--- title: "General Optical Council — charity 1150137 | CharityCompare" description: "General Optical Council (charity 1150137): income £12.2m (2025). Registration, accounts, senior pay, Gift Aid and official sources." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/general-optical-council retrieved: 2026-10-06T17:30:48.635Z date_note: "Retrieval time is not the filing, register-extract or editorial-review date; cite those dates from the content." license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Registered charity · No. 1150137 GO # General Optical Council Independent profile · Charity Commission for England and Wales data General Optical Council is a registered charity in England & Wales. Its register classifications include education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives. Register extract 2026-10-04 · Not yet rated [Visit charity website](http://www.optical.org/) [Check official registration](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=1150137&subId=0) Work at General Optical Council? [Claim this profile free](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=general-optical-council&type=claim&name=General%20Optical%20Council) to add your own description, logo and links. At a glance · official register ## What are the key facts about General Optical Council? Reported income · year ending 2025-03-31 £12,176,749 Reported spending · year ending 2025-03-31 £13,110,337 Registered charity number 1150137 Status in source extract Registered Charity type Other Register contact address detail (not service area) Part Floor 29, 1 Canada Square Registered for Gift Aid (HMRC) Not recorded Website [www.optical.org](http://www.optical.org/) Quick answer General Optical Council (number 1150137) is listed as registered in the Charity Commission snapshot used here. Check the live register for its current position. Registration does not authenticate a particular fundraising appeal or establish the impact of a donation. ## What does General Optical Council do? We are the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. Our statutory role is to protect and promote the health and safety of members of the public by promoting high standards of professional education, conduct and performance among our registrants. We currently register around 26,000 optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians and optical businesses. Activities reported on the official register · extract 2026-10-04. From the annual return ## Pay, income, Gift Aid and registration details for General Optical Council Answers General Optical Council gave in its annual return to the Charity Commission for the year ending 31 March 2025, plus its register entry. A blank answer in the return is shown as not reported, never as “no”. ### How much are General Optical Council's highest-paid staff paid? General Optical Council's annual return for the year ending 31 March 2025 reports 21 employees paid more than £60,000, including 7 employees paid more than £100,000. The highest reported pay band is £150,001–£200,000 (1 employee). Employees paid over £60,000, by salary band | £150,001–£200,000 | 1 | | --- | --- | | £130,001–£140,000 | 1 | | £120,001–£130,000 | 1 | | £100,001–£110,000 | 4 | | £80,001–£90,000 | 1 | | £70,001–£80,000 | 6 | | £60,001–£70,000 | 7 | The register reports headcounts in salary bands, not names. Individual pay is disclosed in the trustees' annual report. ### Where does General Optical Council's money come from? General Optical Council reported £12m total income for the year ending 31 March 2025. The largest sources were charitable activities £12m (96%), investments £478k (4%). - Charitable activities (fees and contracts)£12m · 96% - Investments£478k · 4% ### Can I claim Gift Aid, and are the trustees paid? The register does not record General Optical Council as registered with HMRC for Gift Aid. Ask the charity before assuming a donation can be Gift Aided. General Optical Council's annual return for the year ending 31 March 2025 reports that one or more trustees received payments or other benefits (payments for acting as a trustee). Charity law allows this only in limited circumstances; the trustees' annual report should explain it. ### Registration details Registered as a charity 12 December 2012 Where it says it operates Scotland · Northern Ireland · Throughout England and Wales ## Who it supports and how it works **Reported beneficiaries:** Other Defined Groups; The General Public/mankind. **Reported activities:** Provides Services; Provides Advocacy/advice/information; Sponsors Or Undertakes Research. Classifications supplied to the register; extract 2026-10-04. These broad categories do not establish eligibility or current capacity. Use the official contact details to ask about access, referrals and service area. ## What causes is General Optical Council registered for? Education/trainingThe Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives ## Why is there no Clarity Score for General Optical Council yet? Our dataset does not yet contain the detailed filing history needed to score General Optical Council. An unrated profile is a gap in our assessment, not a negative judgement about the charity. The register facts and available annual-return disclosures above remain useful. Payment never influences a rating. [How scoring works](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What should you check before donating to General Optical Council? - Match the registered name and number to the appeal. A real charity number can be copied by someone impersonating the organisation. - Open the current register entry to check status, contact details and available accounts. This profile reflects a dated extract. - Read the charity’s annual report for its work and results. An unrated profile means we lack a full assessment; it is not a negative rating. [How to read charity accounts](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/how-to-read-accounts) · [Explore rated charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity-directory) ## Is this your charity? Claim this profile free to submit your description and an optional logo for review, correct details, or respond publicly. Approved claims show attribution and claimed status. Optional paid plans add enhanced media, reporting and labelled featured visibility by tier; they never change a score. [Claim this profile — free](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=general-optical-council&type=claim&name=General%20Optical%20Council) [Visit charity website](http://www.optical.org/) ## Frequently asked questions Is General Optical Council a legitimate charity? The register data used for this profile lists General Optical Council as a registered charity (number 1150137) with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Check the current register entry. A real charity number does not verify a fundraiser or appeal, and registration is not an impact rating. What is General Optical Council's charity number? General Optical Council's charity number is 1150137. Check that number on the Charity Commission register or this CharityCompare profile before you donate. How do I check charity number 1150137? Search 1150137 on the Charity Commission for England and Wales register or on CharityCompare. Confirm the registered name matches the organisation asking for money — scammers sometimes reuse real charity numbers. What does General Optical Council do? We are the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. Our statutory role is to protect and promote the health and safety of members of the public by promoting high standards of professional education, conduct and performance among our registrants. We currently register around 26,000 optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians and optical businesses. Does General Optical Council have reviews and complaints? CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for General Optical Council. This basic profile confirms registration and register facts. Rated charities also show a filing-based Clarity Score. For formal complaints, contact the Charity Commission for England and Wales or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate. How can I donate to General Optical Council? General Optical Council's website listed in our register data is http://www.optical.org. Verify it against the current register before donating. CharityCompare does not process donations or take a commission; the charity's payment provider may charge fees. How much is General Optical Council's chief executive paid? The Charity Commission register does not name individual salaries. General Optical Council's annual return for the year ending 31 March 2025 reports 21 employees paid more than £60,000, including 7 employees paid more than £100,000. The highest reported pay band is £150,001–£200,000 (1 employee). Charities normally disclose the chief executive's pay, or the pay of their highest-paid staff, in the remuneration note of the trustees' annual report and accounts. Where does General Optical Council's money come from? General Optical Council reported £12m total income for the year ending 31 March 2025. The largest sources were charitable activities £12m (96%), investments £478k (4%). Can I claim Gift Aid on a donation to General Optical Council? The register does not record General Optical Council as registered with HMRC for Gift Aid. Ask the charity before assuming a donation can be Gift Aided. Are General Optical Council's trustees paid? General Optical Council's annual return for the year ending 31 March 2025 reports that one or more trustees received payments or other benefits (payments for acting as a trustee). Charity law allows this only in limited circumstances; the trustees' annual report should explain it. When was General Optical Council registered as a charity? General Optical Council was entered on the register on 12 December 2012. Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales register extract dated 2026-10-04, used under the [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). Always verify current details on the [official register entry](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=1150137&subId=0).