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Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Charity rating & review

80/100 Clarity Score · 4 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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80 /100

Clarity score

Good

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Quick answer

Is Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland a good charity?

Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland scores 80/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its Charity Commission filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£7.9m total income, 69% 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.

London · UK-wide · SE1 8QD Reg 205395 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a registered charity (no. 205395) working in disability across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 69% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 6 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈9% a year). 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: MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY GROUP OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND scores 80 out of 100 (4 stars). 69% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has a Clarity Score of 80 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 205395. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Disability. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £7.9m, with 69% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 6 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, last updated .

Overall score

80/100

4★ · Good

Cause spend

69%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£7.9m

Latest year 2025

Reserves

6 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£3.3 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 32% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY GROUP OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND compares

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY GROUP OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND scores higher than.

Income band (£5m–£10m)54thpercentile

Scores higher than 54% of 619 charities in its income band · 80/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

Disability charities48thpercentile

Scores higher than 48% of 711 charities in this cause · 80/100 vs 79 peer average (marker).

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2025
Filing date
Profile reviewed

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. Sources: Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. 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 MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY GROUP OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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% 15 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.

73/100

Financial Health metrics for MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY GROUP OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of cash)

3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts.

100% 6 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth

+20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between.

40% 4/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt.

60% 27% · 3/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

40/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY GROUP OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below.

50% 69% · 5/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income).

30% 31p per £1 income · 3/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

100/100

Community Support metrics for MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY GROUP OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between.

100% 520 volunteers / 73 staff · 10/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

80/100 total · Good · 4 of 5 stars

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

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
73/100
Financial Health
40/100
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 oversight15 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

73/100

Reserves (months of cash)6 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth4/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets27% · 3/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

40/100

Program expense ratio69% · 5/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency31p per £1 income · 3/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

100/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio520 volunteers / 73 staff · 10/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY GROUP OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND revenue and expenses for 2025
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £7.9m
Total expenditure £10m
Charitable activities £6.9m 68%
Fundraising £3.2m 32%
Governance & admin £41k 0%
68%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2025) · £10m spent

  • Charitable activities68%
  • Fundraising32%
  • Governance0%

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

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    15 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    73 employees · 520 volunteers (7:1 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 205395

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • PROFESSOR MICHAEL HANNA since 2013
  • Joseph Eoin Gordon since 2019
  • Claire Louise O'Hanlon since 2020
  • Carole Michelle Anthony since 2021
  • Prof Deirdre Kelly CBE since 2021
  • Brigid Sutcliffe since 2022
  • Lord John Kevin Sharkey since 2023
  • JAMES HANYUNG LEE since 2023
  • Gerard McMenemy since 2023
  • Chloe Jasmine Hazel Docker since 2024
  • Jennifer Christine Howells since 2025
  • Prof Simon Guy Ray 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) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

Full 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 map the 0–100 score onto a familiar 5★ scale (≈20 points per star): 90–100 → 5★, 70–89 → 4★, 50–69 → 3★, 30–49 → 2★, 1–29 → 1★.

Five-year trends

£0k £2600k £5200k £7800k £10400k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £5,544k Spending 2021: £3,574k Cause spend 2021: £2,371k Income 2022: £6,669k Spending 2022: £5,609k Cause spend 2022: £3,781k Income 2023: £8,221k Spending 2023: £6,856k Cause spend 2023: £4,826k Income 2024: £9,508k Spending 2024: £8,042k Cause spend 2024: £5,446k Income 2025: £7,912k Spending 2025: £10,091k Cause spend 2025: £6,869k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Cause spend plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
80/100 (4★)
Income
£7.9m
Cause spend
69% of expenditure
Reg number
205395
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
6 months
Trustees
15
Accounts year
2025
Filing
up to date

Similar disability charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

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Red flags

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland a good charity? +

Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland scores 80 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 69% 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 Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland a legitimate charity? +

Yes — Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 205395. You can verify the entry on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/205395

What is Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's charity rating? +

Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland scores 80 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 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).

How much of my donation reaches Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? +

According to its 2025 Charity Commission filing, 69% of Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's total spending went to charitable activities (3-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 Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's overheads? +

According to its 2025 Charity Commission filing, fundraising costs were about 31% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 32% of total expenditure at Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'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 Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland receive? +

Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland reported £7.9m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'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 Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland based? +

Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is listed at London · UK-wide · SE1 8QD and operates UK-wide, focused on disability.

How does CharityCompare score Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? +

We analyse Charity Commission annual accounts using three-year averages for program expense, fundraising efficiency, and overhead (disclosed years only); 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. 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 Charity Commission data available to CharityCompare, and Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's most recent accounts cover 2025. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.