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Sos Children's Villages UK

Charity rating & review

46/100 Clarity Score · 2 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
46 /100

Clarity score

Poor

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Quick answer

Is Sos Children's Villages UK a good charity?

Sos Children's Villages UK scores 46/100 (2 stars, Poor) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£6.1m total income, 67% 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.

Cambridge · UK-wide · CB2 1AB Reg 1069204 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does Sos Children's Villages UK do?

Sos Children's Villages UK is a registered charity (no. 1069204) working in international aid across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 67% of spending to charitable activities, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈10% 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 — Sos Children's Villages UK hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES UK scores 46 out of 100 (2 stars). 67% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.

What is Sos Children's Villages UK?

Sos Children's Villages UK has a Clarity Score of 46 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars, Poor). Charity Commission registration number 1069204. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: International aid. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £6.1m, with 67% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. 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

46/100

2★ · Poor

Cause spend

67%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£6.1m

Latest year 2024

Reserves

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£2.7 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 34% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES UK compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES UK scores higher than.

Income band (£5m–£10m)2ndpercentile

Scores higher than 2% of 619 charities in its income band · 46/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

International aid charities2ndpercentile

Scores higher than 2% of 618 charities in this cause · 46/100 vs 75 peer average (marker).

How reliable is Sos Children's Villages UK'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 Sos Children's Villages UK'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

Accountability & Transparency metrics for SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES UK
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% 7 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.

7/100

Financial Health metrics for SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES UK
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% Not stated · 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.

40% 40% · 2/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

20/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES UK
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

40% 67% · 4/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

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

0% 39p per £1 income · 0/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

0/100

Community Support metrics for SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES UK
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

0% Not reported · 0/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is Sos Children's Villages UK's Clarity Score?

46/100 total · Poor · 2 of 5 stars

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

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
7/100
Financial Health
20/100
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 oversight7 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

7/100

Reserves (months of cash)Not stated · 0/15 pts
Income stability / growth0/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets40% · 2/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

20/100

Program expense ratio67% · 4/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency39p per £1 income · 0/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

0/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratioNot reported · 0/10 pts

How much does Sos Children's Villages UK raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings

SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES UK revenue and expenses for 2024
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £6.1m
Total expenditure £7.8m
Charitable activities £4.9m 63%
Fundraising £2.9m 37%
Governance & admin £199k 3%
63%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2024) · £7.8m spent

  • Charitable activities63%
  • Fundraising37%
  • Governance3%

What trust indicators does Sos Children's Villages UK 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)

    7 trustees on the Charity Commission register

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 1069204

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Solava Samir Saad Mohamed Ibrahim since 2020
  • Harpinder Collacott since 2022
  • Louise Mary McDonald since 2023
  • Janet Reilly since 2023
  • Jonathan Steinback since 2023
  • Suli Ulla Anja Hampson since 2023
  • Kim Annette Bowden since 2023
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 →

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 Sos Children's Villages UK's finances changed over five years?

£0k £2200k £4400k £6600k £8800k 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Income 2020: £4,265k Spending 2020: £4,958k Cause spend 2020: £3,890k Income 2021: £7,849k Spending 2021: £5,226k Cause spend 2021: £3,744k Income 2022: £8,441k Spending 2022: £7,043k Cause spend 2022: £4,434k Income 2023: £5,421k Spending 2023: £8,348k Cause spend 2023: £6,310k Income 2024: £6,139k Spending 2024: £7,772k Cause spend 2024: £4,885k
  • 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 Sos Children's Villages UK?

Overall score
46/100 (2★)
Income
£6.1m
Cause spend
67% of expenditure
Reg number
1069204
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
Trustees
7
Accounts year
2024
Filing
up to date

Where SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES UK sits

The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby.

Similar international aid charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

How can you share Sos Children's Villages UK's rating?

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How do you add Sos Children's Villages UK's rating to your site?

Free to use — a lightweight HTML badge or an embeddable score widget, each linking back to this independent profile and our methodology.

What red flags does Sos Children's Villages UK have?

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Sos Children's Villages UK's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Sos Children's Villages UK a good charity? +

Sos Children's Villages UK scores 46 out of 100 (2 stars — Poor) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 67% 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 Sos Children's Villages UK a legitimate charity? +

Yes — Sos Children's Villages UK is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1069204). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1069204. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is Sos Children's Villages UK's charity number? +

Sos Children's Villages UK's charity number is 1069204. 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 Sos Children's Villages UK's charity rating? +

Sos Children's Villages UK scores 46 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars — Poor). 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 Sos Children's Villages UK have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Sos Children's Villages UK. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts (1 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 Sos Children's Villages UK? +

According to its 2024 regulator filing, 67% of Sos Children's Villages UK'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 Sos Children's Villages UK's overheads? +

According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 33% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 34% of total expenditure at Sos Children's Villages UK. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Sos Children's Villages UK'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 Sos Children's Villages UK receive? +

Sos Children's Villages UK reported £6.1m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are Sos Children's Villages UK'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 Sos Children's Villages UK based? +

Sos Children's Villages UK is listed at Cambridge · UK-wide · CB2 1AB and operates UK-wide, focused on international aid.

How does CharityCompare score Sos Children's Villages UK? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Sos Children's Villages UK'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 Sos Children's Villages UK'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.