--- title: "Gloucester Cathedral rating & legitimacy | CharityCompare" description: "Is Gloucester Cathedral a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 63/100. Accounts 2024: income £4.8m · 53% on charitable activities. Reg 1201309." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/gloucester-cathedral retrieved: 2026-08-18T02:01:33.329Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is Gloucester Cathedral a good charity? Gloucester Cathedral scores 63/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£4.8m total income, 53% 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. Gloucester · GL1 2LX | Reg [1201309](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/gloucester-cathedral) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1201309) Donate ## How can you give to GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1201309) ## What does Gloucester Cathedral do? Gloucester Cathedral is a registered charity (no. 1201309) working in heritage in Gloucester · GL1 2LX. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 53% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 0 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. 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 — Gloucester Cathedral hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=gloucester-cathedral) **In short:** GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL scores 63 out of 100 (3 stars). 53% average program spend (2-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below. ## What is Gloucester Cathedral? Gloucester Cathedral has a Clarity Score of 63 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1201309. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Heritage. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £4.8m, with 53% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 0 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 63/100 3★ · Needs improvement Cause spend 53% 2-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 100/100 Finance beacon Income £4.8m Latest year 2024 Reserves 0 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £2.4 raised per £1 fundraising (2-yr avg) · 48% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: medium ## How does GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL scores higher than. Income band (£1m–£5m)14thpercentile **Scores higher than 14% of 2,776 charities in its income band** · 63/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). Heritage charities13thpercentile **Scores higher than 13% of 151 charities in this cause** · 63/100 vs 77 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is Gloucester Cathedral's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2024 Filing date 24 June 2026 Profile reviewed 17 July 2026 Medium confidence — some data missing or late 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 Gloucester Cathedral'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% | 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. 40/100 | 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% | 0 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. | 70% | 7/10 pts · 2-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 100% | 4% · 5/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 5/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 10% | 53% · 1/10 pts (2-year average) | | Fundraising efficiency ≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income). | 0% | 42p per £1 income · 0/10 pts (2-year average) | ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 100/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 100% | 300 volunteers / 84 staff · 10/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is Gloucester Cathedral's Clarity Score? 63/100 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 40/100 Financial Health 5/100 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 oversight11 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies10/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 40/100 Reserves (months of cash)0 months · 0/15 pts Income stability / growth7/10 pts · 2-year average Liabilities to assets4% · 5/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 5/100 Program expense ratio53% · 1/10 pts (2-year average) Fundraising efficiency42p per £1 income · 0/10 pts (2-year average) ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 100/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratio300 volunteers / 84 staff · 10/10 pts ## How much does Gloucester Cathedral raise and spend? Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £4.8m | — | | Total expenditure | £4.3m | — | | Charitable activities | £2.4m | 56% | | Fundraising | £1.9m | 43% | | Governance & admin | £72k | 2% | 56%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2024) · £4.3m spent - Charitable activities56% · £2.4m - Fundraising43% · £1.9m - Governance2% · £72k ## What trust indicators does Gloucester Cathedral 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) 11 trustees on the Charity Commission register - ✓ Workforce on register 84 employees · 300 volunteers (4:1 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 1201309 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/1201309) ### Trustees & officers - Canon Margaret Eleanor Sheather since 2018 - Rev Nicola Mary Arthy M.A. since 2009 - Revd. Canon Dr Rebecca Joanne Lloyd since 2022 - Marion David since 2023 - Jane Macdowall-Scott since 2023 - Very Revd Andrew Zihni Chair · since 2023 - Revd Canon Dr Sandra Millar since 2023 - Rev Canon Craig John Huxley-Jones since 2024 - Stuart Lee Hutton since 2024 - William Donaldson since 2025 - Alexandra Hardy 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 Gloucester Cathedral'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 Gloucester Cathedral? Overall score 63/100 (3★) Income £4.8m Cause spend 53% of expenditure Reg number 1201309 Scope Local (gloucester) Reserves 0 months Trustees 11 Accounts year 2024 Filing up to date ## How does GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL compare, and where else can you look? [Compare GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=gloucester-cathedral) [More heritage charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/heritage) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [heritage charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/heritage) - [religion charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/religion) - [Charities in Gloucester](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/gloucester) ### Similar heritage charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [HARTLEBURY CASTLE PRESERVATION TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/hartlebury-castle-preservation-trust) 100/100 · £612k - [ST BARTHOLOMEW'S HERITAGE](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/st-bartholomew-s-heritage) 99/100 · £5.7m - [JANE AUSTEN'S HOUSE MUSEUM](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/jane-austen-s-house-museum) 98/100 · £2.0m - [MILTON KEYNES MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/milton-keynes-museum-trust-limited) 98/100 · £763k ## How can you share Gloucester Cathedral'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 63/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/gloucester-cathedral) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 63/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## What red flags does Gloucester Cathedral have? ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about Gloucester Cathedral's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is Gloucester Cathedral a good charity? + Gloucester Cathedral scores 63 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 53% 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 Gloucester Cathedral a legitimate charity? + Yes — Gloucester Cathedral is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1201309). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1201309. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is Gloucester Cathedral's charity number? + Gloucester Cathedral's charity number is 1201309. 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 Gloucester Cathedral's charity rating? + Gloucester Cathedral scores 63 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 Gloucester Cathedral have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Gloucester Cathedral. 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 Gloucester Cathedral? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, 53% of Gloucester Cathedral'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 Gloucester Cathedral's overheads? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 46% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 48% of total expenditure at Gloucester Cathedral. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Gloucester Cathedral'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 Gloucester Cathedral receive? + Gloucester Cathedral reported £4.8m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: limited history. Are Gloucester Cathedral'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 Gloucester Cathedral based? + Gloucester Cathedral is listed at Gloucester · GL1 2LX, focused on heritage. How does CharityCompare score Gloucester Cathedral? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Gloucester Cathedral'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 Gloucester Cathedral'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.