--- title: "Downside Abbey General Trust charity rating | CharityCompare" description: "Is Downside Abbey General Trust a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 72/100. Accounts 2025: income £1.3m · 100% on charitable activities. Reg 1158507." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/downside-abbey-general-trust retrieved: 2026-08-18T05:50:51.162Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is Downside Abbey General Trust a good charity? Downside Abbey General Trust scores 72/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£1.3m 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. Bath · BA3 4RH | Reg [1158507](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/downside-abbey-general-trust) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.downsideabbey.co.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1158507) Donate ## How can you give to DOWNSIDE ABBEY GENERAL TRUST? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official DOWNSIDE ABBEY GENERAL TRUST form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.downsideabbey.co.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1158507) ## What does Downside Abbey General Trust do? Downside Abbey General Trust is a registered charity (no. 1158507) working in religion in Bath · BA3 4RH. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 100% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 111 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been declining (≈10% 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 — Downside Abbey General Trust hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=downside-abbey-general-trust) **In short:** DOWNSIDE ABBEY GENERAL TRUST scores 72 out of 100 (3 stars). 100% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below. ## What is Downside Abbey General Trust? Downside Abbey General Trust has a Clarity Score of 72 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1158507. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Religion. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £1.3m, with 100% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 111 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 72/100 3★ · Needs improvement Cause spend 100% 3-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 100/100 Finance beacon Income £1.3m Latest year 2025 Reserves 111 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £243.5 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 9% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does DOWNSIDE ABBEY GENERAL TRUST compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers DOWNSIDE ABBEY GENERAL TRUST scores higher than. Income band (£1m–£5m)30thpercentile **Scores higher than 30% of 2,776 charities in its income band** · 72/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). Religion charities33rdpercentile **Scores higher than 33% of 519 charities in this cause** · 72/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is Downside Abbey General Trust's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2025 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 Downside Abbey General Trust'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% | 4 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. 17/100 | 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% | 111 month · 0/15 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. | 80% | 17% · 4/5 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. 70/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 70% | 10 volunteers / 7 staff · 7/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is Downside Abbey General Trust's Clarity Score? 72/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 100/100 Accountability & Transparency 17/100 Financial Health 100/100 Financial Efficiency 70/100 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 oversight4 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies10/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 17/100 Reserves (months of cash)111 month · 0/15 pts Income stability / growth1/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets17% · 4/5 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. 70/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratio10 volunteers / 7 staff · 7/10 pts ## How much does Downside Abbey General Trust raise and spend? Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £1.3m | — | | Total expenditure | £2.9m | — | | Charitable activities | £2.9m | 100% | | Fundraising | £4k | 0% | | Governance & admin | £176k | 6% | 100%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2025) · £2.9m spent - Charitable activities100% · £2.9m - Fundraising0% · £4k - Governance6% · £176k ## What trust indicators does Downside Abbey General Trust 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) 4 trustees on the Charity Commission register - ✓ Workforce on register 7 employees · 10 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 1158507 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/1158507) ### Trustees & officers - Rev MARTIN JOSEPH BLANCO HOOD OSB since 2022 - Rev MARC DAVID BRUMWELL OSB since 2022 - Right Rev Nicholas Philip Wetz OSB since 2022 - Richard Bevan since 2022 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 Downside Abbey General Trust'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 Downside Abbey General Trust? Overall score 72/100 (3★) Income £1.3m Cause spend 100% of expenditure Reg number 1158507 Scope Local (bath) Reserves 111 months Trustees 4 Accounts year 2025 Filing up to date ## How does DOWNSIDE ABBEY GENERAL TRUST compare, and where else can you look? [Compare DOWNSIDE ABBEY GENERAL TRUST with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=downside-abbey-general-trust) [More religion charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/religion) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where DOWNSIDE ABBEY GENERAL TRUST sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [religion charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/religion) - [arts charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/arts) - [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education) - [children charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/children) - [Charities in Bath](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/bath) ### Similar religion charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [BIRMINGHAM DIOCESAN TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/birmingham-diocesan-trust) 100/100 · £24m - [ARCHDIOCESE OF CARDIFF-MENEVIA](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/archdiocese-of-cardiff-menevia) 100/100 · £6.0m - [FRIENDS INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/friends-international-ministries) 100/100 · £2.9m - [THE ENGLISH SANGHA TRUST LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-english-sangha-trust-limited) 100/100 · £2.2m ## How can you share Downside Abbey General Trust'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 72/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/downside-abbey-general-trust) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 72/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## What red flags does Downside Abbey General Trust have? ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about Downside Abbey General Trust's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is Downside Abbey General Trust a good charity? + Downside Abbey General Trust scores 72 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 Downside Abbey General Trust a legitimate charity? + Yes — Downside Abbey General Trust is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1158507). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1158507. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is Downside Abbey General Trust's charity number? + Downside Abbey General Trust's charity number is 1158507. 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 Downside Abbey General Trust's charity rating? + Downside Abbey General Trust scores 72 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 Downside Abbey General Trust have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Downside Abbey General Trust. 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 Downside Abbey General Trust? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 100% of Downside Abbey General Trust'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 Downside Abbey General Trust's overheads? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 0% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 9% of total expenditure at Downside Abbey General Trust. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Downside Abbey General Trust'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 Downside Abbey General Trust receive? + Downside Abbey General Trust reported £1.3m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: declining. Are Downside Abbey General Trust'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 Downside Abbey General Trust based? + Downside Abbey General Trust is listed at Bath · BA3 4RH, focused on religion. How does CharityCompare score Downside Abbey General Trust? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Downside Abbey General Trust'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 Downside Abbey General Trust'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.