---
title: "Teenage Cancer Trust rating & legitimacy | CharityCompare"
description: "Is Teenage Cancer Trust a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 78/100. Accounts 2024: income £20m · 60% on charitable activities. Reg 1062559."
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/teenage-cancer-trust
retrieved: 2026-08-18T01:33:01.607Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

Quick answer

## Is Teenage Cancer Trust a good charity?

Teenage Cancer Trust scores 78/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£20m total income, 60% 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 · WC1X 8SH |
Reg [1062559](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/teenage-cancer-trust) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://teenagecancertrust.org/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1062559)

Donate

## How can you give to TEENAGE CANCER TRUST?

You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official TEENAGE CANCER TRUST form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form.

[Donate](https://teenagecancertrust.org/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1062559)

## What does Teenage Cancer Trust do?

Teenage Cancer Trust is a registered charity (no. 1062559) working in cancer across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 60% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 6 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈6% 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 — Teenage Cancer Trust hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=teenage-cancer-trust)

**In short:** TEENAGE CANCER TRUST scores 78 out of 100 (4 stars). 60% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

## What is Teenage Cancer Trust?

Teenage Cancer Trust has a Clarity Score of 78 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1062559. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Cancer. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £20m, with 60% 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](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026.

Overall score

78/100

4★ · Good

Cause spend

60%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£20m

Latest year 2024

Reserves

6 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£2.3 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) ·
44% overhead · Website on register ·
Confidence: high

## How does TEENAGE CANCER TRUST compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers TEENAGE CANCER TRUST scores higher than.

Income band (£10m+)50thpercentile

**Scores higher than 50% of 943 charities in its income band** · 78/100 vs 77 peer average (marker).

Cancer charities48thpercentile

**Scores higher than 48% of 93 charities in this cause** · 78/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

## How reliable is Teenage Cancer Trust's data?

Source

Charity Commission (England & Wales)

Accounts year

2024

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 Teenage Cancer Trust'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% | 11 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.

87/100
| 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% | 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. | 70% | 7/10 pts · 3-year average |
| Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 80% | 16% · 4/5 pts |

### Financial Efficiency

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

10/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 20% | 60% · 2/10 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% | 44p per £1 income · 0/10 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% | 655 volunteers / 148 staff · 10/10 pts |

[How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

## What is Teenage Cancer Trust's Clarity Score?

78/100 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

87/100

Financial Health

10/100

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 oversight11 trustees · 15/15 pts

Declared policies10/10 pts

### Financial Health

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

87/100

Reserves (months of cash)6 months · 15/15 pts

Income stability / growth7/10 pts · 3-year average

Liabilities to assets16% · 4/5 pts

### Financial Efficiency

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

10/100

Program expense ratio60% · 2/10 pts (3-year average)

Fundraising efficiency44p per £1 income · 0/10 pts (3-year average)

### Community Support

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

100/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio655 volunteers / 148 staff · 10/10 pts

## How much does Teenage Cancer Trust raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total income | £20m | — |
| Total expenditure | £19m | — |
| Charitable activities | £11m | 60% |
| Fundraising | £7.5m | 40% |
| Governance & admin | £775k | 4% |

60%On charitable activities

## Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2024) · £19m spent

- Charitable activities60% · £11m
- Fundraising40% · £7.5m
- Governance4% · £775k

## What trust indicators does Teenage Cancer Trust 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)

11 trustees on the Charity Commission register

- ✓ Workforce on register

148 employees · 655 volunteers (4:1 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 1062559

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/1062559)

### Trustees & officers

- PAUL SPANSWICK Chair · since 2012
- Caren Ayre Hindmarsh since 2015
- Varda Shine since 2015
- Jeremy Harmsworth Shute since 2015
- Jeremy Paul Seigal since 2019
- Richard Martin Baillie Waterworth since 2021
- Susan Jane Morgan since 2021
- Gurinderjit Kaur Carr since 2022
- Professor Rachael Emma Hough since 2022
- Charlotte Emma Kendall since 2025
- Lawrence Engel since 2025

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 Teenage Cancer Trust'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 Teenage Cancer Trust?

Overall score

78/100 (4★)

Income

£20m

Cause spend

60% of expenditure

Reg number

1062559

Scope

UK-wide

Reserves

6 months

Trustees

11

Accounts year

2024

Filing

up to date

## How does TEENAGE CANCER TRUST compare, and where else can you look?

[Compare TEENAGE CANCER TRUST with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=teenage-cancer-trust) [More cancer charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/cancer) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

### Where TEENAGE CANCER TRUST sits

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

- [cancer charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/cancer)
- [health charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/health)
- [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education)
- [children charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/children)
- [Charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/london)
- [cancer charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/cancer/london)

### Similar cancer charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

- [THE MARY HOW TRUST FOR CANCER PREVENTION](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-mary-how-trust-for-cancer-prevention) 100/100 · £1.7m
- [FIGHTING ALL CANCERS TOGETHER](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/fighting-all-cancers-together) 100/100 · £554k
- [THE JOSHUA TREE - SUPPORTING FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CHILDHOOD CANCERS](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-joshua-tree-supporting-families-affected-by-childhood-cancers) 97/100 · £1.1m
- [NEWBURY CANCER CARE](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/newbury-cancer-care) 97/100 · £762k

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## How do you add Teenage Cancer Trust's rating to your site?

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## What red flags does Teenage Cancer Trust have?

## Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Teenage Cancer Trust's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Teenage Cancer Trust a good charity? + Teenage Cancer Trust scores 78 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 60% 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 Teenage Cancer Trust a legitimate charity? + Yes — Teenage Cancer Trust is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1062559). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1062559. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is Teenage Cancer Trust's charity number? + Teenage Cancer Trust's charity number is 1062559. 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 Teenage Cancer Trust's charity rating? + Teenage Cancer Trust scores 78 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Good). 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 Teenage Cancer Trust have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Teenage Cancer Trust. 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 Teenage Cancer Trust? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, 60% of Teenage Cancer Trust'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 Teenage Cancer Trust's overheads? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 40% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 44% of total expenditure at Teenage Cancer Trust. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Teenage Cancer Trust'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 Teenage Cancer Trust receive? + Teenage Cancer Trust reported £20m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are Teenage Cancer Trust'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 Teenage Cancer Trust based? + Teenage Cancer Trust is listed at London · UK-wide · WC1X 8SH and operates UK-wide, focused on cancer.

How does CharityCompare score Teenage Cancer Trust? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Teenage Cancer Trust'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 Teenage Cancer Trust'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.