for Challenge Ministries UK
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

100% 7 volunteers / 3 staff · 10/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is Challenge Ministries UK's Clarity Score?

99/100 total · Exceptional · 5 of 5 stars

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

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
97/100
Financial Health
100/100
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 oversight8 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

97/100

Reserves (months of cash)3 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets9% · 4/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio93% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency2p 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 ratio7 volunteers / 3 staff · 10/10 pts

How much does Challenge Ministries UK raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings

Challenge Ministries UK revenue and expenses for 2025
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £544k
Total expenditure £507k
Charitable activities £473k 93%
Fundraising £34k 7%
Governance & admin £2k 0%
93%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £507k spent

  • Charitable activities93%
  • Fundraising7%
  • Governance0%

What trust indicators does Challenge Ministries UK 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)

    8 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    3 employees · 7 volunteers (2:1 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 1162211

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • SIMON PHILIP HOWARD Chair · since 2015
  • Mark Dowding since 2016
  • Glyn Williams since 2020
  • Graham Brewer since 2020
  • Mark Herbert since 2023
  • Timothy James Whan since 2023
  • Timothy Ambrose Collett since 2024
  • Caroline Jane Priestnall 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 Challenge Ministries UK's finances changed over five years?

£0k £200k £400k £600k £800k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £525k Spending 2021: £510k Cause spend 2021: £472k Income 2022: £372k Spending 2022: £375k Cause spend 2022: £0k Income 2023: £429k Spending 2023: £438k Cause spend 2023: £0k Income 2024: £461k Spending 2024: £487k Cause spend 2024: £0k Income 2025: £544k Spending 2025: £507k Cause spend 2025: £473k
  • 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 Challenge Ministries UK?

Overall score
99/100 (5★)
Income
£544k
Cause spend
93% of expenditure
Reg number
1162211
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
3 months
Trustees
8
Accounts year
2025
Filing
up to date

Where Challenge Ministries UK sits

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

Similar international aid charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

How can you share Challenge Ministries UK's rating?

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How do you add Challenge Ministries UK's rating to your site?

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Challenge Ministries UK's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Challenge Ministries UK a good charity? +

Challenge Ministries UK scores 99 out of 100 (5 stars — Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 93% 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 Challenge Ministries UK a legitimate charity? +

Yes — Challenge Ministries UK is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1162211). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1162211. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is Challenge Ministries UK's charity number? +

Challenge Ministries UK's charity number is 1162211. 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 Challenge Ministries UK's charity rating? +

Challenge Ministries UK scores 99 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars — Exceptional). 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 Challenge Ministries UK have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Challenge Ministries UK. 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 Challenge Ministries UK? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, 93% of Challenge Ministries UK'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 Challenge Ministries UK's overheads? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 7% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 2% of total expenditure at Challenge Ministries UK. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Challenge Ministries UK'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 Challenge Ministries UK receive? +

Challenge Ministries UK reported £544k total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: stable.

Are Challenge Ministries UK'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 Challenge Ministries UK based? +

Challenge Ministries UK is listed at Hemel Hempstead · UK-wide · HP18 9EW and operates UK-wide, focused on international aid.

How does CharityCompare score Challenge Ministries UK? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Challenge Ministries UK'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 Challenge Ministries UK'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.