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The Cellar Trust

Charity rating & review

90/100 Clarity Score · 5 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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90 /100

Clarity score

Exceptional

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Quick answer

Is The Cellar Trust a good charity?

The Cellar Trust scores 90/100 (5 stars, Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£6.9m total income, 99% 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.

Bradford · BD18 4QP Reg 701982 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does The Cellar Trust do?

The Cellar Trust is a registered charity (no. 701982) working in poverty relief in Bradford · BD18 4QP. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 99% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 4 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈41% 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 Cellar Trust hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: THE CELLAR TRUST scores 90 out of 100 (5 stars). 99% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

What is The Cellar Trust?

The Cellar Trust has a Clarity Score of 90 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 701982. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Poverty relief. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £6.9m, with 99% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 4 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

90/100

5★ · Exceptional

Cause spend

99%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£6.9m

Latest year 2025

Reserves

4 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£164.7 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 1% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does THE CELLAR TRUST compare?

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

Income band (£5m–£10m)88thpercentile

Scores higher than 88% of 619 charities in its income band · 90/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

Poverty relief charities82ndpercentile

Scores higher than 82% of 1,502 charities in this cause · 90/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

How reliable is The Cellar Trust's data?

Source
Charity Commission (England & Wales)
Accounts year
2025
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 Cellar 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

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE CELLAR TRUST
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.

93/100

Financial Health metrics for THE CELLAR TRUST
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% 4 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.

100% 10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt.

60% 25% · 3/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE CELLAR TRUST
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

100% 99% · 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% 1p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

20/100

Community Support metrics for THE CELLAR TRUST
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

20% 33 volunteers / 106 staff · 2/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is The Cellar Trust's Clarity Score?

90/100 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
93/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
20/100
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.

93/100

Reserves (months of cash)4 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets25% · 3/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio99% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency1p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

20/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio33 volunteers / 106 staff · 2/10 pts

How much does The Cellar Trust raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings

THE CELLAR TRUST revenue and expenses for 2025
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £6.9m
Total expenditure £4.2m
Charitable activities £4.1m 99%
Fundraising £25k 1%
Governance & admin £9k 0%
99%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £4.2m spent

  • Charitable activities99%
  • Fundraising1%
  • Governance0%

What trust indicators does The Cellar 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

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    11 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    106 employees · 33 volunteers (0:1 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 701982

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Hugh ROLO since 2019
  • Dr Shehla Khalid since 2022
  • Melvyn John Ingleson since 2022
  • Dr Udy Archibong since 2022
  • Anthony John Waddington since 2023
  • Mohammed Patel since 2024
  • Melissa George since 2024
  • Eleanor Clyde-Evans since 2026
  • Alison Sarah Haskins since 2026
  • Tahmima Begum Tahir since 2026
  • Gillian Margaret Thornton since 2026
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 Cellar Trust's finances changed over five years?

£0k £1800k £3600k £5400k £7200k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £1,740k Spending 2021: £1,526k Cause spend 2021: £1,463k Income 2022: £2,263k Spending 2022: £1,765k Cause spend 2022: £1,704k Income 2023: £3,205k Spending 2023: £3,413k Cause spend 2023: £3,369k Income 2024: £3,600k Spending 2024: £3,478k Cause spend 2024: £3,465k Income 2025: £6,873k Spending 2025: £4,155k Cause spend 2025: £4,129k
  • 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 Cellar Trust?

Overall score
90/100 (5★)
Income
£6.9m
Cause spend
99% of expenditure
Reg number
701982
Scope
Local (bradford)
Reserves
4 months
Trustees
11
Accounts year
2025
Filing
up to date

Where THE CELLAR TRUST sits

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

Similar poverty relief charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

How can you share The Cellar Trust's rating?

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How do you add The Cellar Trust'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.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about The Cellar Trust's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is The Cellar Trust a good charity? +

The Cellar Trust scores 90 out of 100 (5 stars — Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 99% 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 Cellar Trust a legitimate charity? +

Yes — The Cellar Trust is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 701982). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/701982. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is The Cellar Trust's charity number? +

The Cellar Trust's charity number is 701982. 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 Cellar Trust's charity rating? +

The Cellar Trust scores 90 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 Cellar Trust have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Cellar 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 Cellar Trust? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, 99% of The Cellar 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 The Cellar Trust's overheads? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 1% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 1% of total expenditure at The Cellar Trust. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Cellar 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 Cellar Trust receive? +

The Cellar Trust reported £6.9m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are The Cellar 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 Cellar Trust based? +

The Cellar Trust is listed at Bradford · BD18 4QP, focused on poverty relief.

How does CharityCompare score The Cellar Trust? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Cellar 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 Cellar Trust'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.