--- title: "Colchester Zoological Society rating | CharityCompare" description: "Is Colchester Zoological Society a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 74/100. Accounts 2024: income £4.4m · 100% on charitable activities. Reg 1105621." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/colchester-zoological-society retrieved: 2026-08-18T01:28:21.379Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is Colchester Zoological Society a good charity? Colchester Zoological Society scores 74/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£4.4m total income, 100% 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. Colchester · UK-wide · CO3 0SL | Reg [1105621](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/colchester-zoological-society) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.colchesterzoologicalsociety.com/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1105621) Donate ## How can you give to COLCHESTER ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official COLCHESTER ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.colchesterzoologicalsociety.com/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1105621) ## What does Colchester Zoological Society do? Colchester Zoological Society is a registered charity (no. 1105621) working in animals across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 100% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 130 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income changed sharply in 2021 (likely a merger, transfer or reporting change) — year-on-year trend labels are not meaningful across that step. 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 — Colchester Zoological Society hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=colchester-zoological-society) **In short:** COLCHESTER ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY scores 74 out of 100 (3 stars). 100% average program spend (2-year average, disclosed years only). Review the pillar breakdown below. ## What is Colchester Zoological Society? Colchester Zoological Society has a Clarity Score of 74 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1105621. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Animals. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £4.4m, with 100% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 130 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](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026. Overall score 74/100 3★ · Needs improvement Cause spend 100% 2-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 85/100 Finance beacon Income £4.4m Latest year 2024 Reserves 130 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £2554.2 raised per £1 fundraising (2-yr avg) · 6% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does COLCHESTER ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers COLCHESTER ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY scores higher than. Income band (£1m–£5m)35thpercentile **Scores higher than 35% of 2,776 charities in its income band** · 74/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). Animals charities37thpercentile **Scores higher than 37% of 370 charities in this cause** · 74/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is Colchester Zoological Society'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 Colchester Zoological Society'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. 85/100 | 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% | 5 trustees · 15/15 pts | | Declared policies Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return. | 40% | 4/10 pts | ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 50/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 0% | 130 months · 0/15 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. | 100% | 0% · 5/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 100% | 100% · 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% | 0p 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% | 18 volunteers · 5/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is Colchester Zoological Society's Clarity Score? 74/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 85/100 Accountability & Transparency 50/100 Financial Health 100/100 Financial Efficiency 50/100 Community Support ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 85/100 Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts Trustee oversight5 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies4/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 50/100 Reserves (months of cash)130 months · 0/15 pts Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets0% · 5/5 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. 50/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratio18 volunteers · 5/10 pts ## How much does Colchester Zoological Society raise and spend? Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £4.4m | — | | Total expenditure | £511k | — | | Charitable activities | £509k | 100% | | Fundraising | £850 | 0% | | Governance & admin | £79k | 15% | 100%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2024) · £511k spent - Charitable activities100% · £509k - Fundraising0% · £850 - Governance15% · £79k ## What trust indicators does Colchester Zoological Society 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) 5 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 →](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/members/) Official register Reg 1105621 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/1105621) ### Trustees & officers - Andrew Lewis since 2021 - Elizabeth Anne Butcher since 2024 - Robert Lees since 2024 - Alan Bruford since 2024 - Jayne Griffiths-Scott 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 Colchester Zoological Society'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 Colchester Zoological Society? Overall score 74/100 (3★) Income £4.4m Cause spend 100% of expenditure Reg number 1105621 Scope UK-wide Reserves 130 months Trustees 5 Accounts year 2024 Filing up to date ## How does COLCHESTER ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY compare, and where else can you look? [Compare COLCHESTER ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=colchester-zoological-society) [More animals charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/animals) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where COLCHESTER ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [animals charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/animals) - [environment charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/environment) - [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education) - [children charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/children) - [Charities in Colchester](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/colchester) ### Similar animals charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [TEES RIVERS CHARITABLE TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/tees-rivers-charitable-trust) 100/100 · £2.0m - [THE RSPCA DANAHER ANIMAL HOME](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-rspca-danaher-animal-home) 100/100 · £1.4m - [GREENACRES RESCUE LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/greenacres-rescue-limited) 100/100 · £884k - [GREATWOOD CHARITY LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/greatwood-charity-limited) 100/100 · £851k ## How can you share Colchester Zoological Society'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 74/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/colchester-zoological-society) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 74/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## What red flags does Colchester Zoological Society have? ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about Colchester Zoological Society's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is Colchester Zoological Society a good charity? + Colchester Zoological Society scores 74 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator 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 Colchester Zoological Society a legitimate charity? + Yes — Colchester Zoological Society is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1105621). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1105621. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is Colchester Zoological Society's charity number? + Colchester Zoological Society's charity number is 1105621. 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 Colchester Zoological Society's charity rating? + Colchester Zoological Society scores 74 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Needs improvement). 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 Colchester Zoological Society have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Colchester Zoological Society. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts (1 filing concern(s) noted on this profile). For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate. How much of my donation reaches Colchester Zoological Society? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, 100% of Colchester Zoological Society's total spending went to charitable activities (2-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 Colchester Zoological Society's overheads? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 0% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 6% of total expenditure at Colchester Zoological Society. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Colchester Zoological Society'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 Colchester Zoological Society receive? + Colchester Zoological Society reported £4.4m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: restructured. Are Colchester Zoological Society'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 Colchester Zoological Society based? + Colchester Zoological Society is listed at Colchester · UK-wide · CO3 0SL and operates UK-wide, focused on animals. How does CharityCompare score Colchester Zoological Society? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Colchester Zoological Society'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 Colchester Zoological Society'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.