Environment · Reg 1164156
Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre
Charity rating & review
60/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Needs improvement
Quick answer
Is Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre a good charity?
Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre scores 60/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£194k total income, cause-spend split not disclosed). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.
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How can you give to PORTLAND BIRD OBSERVATORY AND FIELD CENTRE?
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What does Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre do?
Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre is a registered charity (no. 1164156) working in environment in DT5 2JT. Its latest Charity Commission filing does not disclose a charitable-activities spend split in recent filings, holding roughly 106 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈22% 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.
Summarised from public filings — Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →
In short: PORTLAND BIRD OBSERVATORY AND FIELD CENTRE scores 60 out of 100 (3 stars). Cause-spend split not disclosed in recent filings. Review the pillar breakdown below.
What is Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre?
Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre has a Clarity Score of 60 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1164156. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Environment. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £194k, cause-spend split not disclosed in that filing. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 106 months of operating costs. 2 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
60/100
3★ · Needs improvement
Cause spend
N/D
Not disclosed in filings
Accountability
100/100
Finance beacon
Income
£194k
Latest year 2024
Reserves
106 mo
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
On time
Charity Commission
Fundraising efficiency not stated · Overhead not disclosed · Website on register · Confidence: high
How does PORTLAND BIRD OBSERVATORY AND FIELD CENTRE compare?
Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers PORTLAND BIRD OBSERVATORY AND FIELD CENTRE scores higher than.
Scores higher than 26% of 972 charities in its income band · 60/100 vs 70 peer average (marker).
Scores higher than 15% of 460 charities in this cause · 60/100 vs 76 peer average (marker).
How reliable is Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre's data?
- Source
- Charity Commission (England & Wales)
- Accounts year
- 2024
- Filing date
- Profile reviewed
High confidence — complete filing data
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, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Open Government Licence v3.0 .
What is Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre'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% | 12 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.
0/100
| 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% | 106 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. | 0% | 0/10 pts · 3-year average |
| Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 0% | Not stated · 0/5 pts |
Financial Efficiency
How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.
50/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 0% | Not stated · 0/10 pts |
| Fundraising efficiency ≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income). | 100% | 0p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-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% | 500 volunteers / 2 staff · 10/10 pts |
What is Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre's Clarity Score?
60/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars
Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.
Accountability & Transparency
Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.
100/100
Financial Health
Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.
0/100
Financial Efficiency
How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.
50/100
Community Support
Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.
100/100
How much does Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre raise and spend?
Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
|---|---|---|
| Total income | £194k | — |
| Total expenditure | £292k | — |
| Charitable activities | Not disclosed | — |
Where does the money go?
Latest accounts (2024) · £292k spent. Not disclosed in this filing — the Charity Commission return omits the charitable-activities split.
What trust indicators does Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre have?
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)
12 trustees on the Charity Commission register
-
Workforce on register
2 employees · 500 volunteers (250:1 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 1164156
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →Trustees & officers
- PETER JOHN MORGAN Chair · since 2018
- LUCY JESSICA CUMBERLAND since 2018
- James Francis Phillips since 2018
- Dr Nevil Howard Fowler since 2018
- Dr GLEN THOMAS since 2018
- Luke Christopher Phillips since 2018
- Simon James Craft since 2016
- Rosemary Morgan since 2018
- Andrew Davidson since 2019
- Mark Cutts since 2019
- Susan Murphy since 2024
- Ian Davidson since 2024
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.
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 Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre'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 Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre?
- Overall score
- 60/100 (3★)
- Income
- £194k
- Cause spend
- Not disclosed
- Reg number
- 1164156
- Scope
- Local (—)
- Reserves
- 106 months
- Trustees
- 12
- Accounts year
- 2024
- Filing
- up to date
How does PORTLAND BIRD OBSERVATORY AND FIELD CENTRE compare, and where else can you look?
Where PORTLAND BIRD OBSERVATORY AND FIELD CENTRE sits
The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby.
Similar environment charities
Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score
- ESSEX AND SUFFOLK RIVERS TRUST 100/100 · £963k
- GREAT WESTERN SOCIETY LIMITED 99/100 · £3.9m
- THE MID-NORFOLK RAILWAY PRESERVATION TRUST 99/100 · £2.5m
- THE SHARPHAM TRUST 99/100 · £2.2m
How can you share Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre's rating?
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What red flags does Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre have?
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
Is Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre a good charity? +
Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre scores 60 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Its recent filings do not disclose a charitable-activities spend split 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 Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre a legitimate charity? +
Yes — Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1164156). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1164156. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.
What is Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre's charity number? +
Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre's charity number is 1164156. 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 Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre's charity rating? +
Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre scores 60 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 Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre have reviews and complaints? +
CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts (2 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 Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre? +
Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre does not disclose a charitable-activities spend split in its recent UK regulator filings, so there is no official figure for how much of a donation reaches the cause. CharityCompare reports this as "not disclosed" rather than assuming a number.
What are Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre's overheads? +
Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre's recent UK regulator filings do not disclose a fundraising or governance cost split, so no official overhead percentage is available. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre'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 Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre receive? +
Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre reported £194k total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.
Are Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre'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 Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre based? +
Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre is listed at DT5 2JT, focused on environment.
How does CharityCompare score Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre? +
We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre'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 Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre'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.