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The British Psychological Society

Charity rating & review

97/100 Clarity Score · 5 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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97 /100

Clarity score

Exceptional

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Quick answer

Is The British Psychological Society a good charity?

The British Psychological Society scores 97/100 (5 stars, Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£13m 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.

Leicester · UK-wide · LE1 7DR Reg 229642 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does The British Psychological Society do?

The British Psychological Society is a registered charity (no. 229642) working in community across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 97% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 15 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈5% 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 — The British Psychological Society hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: THE BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY scores 97 out of 100 (5 stars). 97% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

What is The British Psychological Society?

The British Psychological Society has a Clarity Score of 97 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 229642. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Community. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £13m, with 97% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 15 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, last updated .

Overall score

97/100

5★ · Exceptional

Cause spend

97%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£13m

Latest year 2024

Reserves

15 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£40.6 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 5% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does THE BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers THE BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY scores higher than.

Income band (£10m+)99thpercentile

Scores higher than 99% of 943 charities in its income band · 97/100 vs 77 peer average (marker).

Community charities98thpercentile

Scores higher than 98% of 216 charities in this cause · 97/100 vs 72 peer average (marker).

How reliable is The British Psychological Society'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 The British Psychological Society'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 THE BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
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% 14 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.

90/100

Financial Health metrics for THE BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
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% 15 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.

60% 21% · 3/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
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

Community Support metrics for THE BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

100% 2,000 volunteers / 133 staff · 10/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is The British Psychological Society's Clarity Score?

97/100 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
90/100
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 oversight14 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

90/100

Reserves (months of cash)15 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth9/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets21% · 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 ratio2,000 volunteers / 133 staff · 10/10 pts

How much does The British Psychological Society raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings

THE BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY revenue and expenses for 2024
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £13m
Total expenditure £13m
Charitable activities £13m 100%
Governance & admin £678k 5%
100%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2024) · £13m spent

  • Charitable activities100%
  • Governance5%

What trust indicators does The British Psychological Society 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)

    14 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    133 employees · 2,000 volunteers (15:1 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 229642

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Prof. Carol McGuinness since 2020
  • Julia Faulconbridge since 2022
  • Jonathan Harding since 2023
  • Matthew Howell since 2023
  • Kevin Quinn since 2023
  • Professor Patricia Hind since 2023
  • Professor Anthony Lavender since 2023
  • Dr Roman Raczka since 2023
  • Dr Laura Dean since 2024
  • David Carew since 2024
  • Dr Carol Winifred Cole since 2024
  • Dr Richard Stephens since 2025
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 The British Psychological Society's finances changed over five years?

£0k £3800k £7600k £11400k £15200k 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Income 2020: £10,839k Spending 2020: £14,009k Cause spend 2020: £11,456k Income 2021: £11,628k Spending 2021: £14,661k Cause spend 2021: £12,491k Income 2022: £11,561k Spending 2022: £14,632k Cause spend 2022: £13,772k Income 2023: £13,037k Spending 2023: £14,815k Cause spend 2023: £14,298k Income 2024: £13,390k Spending 2024: £12,664k Cause spend 2024: £12,619k
  • 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 British Psychological Society?

Overall score
97/100 (5★)
Income
£13m
Cause spend
97% of expenditure
Reg number
229642
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
15 months
Trustees
14
Accounts year
2024
Filing
up to date

Where THE BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY sits

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

Similar community charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

How can you share The British Psychological Society's rating?

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How do you add The British Psychological Society's rating to your site?

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about The British Psychological Society's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is The British Psychological Society a good charity? +

The British Psychological Society scores 97 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 The British Psychological Society a legitimate charity? +

Yes — The British Psychological Society is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 229642). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/229642. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is The British Psychological Society's charity number? +

The British Psychological Society's charity number is 229642. 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 British Psychological Society's charity rating? +

The British Psychological Society scores 97 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 British Psychological Society have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The British Psychological Society. 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 British Psychological Society? +

According to its 2024 regulator filing, 97% of The British Psychological Society'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 The British Psychological Society's overheads? +

According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 3% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 5% of total expenditure at The British Psychological Society. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The British Psychological Society'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 British Psychological Society receive? +

The British Psychological Society reported £13m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are The British Psychological Society'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 British Psychological Society based? +

The British Psychological Society is listed at Leicester · UK-wide · LE1 7DR and operates UK-wide, focused on community.

How does CharityCompare score The British Psychological Society? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The British Psychological Society'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 British Psychological Society'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.