--- title: "The Blackthorn Trust rating & legitimacy | CharityCompare" description: "Is The Blackthorn Trust a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 95/100. Accounts 2024: income £693k · 93% on charitable activities. Reg 1117979." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-blackthorn-trust retrieved: 2026-08-18T02:50:18.455Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is The Blackthorn Trust a good charity? The Blackthorn Trust scores 95/100 (5 stars, Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£693k total income, 93% 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. Maidstone · ME16 9AN | Reg [1117979](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-blackthorn-trust) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.blackthorn.org.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1117979) Donate ## How can you give to THE BLACKTHORN TRUST? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official THE BLACKTHORN TRUST form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.blackthorn.org.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1117979) ## What does The Blackthorn Trust do? The Blackthorn Trust is a registered charity (no. 1117979) working in disability in Maidstone · ME16 9AN. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 93% 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 — The Blackthorn Trust hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=the-blackthorn-trust) **In short:** THE BLACKTHORN TRUST scores 95 out of 100 (5 stars). 93% average program spend (2-year average, disclosed years only). Filings are up to date with no major concerns. ## What is The Blackthorn Trust? The Blackthorn Trust has a Clarity Score of 95 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 1117979. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Disability. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £693k, with 93% 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 93% 2-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 93/100 Finance beacon Income £693k Latest year 2024 Reserves 3 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £18.5 raised per £1 fundraising (2-yr avg) · 7% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does THE BLACKTHORN TRUST compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers THE BLACKTHORN TRUST scores higher than. Income band (£500k–£1m)90thpercentile **Scores higher than 90% of 2,187 charities in its income band** · 95/100 vs 79 peer average (marker). Disability charities93rdpercentile **Scores higher than 93% of 711 charities in this cause** · 95/100 vs 79 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is The Blackthorn 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 The Blackthorn 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. 93/100 | 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% | 6 trustees · 15/15 pts | | Declared policies Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return. | 70% | 7/10 pts | ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 93/100 | 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. | 90% | 9/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 80% | 8% · 4/5 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% | 93% · 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% | 5p 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% | 49 volunteers / 19 staff · 10/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is The Blackthorn Trust'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. 93/100 Accountability & Transparency 93/100 Financial Health 100/100 Financial Efficiency 100/100 Community Support ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 93/100 Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts Trustee oversight6 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies7/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 93/100 Reserves (months of cash)3 months · 15/15 pts Income stability / growth9/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets8% · 4/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 Program expense ratio93% · 10/10 pts (3-year average) Fundraising efficiency5p 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 ratio49 volunteers / 19 staff · 10/10 pts ## How much does The Blackthorn Trust raise and spend? Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £693k | — | | Total expenditure | £681k | — | | Charitable activities | £629k | 92% | | Fundraising | £51k | 8% | | Governance & admin | £21k | 3% | 92%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2024) · £681k spent - Charitable activities92% · £629k - Fundraising8% · £51k - Governance3% · £21k ## What trust indicators does The Blackthorn 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) 6 trustees on the Charity Commission register - ✓ Workforce on register 19 employees · 49 volunteers (3:1 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 1117979 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/1117979) ### Trustees & officers - JONATHAN SHAW Chair · since 2012 - Justine Sloover since 2019 - Andrew James since 2021 - George Alan Perry since 2022 - Kevin Andrew Moule since 2022 - Alice Laura Chapman-Hatchett since 2024 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 The Blackthorn 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 The Blackthorn Trust? Overall score 95/100 (5★) Income £693k Cause spend 93% of expenditure Reg number 1117979 Scope Local (maidstone) Reserves 3 months Trustees 6 Accounts year 2024 Filing up to date ## How does THE BLACKTHORN TRUST compare, and where else can you look? [Compare THE BLACKTHORN TRUST with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=the-blackthorn-trust) [More disability charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/disability) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where THE BLACKTHORN TRUST sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [disability charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/disability) - [health charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/health) - [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education) - [Charities in Maidstone](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/maidstone) ### Similar disability charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [POLKA CHILDREN'S THEATRE LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/polka-children-s-theatre-limited) 100/100 · £3.6m - [TREWEN MEADOWS](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/trewen-meadows) 100/100 · £1.4m - [CAMBRIDGE RAPE CRISIS CENTRE](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/cambridge-rape-crisis-centre) 100/100 · £916k - [Kent Neuro Therapy Centre Limited](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/kent-neuro-therapy-centre-limited) 100/100 · £858k ## How can you share The Blackthorn Trust'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/the-blackthorn-trust) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 95/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about The Blackthorn Trust's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is The Blackthorn Trust a good charity? + The Blackthorn Trust scores 95 out of 100 (5 stars — Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 93% 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 The Blackthorn Trust a legitimate charity? + Yes — The Blackthorn Trust is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1117979). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1117979. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is The Blackthorn Trust's charity number? + The Blackthorn Trust's charity number is 1117979. 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 The Blackthorn Trust's charity rating? + The Blackthorn Trust 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 The Blackthorn Trust have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Blackthorn Trust. 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 The Blackthorn Trust? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, 93% of The Blackthorn Trust's total spending went to charitable activities (2-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 The Blackthorn Trust's overheads? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 7% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 7% of total expenditure at The Blackthorn Trust. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Blackthorn 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 The Blackthorn Trust receive? + The Blackthorn Trust reported £693k total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: stable. Are The Blackthorn 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 The Blackthorn Trust based? + The Blackthorn Trust is listed at Maidstone · ME16 9AN, focused on disability. How does CharityCompare score The Blackthorn Trust? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Blackthorn 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 The Blackthorn 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.