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MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Charity rating & review

75/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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75 /100

Clarity score

Good

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Is MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION a good charity?

MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION scores 75/100 (Good) on our Clarity Score, with 88% 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.

London · UK-wide · EC1M 4BJ Reg 1138223 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION is a registered charity (no. 1138223) working in children & youth across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 88% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 12 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: MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION scores 75 out of 100 (3 stars). 88% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION has a Clarity Score of 75 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1138223. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £3.3m, with 88% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 12 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

75/100

3★ · Good

Cause spend

88%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£3.3m

Latest year 2021

Reserves

12 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£4.0 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 13% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION compares

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

Income band (£1m–£5m)75 vs 77 avg

Ranks higher than 43% of 3,014 charities in its income band.

Children & youth charities75 vs 78 avg

Ranks higher than 41% 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.

100/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION
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% 9 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.

67/100

Financial Health metrics for MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION
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% 12 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth

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

0% 0/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

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

100% 26% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

75/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

100% 88% · 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).

50% 26p per £1 income · 5/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

0/100

Community Support metrics for MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

0% 5 volunteers / 34 staff · 0/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

75/100 total · Good · 3 of 4 stars

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

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
67/100
Financial Health
75/100
Financial Efficiency
0/100
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 oversight9 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

67/100

Reserves (months of cash)12 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth0/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets26% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

75/100

Program expense ratio88% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency26p per £1 income · 5/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

0/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio5 volunteers / 34 staff · 0/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION revenue and expenses for 2021
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £3.3m
Total expenditure £4.1m
Charitable activities £3.4m 84%
Fundraising £654k 16%
Governance & admin £69k 2%
84%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2021) · £4.1m spent

  • Charitable activities84%
  • Fundraising16%
  • 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)

    9 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    34 employees · 5 volunteers (0:1 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 1138223

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Professor Patricia Kingori since 2021
  • Kristen Lee Gallagher since 2021
  • Professor Rosalind Louise Smyth CBE since 2022
  • Professor Richard John Mark Coward since 2022
  • Professor Paul Moss OBE Chair · since 2023
  • Richard Henry Walters since 2022
  • Professor Melanie Newport since 2024
  • Dr Susan Simon since 2024
  • MARY CATHERINE FAGAN 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 £2800k £5600k £8400k £11200k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £3,306k Spending 2021: £4,089k Cause spend 2021: £3,436k Income 2022: £5,709k Spending 2022: £9,649k Cause spend 2022: £8,753k Income 2023: £5,056k Spending 2023: £8,693k Cause spend 2023: £7,671k Income 2024: £4,779k Spending 2024: £9,087k Cause spend 2024: £8,089k Income 2025: £3,743k Spending 2025: £11,044k Cause spend 2025: £9,638k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
75/100 (3★)
Income
£3.3m
Cause spend
88% of expenditure
Reg number
1138223
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
12 months
Trustees
9
Accounts year
2021
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION's charity rating? +

MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION scores 75 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 MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION a good charity to donate to? +

MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION scores 75 out of 100 (3 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 88% 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 MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1138223. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION's Charity Commission registration number? +

MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION's registration number is 1138223. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1138223

How much income does MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION receive? +

MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION reported £3.3m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 88% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 12% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 13%.

Are MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION'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 MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION based? +

MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION is listed at London · UK-wide · EC1M 4BJ and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.

How does CharityCompare score MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION? +

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 MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION? +

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 MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.