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INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS

Charity rating & review

81/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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81 /100

Clarity score

Good

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Is INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS a good charity?

INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS scores 81/100 (Good) on our Clarity Score, with 99% 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 249882 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS is a registered charity (no. 249882) working in children & youth across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 99% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 26 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: INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS scores 81 out of 100 (3 stars). 99% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS has a Clarity Score of 81 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 249882. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £481k, with 99% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 26 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

81/100

3★ · Good

Cause spend

99%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

90/100

Finance beacon

Income

£481k

Latest year 2021

Reserves

26 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£74.8 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 1% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS compares

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

Income band (£100k–£500k)81 vs 77 avg

Ranks higher than 58% of 2,492 charities in its income band.

Children & youth charities81 vs 78 avg

Ranks higher than 54% of 3,988 charities in this cause.

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2021
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.

90/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS
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% 11 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies

Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return.

60% 6/10 pts

Financial Health

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

50/100

Financial Health metrics for INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS
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.

0% 26 months · 0/15 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% 1% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

100% 99% · 10/10 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).

100% 1p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

100/100

Community Support metrics for INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

100% 52 volunteers / 6 staff · 10/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

81/100 total · Good · 3 of 4 stars

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

90/100
Accountability & Transparency
50/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
100/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

90/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts
Trustee oversight11 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies6/10 pts

Financial Health

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

50/100

Reserves (months of cash)26 months · 0/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets1% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio99% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency1p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

100/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio52 volunteers / 6 staff · 10/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS revenue and expenses for 2021
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £481k
Total expenditure £568k
0%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2021) · £568k spent

  • Other spending100%

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)

    11 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    6 employees · 52 volunteers (9:1 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 →

Official register

Reg 249882

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • MAJOR GENERAL DAVID WILLIAM SOUTHALL CBE since 2020
  • COLONEL JONATHAN LAYTON PRICHARD KVRM since 2020
  • Brig James David Webster since 2022
  • Colonel Simon Justin Graham since 2024
  • Brigadier Peter Thomas Quaite OBE since 2024
  • Colonel Alexander John Harris since 2024
  • Brigadier James Douglas Stuart since 2025
  • COLONEL DANIEL HALL VR since 2025
  • MAJOR GENERAL ANDREW JOHN WINGATE STURROCK since 2026
  • COLONEL GUY STUART CHEESMAN ADC since 2026
  • CORPS SERGEANT MAJOR CRAIG SMITH since 2026
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 £200k £400k £600k £800k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £481k Spending 2021: £568k Cause spend 2021: £426k Income 2022: £526k Spending 2022: £559k Cause spend 2022: £555k Income 2023: £561k Spending 2023: £546k Cause spend 2023: £526k Income 2024: £605k Spending 2024: £566k Cause spend 2024: £564k Income 2025: £622k Spending 2025: £574k Cause spend 2025: £573k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
81/100 (3★)
Income
£481k
Cause spend
99% of expenditure
Reg number
249882
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
26 months
Trustees
11
Accounts year
2021
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS's charity rating? +

INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS scores 81 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Good). 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 INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS a good charity to donate to? +

INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS scores 81 out of 100 (3 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 99% 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 INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 249882. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS's Charity Commission registration number? +

INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS's registration number is 249882. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/249882

How much income does INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS receive? +

INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS reported £481k total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 99% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 1% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 1%.

Are INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS'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 INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS based? +

INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS is listed at United Kingdom and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.

How does CharityCompare score INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS? +

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 INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS? +

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 INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.