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City of Exeter YMCA

Charity rating & review

90/100 Clarity Score · 5 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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90 /100

Clarity score

Exceptional

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Quick answer

Is City of Exeter YMCA a good charity?

City of Exeter YMCA scores 90/100 (5 stars, Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£2.3m total income, 95% 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.

Exeter · EX4 4DA Reg 803226 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does City of Exeter YMCA do?

City of Exeter YMCA is a registered charity (no. 803226) working in homelessness in Exeter · EX4 4DA. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 95% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 8 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈22% 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 — City of Exeter YMCA hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: CITY OF EXETER YMCA scores 90 out of 100 (5 stars). 95% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

What is City of Exeter YMCA?

City of Exeter YMCA has a Clarity Score of 90 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 803226. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Homelessness. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £2.3m, with 95% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 8 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

90/100

5★ · Exceptional

Cause spend

95%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£2.3m

Latest year 2025

Reserves

8 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£22.0 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 6% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does CITY OF EXETER YMCA compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers CITY OF EXETER YMCA scores higher than.

Income band (£1m–£5m)85thpercentile

Scores higher than 85% of 2,776 charities in its income band · 90/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

Homelessness charities89thpercentile

Scores higher than 89% of 243 charities in this cause · 90/100 vs 79 peer average (marker).

How reliable is City of Exeter YMCA'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 City of Exeter YMCA'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 CITY OF EXETER YMCA
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% 11 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.

83/100

Financial Health metrics for CITY OF EXETER YMCA
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% 8 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.

0% 88% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for CITY OF EXETER YMCA
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

100% 95% · 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% 5p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

50/100

Community Support metrics for CITY OF EXETER YMCA
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

50% 35 volunteers / 35 staff · 5/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is City of Exeter YMCA's Clarity Score?

90/100 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
83/100
Financial Health
100/100
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 oversight11 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

83/100

Reserves (months of cash)8 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets88% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio95% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency5p 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 ratio35 volunteers / 35 staff · 5/10 pts

How much does City of Exeter YMCA raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings

CITY OF EXETER YMCA revenue and expenses for 2025
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £2.3m
Total expenditure £2.2m
Charitable activities £2.1m 96%
Fundraising £87k 4%
Governance & admin £19k 1%
96%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £2.2m spent

  • Charitable activities96%
  • Fundraising4%
  • Governance1%

What trust indicators does City of Exeter YMCA 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)

    11 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    35 employees · 35 volunteers (1:1 volunteer-to-staff)

Fundraising Regulator

Not listed as member

Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 803226

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • William Thomas McDermid since 2017
  • Jonathan Snicker since 2017
  • Paul John Lambdin since 2018
  • Louise Beatrice Glanville Chair · since 2022
  • Emma White since 2022
  • Lucy Herring since 2022
  • Tom Morrish since 2023
  • Benjamin Fenton since 2024
  • Nicola Buckley since 2024
  • David Martin since 2026
  • Alistair Whitmoor-Pryer since 2026
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 City of Exeter YMCA's finances changed over five years?

£0k £600k £1200k £1800k £2400k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £1,052k Spending 2021: £929k Cause spend 2021: £866k Income 2022: £1,059k Spending 2022: £987k Cause spend 2022: £947k Income 2023: £1,195k Spending 2023: £1,294k Cause spend 2023: £1,242k Income 2024: £1,479k Spending 2024: £1,454k Cause spend 2024: £1,366k Income 2025: £2,300k Spending 2025: £2,194k Cause spend 2025: £2,108k
  • 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 City of Exeter YMCA?

Overall score
90/100 (5★)
Income
£2.3m
Cause spend
95% of expenditure
Reg number
803226
Scope
Local (exeter)
Reserves
8 months
Trustees
11
Accounts year
2025
Filing
up to date

Where CITY OF EXETER YMCA sits

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

Similar homelessness charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

How can you share City of Exeter YMCA's rating?

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about City of Exeter YMCA's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is City of Exeter YMCA a good charity? +

City of Exeter YMCA scores 90 out of 100 (5 stars — Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 95% 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 City of Exeter YMCA a legitimate charity? +

Yes — City of Exeter YMCA is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 803226). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/803226. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is City of Exeter YMCA's charity number? +

City of Exeter YMCA's charity number is 803226. 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 City of Exeter YMCA's charity rating? +

City of Exeter YMCA scores 90 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 City of Exeter YMCA have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for City of Exeter YMCA. 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 City of Exeter YMCA? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, 95% of City of Exeter YMCA'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 City of Exeter YMCA's overheads? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 5% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 6% of total expenditure at City of Exeter YMCA. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what City of Exeter YMCA'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 City of Exeter YMCA receive? +

City of Exeter YMCA reported £2.3m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are City of Exeter YMCA'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 City of Exeter YMCA based? +

City of Exeter YMCA is listed at Exeter · EX4 4DA, focused on homelessness.

How does CharityCompare score City of Exeter YMCA? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in City of Exeter YMCA'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 City of Exeter YMCA'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.