--- title: "Church Urban Fund — charity rating & review | CharityCompare" description: "Is Church Urban Fund a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 85/100. Accounts 2024: income £3.8m · 86% on charitable activities. Reg 297483." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/church-urban-fund retrieved: 2026-08-18T05:25:10.240Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is Church Urban Fund a good charity? Church Urban Fund scores 85/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£3.8m total income, 86% 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. London · UK-wide · SE11 5RR | Reg [297483](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/church-urban-fund) | Registered charity | [Official website](http://www.cuf.org.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/297483) Donate ## How can you give to CHURCH URBAN FUND? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official CHURCH URBAN FUND form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](http://www.cuf.org.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=297483) ## What does Church Urban Fund do? Church Urban Fund is a registered charity (no. 297483) working in poverty relief across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 86% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 10 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been declining (≈12% 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 — Church Urban Fund hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=church-urban-fund) **In short:** CHURCH URBAN FUND scores 85 out of 100 (4 stars). 86% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns. ## What is Church Urban Fund? Church Urban Fund has a Clarity Score of 85 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 297483. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Poverty relief. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £3.8m, with 86% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 10 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 85/100 4★ · Good Cause spend 86% 3-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 100/100 Finance beacon Income £3.8m Latest year 2024 Reserves 10 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £9.7 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 23% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does CHURCH URBAN FUND compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers CHURCH URBAN FUND scores higher than. Income band (£1m–£5m)68thpercentile **Scores higher than 68% of 2,776 charities in its income band** · 85/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). Poverty relief charities66thpercentile **Scores higher than 66% of 1,502 charities in this cause** · 85/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is Church Urban Fund's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2024 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 Church Urban Fund'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% | 12 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. 70/100 | 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% | 10 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. | 10% | 1/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 100% | 5% · 5/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 95/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 90% | 86% · 9/10 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% | 10p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) | ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 50/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 50% | 30 volunteers / 29 staff · 5/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is Church Urban Fund's Clarity Score? 85/100 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 70/100 Financial Health 95/100 Financial Efficiency 50/100 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 oversight12 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies10/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 70/100 Reserves (months of cash)10 months · 15/15 pts Income stability / growth1/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets5% · 5/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 95/100 Program expense ratio86% · 9/10 pts (3-year average) Fundraising efficiency10p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 50/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratio30 volunteers / 29 staff · 5/10 pts ## How much does Church Urban Fund raise and spend? Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £3.8m | — | | Total expenditure | £3.6m | — | | Charitable activities | £3.2m | 89% | | Fundraising | £397k | 11% | | Governance & admin | £298k | 8% | 89%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2024) · £3.6m spent - Charitable activities89% · £3.2m - Fundraising11% · £397k - Governance8% · £298k ## What trust indicators does Church Urban Fund 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) 12 trustees on the Charity Commission register - ✓ Workforce on register 29 employees · 30 volunteers (1:1 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 297483 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/297483) ### Trustees & officers - Alison Esther Grieve since 2017 - Susan Catherine Chalkley OBE FCIH since 2019 - Christopher James Cummings since 2023 - Jacqueline Broughton since 2023 - Chandru Michael Dissanayeke since 2023 - Matthew Toby Nathan Girt since 2023 - Rev Shemil Mathew since 2025 - Dr Matthew Stephen Barber-Rowell since 2025 - Rachel Margaret Hubbard since 2025 - Louise Suen since 2025 - Carolyn Margaret Young since 2025 - Richard Peter Harries 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 Church Urban Fund'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 Church Urban Fund? Overall score 85/100 (4★) Income £3.8m Cause spend 86% of expenditure Reg number 297483 Scope UK-wide Reserves 10 months Trustees 12 Accounts year 2024 Filing up to date ## How does CHURCH URBAN FUND compare, and where else can you look? [Compare CHURCH URBAN FUND with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=church-urban-fund) [More poverty relief charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/poverty) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where CHURCH URBAN FUND 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 London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/london) - [poverty charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/poverty/london) ### 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 ## How can you share Church Urban Fund'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 85/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/church-urban-fund) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 85/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about Church Urban Fund's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is Church Urban Fund a good charity? + Church Urban Fund scores 85 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 86% 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 Church Urban Fund a legitimate charity? + Yes — Church Urban Fund is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 297483). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/297483. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is Church Urban Fund's charity number? + Church Urban Fund's charity number is 297483. 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 Church Urban Fund's charity rating? + Church Urban Fund scores 85 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 Church Urban Fund have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Church Urban Fund. 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 Church Urban Fund? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, 86% of Church Urban Fund's total spending went to charitable activities (3-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 Church Urban Fund's overheads? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 12% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 23% of total expenditure at Church Urban Fund. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Church Urban Fund'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 Church Urban Fund receive? + Church Urban Fund reported £3.8m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: declining. Are Church Urban Fund'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 Church Urban Fund based? + Church Urban Fund is listed at London · UK-wide · SE11 5RR and operates UK-wide, focused on poverty relief. How does CharityCompare score Church Urban Fund? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Church Urban Fund'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 Church Urban Fund's most recent accounts cover 2024. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.