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GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY

Charity rating & review

90/100 Clarity Score · 4 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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90 /100

Clarity score

Exceptional

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Is GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY a good charity?

GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY scores 90/100 (Exceptional) on our Clarity Score, with 73% of spending going to charitable activities and accounts up to date. This reflects financial transparency and stewardship from Charity Commission filings — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.

United Kingdom Reg 1155156 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY is a registered charity (no. 1155156) working in animals across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 73% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 11 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been declining 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.

In short: GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY scores 90 out of 100 (4 stars). 73% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY has a Clarity Score of 90 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 1155156. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Animals. Latest accounts year 2020: total income £3.8m, with 73% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 11 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

4★ · Great

Cause spend

73%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£3.8m

Latest year 2020

Reserves

11 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£3.2 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 26% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY compares

Clarity Score benchmarked against similar UK charities — higher is better.

Income band (£1m–£5m)90 vs 77 avg

Ranks higher than 85% of 3,014 charities in its income band.

Animals charities90 vs 76 avg

Ranks higher than 84% of 2,982 charities in this cause.

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2020
Filing date
2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
Profile reviewed
2026-06-25

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons require information beyond public filings.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales . Open Government Licence v3.0 .

Beacon report

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from Charity Commission 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 GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY
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 · one or two = 0 pts (governance red flag).

100% 14 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.

100/100

Financial Health metrics for GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of cash)

3–24 months = 15 pts · 1–3 months = 7 pts · under 1 month or over 3 years (hoarding) = 0 pts.

100% 11 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth

Positive or stable three-year revenue trend = 10 pts · sustained decline = 0 pts.

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

Low debt (< 30% liabilities to assets) = 5 pts · high debt = 0 pts.

100% 0% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

50/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts.

50% 73% · 5/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

Spends ≤ £0.20 to raise £1 = 10 pts · £0.21–£0.35 = 5 pts · above £0.35 = 0 pts (fundraising cost ÷ income).

50% 31p per £1 income · 5/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

100/100

Community Support metrics for GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts.

100% 375 volunteers / 79 staff · 10/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

90/100 total · Exceptional · 4 of 4 stars

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

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
100/100
Financial Health
50/100
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 oversight14 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

100/100

Reserves (months of cash)11 months · 15/15 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.

50/100

Program expense ratio73% · 5/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency31p per £1 income · 5/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

100/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio375 volunteers / 79 staff · 10/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2020 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY revenue and expenses for 2020
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £3.8m
Total expenditure £3.8m
Charitable activities £2.9m 77%
Fundraising £862k 23%
Governance & admin £81k 2%
77%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2020) · £3.8m spent

  • Charitable activities77%
  • Fundraising23%
  • Governance2%

Trust indicators

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    14 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    79 employees · 375 volunteers (5:1 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 1155156

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Steven Mark Palmer since 2016
  • Ms Cindy Peck since 2017
  • Paul Rochford Chair · since 2019
  • David Buchanan-Cook since 2020
  • Richard Lloyd Lawton since 2021
  • Barbara Jean Segall since 2022
  • Helen Louise Seal since 2022
  • Richard Timothy Capewell since 2024
  • Susan Mary Burgess since 2024
  • Neville John Stein since 2024
  • Lilidh Charlotte Matthews since 2025
  • James Sinclair Taylor since 2025
How we score charities +

The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK Charity Commission data. Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

Full methodology →

Accountability & Transparency

Scored from filings

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15), declared policies (10).

Financial Health

Scored from filings

30 points — reserves (15), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5).

Financial Efficiency

Scored from filings

20 points — program expense ratio (10), fundraising efficiency (10). Kept at 20% to avoid punishing legitimate infrastructure costs.

Community Support

Scored from filings

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data.

Overall score

Sum of all pillar points. Translated to stars: 90–100 Exceptional (4★), 75–89 Good (3★), 60–74 Needs improvement (2★), below 60 Poor (1★).

Five-year trends

£0k £1500k £3000k £4500k £6000k 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Income 2020: £3,831k Spending 2020: £3,780k Cause spend 2020: £2,919k Income 2021: £5,192k Spending 2021: £4,315k Cause spend 2021: £3,218k Income 2022: £4,033k Spending 2022: £5,066k Cause spend 2022: £3,738k Income 2023: £4,614k Spending 2023: £5,997k Cause spend 2023: £4,243k Income 2024: £4,335k Spending 2024: £5,556k Cause spend 2024: £4,150k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
90/100 (4★)
Income
£3.8m
Cause spend
73% of expenditure
Reg number
1155156
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
11 months
Trustees
14
Accounts year
2020
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY's charity rating? +

GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY scores 90 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Exceptional). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from Charity Commission filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10).

Is GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY a good charity to donate to? +

GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY scores 90 out of 100 (4 stars — Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 73% 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 GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1155156. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY's Charity Commission registration number? +

GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY's registration number is 1155156. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1155156

How much income does GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY receive? +

GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY reported £3.8m total income in its 2020 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 73% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 24% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 26%.

Are GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY's accounts up to date? +

Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY based? +

GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY is listed at United Kingdom and operates UK-wide, focused on animals.

How does CharityCompare score GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY? +

We analyse Charity Commission annual accounts using three-year averages for program expense, fundraising efficiency, and overhead; working capital from reserves vs average expenditure; liabilities-to-assets from the latest balance sheet when available. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons are not yet assessed from public data alone. See our methodology for weights and thresholds.

Does CharityCompare recommend donating to GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY? +

No. CharityCompare provides independent scores and facts from official filings. We do not tell you where to donate or earn commission from charities.

How can I compare GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.