--- title: "The Ferne Animal Sanctuary charity rating | CharityCompare" description: "Is The Ferne Animal Sanctuary a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 71/100. Accounts 2025: income £2.2m · 54% on charitable activities. Reg 1164350." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-ferne-animal-sanctuary retrieved: 2026-08-18T01:28:01.408Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is The Ferne Animal Sanctuary a good charity? The Ferne Animal Sanctuary scores 71/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£2.2m total income, 54% 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. Taunton · UK-wide · TA20 3DH | Reg [1164350](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-ferne-animal-sanctuary) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.ferneanimalsanctuary.org/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1164350) Donate ## How can you give to THE FERNE ANIMAL SANCTUARY? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official THE FERNE ANIMAL SANCTUARY form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.ferneanimalsanctuary.org/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1164350) ## What does The Ferne Animal Sanctuary do? The Ferne Animal Sanctuary is a registered charity (no. 1164350) working in animals across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 54% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 3 months of reserves, though its recent accounts were filed late. Reported income has been growing (≈14% 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 Ferne Animal Sanctuary hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=the-ferne-animal-sanctuary) **In short:** THE FERNE ANIMAL SANCTUARY scores 71 out of 100 (3 stars). 54% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below. ## What is The Ferne Animal Sanctuary? The Ferne Animal Sanctuary has a Clarity Score of 71 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1164350. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Animals. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £2.2m, with 54% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: late. Reserves: approximately 3 months of operating costs. 2 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 71/100 3★ · Needs improvement Cause spend 54% 3-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 75/100 Finance beacon Income £2.2m Latest year 2025 Reserves 3 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing Late Check register £1.9 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 46% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: medium ## How does THE FERNE ANIMAL SANCTUARY compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers THE FERNE ANIMAL SANCTUARY scores higher than. Income band (£1m–£5m)28thpercentile **Scores higher than 28% of 2,776 charities in its income band** · 71/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). Animals charities27thpercentile **Scores higher than 27% of 370 charities in this cause** · 71/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is The Ferne Animal Sanctuary's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2025 Filing date 24 June 2026 Profile reviewed 17 July 2026 Medium confidence — some data missing or late 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 Ferne Animal Sanctuary'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. 75/100 | 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. | 33% | 5/15 pts | | Trustee oversight Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three). | 100% | 5 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. 100/100 | 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. | 100% | 10/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 100% | 5% · 5/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 5/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 10% | 54% · 1/10 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% | 54p 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% | 132 volunteers / 56 staff · 10/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is The Ferne Animal Sanctuary's Clarity Score? 71/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 75/100 Accountability & Transparency 100/100 Financial Health 5/100 Financial Efficiency 100/100 Community Support ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 75/100 Filing history (5 years)5/15 pts Trustee oversight5 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies10/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 100/100 Reserves (months of cash)3 months · 15/15 pts Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets5% · 5/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 5/100 Program expense ratio54% · 1/10 pts (3-year average) Fundraising efficiency54p 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 ratio132 volunteers / 56 staff · 10/10 pts ## How much does The Ferne Animal Sanctuary raise and spend? Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £2.2m | — | | Total expenditure | £2.0m | — | | Charitable activities | £1.0m | 51% | | Fundraising | £997k | 49% | | Governance & admin | £17k | 1% | 51%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2025) · £2.0m spent - Charitable activities51% · £1.0m - Fundraising49% · £997k - Governance1% · £17k ## What trust indicators does The Ferne Animal Sanctuary have? Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported. - — Accounts filed on time Filing status: late - ✓ Trustee board size (3–12) 5 trustees on the Charity Commission register - ✓ Workforce on register 56 employees · 132 volunteers (2:1 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 1164350 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/1164350) ### Trustees & officers - Robert O'Connor since 2020 - Richard Fuller Chair · since 2021 - Verity Stiff since 2021 - Dr Michael Richards since 2023 - Karen Chadwick 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 Ferne Animal Sanctuary'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 Ferne Animal Sanctuary? Overall score 71/100 (3★) Income £2.2m Cause spend 54% of expenditure Reg number 1164350 Scope UK-wide Reserves 3 months Trustees 5 Accounts year 2025 Filing late ## How does THE FERNE ANIMAL SANCTUARY compare, and where else can you look? [Compare THE FERNE ANIMAL SANCTUARY with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=the-ferne-animal-sanctuary) [More animals charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/animals) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where THE FERNE ANIMAL SANCTUARY sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [animals charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/animals) - [children charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/children) - [elderly charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/elderly) - [disability charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/disability) - [Charities in Taunton](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/taunton) ### Similar animals charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [TEES RIVERS CHARITABLE TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/tees-rivers-charitable-trust) 100/100 · £2.0m - [THE RSPCA DANAHER ANIMAL HOME](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-rspca-danaher-animal-home) 100/100 · £1.4m - [GREENACRES RESCUE LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/greenacres-rescue-limited) 100/100 · £884k - [GREATWOOD CHARITY LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/greatwood-charity-limited) 100/100 · £851k ## How can you share The Ferne Animal Sanctuary'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 71/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-ferne-animal-sanctuary) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 71/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## What red flags does The Ferne Animal Sanctuary have? ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about The Ferne Animal Sanctuary's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is The Ferne Animal Sanctuary a good charity? + The Ferne Animal Sanctuary scores 71 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 54% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are late. 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 Ferne Animal Sanctuary a legitimate charity? + Yes — The Ferne Animal Sanctuary is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1164350). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1164350. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is The Ferne Animal Sanctuary's charity number? + The Ferne Animal Sanctuary's charity number is 1164350. 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 Ferne Animal Sanctuary's charity rating? + The Ferne Animal Sanctuary scores 71 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Needs improvement). 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 Ferne Animal Sanctuary have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Ferne Animal Sanctuary. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts (2 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 The Ferne Animal Sanctuary? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 54% of The Ferne Animal Sanctuary'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 Ferne Animal Sanctuary's overheads? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 46% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 46% of total expenditure at The Ferne Animal Sanctuary. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Ferne Animal Sanctuary'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 Ferne Animal Sanctuary receive? + The Ferne Animal Sanctuary reported £2.2m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing. Are The Ferne Animal Sanctuary's accounts up to date? + Filing status: late (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score. Where is The Ferne Animal Sanctuary based? + The Ferne Animal Sanctuary is listed at Taunton · UK-wide · TA20 3DH and operates UK-wide, focused on animals. How does CharityCompare score The Ferne Animal Sanctuary? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Ferne Animal Sanctuary'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 Ferne Animal Sanctuary'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.