--- title: "Royal Voluntary Service rating & legitimacy | CharityCompare" description: "Is Royal Voluntary Service a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 95/100. Accounts 2025: income £41m · 97% on charitable activities. Reg 1015988." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/royal-voluntary-service retrieved: 2026-08-18T02:41:41.001Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is Royal Voluntary Service a good charity? Royal Voluntary Service scores 95/100 (5 stars, Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£41m total income, 97% 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. Stoke-on-Trent · UK-wide · ST1 3JP | Reg [1015988](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/royal-voluntary-service) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1015988) Donate ## How can you give to ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1015988) ## What does Royal Voluntary Service do? Royal Voluntary Service is a registered charity (no. 1015988) working in older people across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 97% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 3 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been broadly stable 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. Summarised from public filings — Royal Voluntary Service hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=royal-voluntary-service) **In short:** ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE scores 95 out of 100 (5 stars). 97% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns. ## What is Royal Voluntary Service? Royal Voluntary Service has a Clarity Score of 95 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 1015988. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Older people. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £41m, with 97% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 3 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](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026. Overall score 95/100 5★ · Exceptional Cause spend 97% 3-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 100/100 Finance beacon Income £41m Latest year 2025 Reserves 3 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £30.8 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 6% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE scores higher than. Income band (£10m+)98thpercentile **Scores higher than 98% of 943 charities in its income band** · 95/100 vs 77 peer average (marker). Older people charities83rdpercentile **Scores higher than 83% of 23 charities in this cause** · 95/100 vs 79 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is Royal Voluntary Service's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2025 Filing date 24 June 2026 Profile reviewed 17 July 2026 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](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 Royal Voluntary Service'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. 83/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 100% | 3 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. | 70% | 7/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 60% | 26% · 3/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 100% | 97% · 10/10 pts (3-year average) | | Fundraising efficiency ≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income). | 100% | 3p 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% | 14,843 volunteers / 680 staff · 10/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is Royal Voluntary Service's Clarity Score? 95/100 total · Exceptional · 5 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 100/100 Accountability & Transparency 83/100 Financial Health 100/100 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 oversight12 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies10/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 83/100 Reserves (months of cash)3 months · 15/15 pts Income stability / growth7/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets26% · 3/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 Program expense ratio97% · 10/10 pts (3-year average) Fundraising efficiency3p 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 ratio14,843 volunteers / 680 staff · 10/10 pts ## How much does Royal Voluntary Service raise and spend? Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £41m | — | | Total expenditure | £39m | — | | Charitable activities | £38m | 97% | | Fundraising | £1.1m | 3% | | Governance & admin | £1.0m | 3% | 97%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2025) · £39m spent - Charitable activities97% · £38m - Fundraising3% · £1.1m - Governance3% · £1.0m ## What trust indicators does Royal Voluntary Service 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) 12 trustees on the Charity Commission register - ✓ Workforce on register 680 employees · 14,843 volunteers (22:1 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 1015988 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/1015988) ### Trustees & officers - Nicola Jane Wyndham Wadham since 2023 - Jeremy Michael Hughes since 2023 - Sara Mubasshir since 2023 - Helen Buckingham since 2023 - Patrick Eamon Dunne OBE since 2023 - Bamidele Oluwole Adeleye since 2024 - Dianne Elisabeth Hughes since 2024 - Brigid Ann Sutcliffe since 2026 - Robin Mills since 2026 - Joe Seddon since 2026 - Lynne Warnock since 2026 - John O'Brien MBE since 2026 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 Royal Voluntary Service'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 Royal Voluntary Service? Overall score 95/100 (5★) Income £41m Cause spend 97% of expenditure Reg number 1015988 Scope UK-wide Reserves 3 months Trustees 12 Accounts year 2025 Filing up to date ## How does ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE compare, and where else can you look? [Compare ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=royal-voluntary-service) [More older people charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/elderly) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [elderly charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/elderly) - [Charities in Stoke On Trent](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/stoke-on-trent) ### Similar older people charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [Age UK Hythe, Lyminge and Ashford](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/age-uk-hythe-lyminge-and-ashford) 100/100 · £1.6m - [AGE UK CANTERBURY](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/age-uk-canterbury) 99/100 · £1.3m - [AGE CONCERN BROMLEY](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/age-concern-bromley) 97/100 · £2.2m - [Age Cymru West Glamorgan Limited](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/age-cymru-west-glamorgan-limited) 96/100 · £758k ## How can you share Royal Voluntary Service'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 95/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/royal-voluntary-service) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 95/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about Royal Voluntary Service's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is Royal Voluntary Service a good charity? + Royal Voluntary Service scores 95 out of 100 (5 stars — Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 97% 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 Royal Voluntary Service a legitimate charity? + Yes — Royal Voluntary Service is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1015988). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1015988. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is Royal Voluntary Service's charity number? + Royal Voluntary Service's charity number is 1015988. 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 Royal Voluntary Service's charity rating? + Royal Voluntary Service scores 95 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars — Exceptional). 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 Royal Voluntary Service have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Royal Voluntary Service. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts. For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate. How much of my donation reaches Royal Voluntary Service? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 97% of Royal Voluntary Service'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 Royal Voluntary Service's overheads? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 3% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 6% of total expenditure at Royal Voluntary Service. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Royal Voluntary Service'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 Royal Voluntary Service receive? + Royal Voluntary Service reported £41m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: stable. Are Royal Voluntary Service'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 Royal Voluntary Service based? + Royal Voluntary Service is listed at Stoke-on-Trent · UK-wide · ST1 3JP and operates UK-wide, focused on older people. How does CharityCompare score Royal Voluntary Service? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Royal Voluntary Service'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 Royal Voluntary Service'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.