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The Marlowe Trust

Charity rating & review

73/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
73 /100

Clarity score

Needs improvement

Donate

Quick answer

Is The Marlowe Trust a good charity?

The Marlowe Trust scores 73/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£18m total income, 92% 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.

Canterbury · CT1 2AS Reg 1179882 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does The Marlowe Trust do?

The Marlowe Trust is a registered charity (no. 1179882) working in disability in Canterbury · CT1 2AS. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 92% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 1 month of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈38% 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 Marlowe Trust hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: THE MARLOWE TRUST scores 73 out of 100 (3 stars). 92% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.

What is The Marlowe Trust?

The Marlowe Trust has a Clarity Score of 73 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1179882. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Disability. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £18m, with 92% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 1 month 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

73/100

3★ · Needs improvement

Cause spend

92%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£18m

Latest year 2025

Reserves

1 mo

1 month of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£12.3 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 8% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does THE MARLOWE TRUST compare?

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

Income band (£10m+)34thpercentile

Scores higher than 34% of 943 charities in its income band · 73/100 vs 77 peer average (marker).

Disability charities30thpercentile

Scores higher than 30% of 711 charities in this cause · 73/100 vs 79 peer average (marker).

How reliable is The Marlowe 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 Marlowe 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 MARLOWE 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% 9 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.

43/100

Financial Health metrics for THE MARLOWE 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.

33% 1 month · 5/15 pts
Income stability / growth

+20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between.

80% 8/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

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

0% 79% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

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

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

100% 92% · 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% 8p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

0/100

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

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

0% Not reported · 0/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is The Marlowe Trust's Clarity Score?

73/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars

Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
43/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
0/100
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 oversight9 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

43/100

Reserves (months of cash)1 month · 5/15 pts
Income stability / growth8/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets79% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio92% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency8p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

0/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratioNot reported · 0/10 pts

How much does The Marlowe Trust raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings

THE MARLOWE TRUST revenue and expenses for 2025
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £18m
Total expenditure £17m
Charitable activities £16m 91%
Fundraising £1.5m 9%
91%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £17m spent

  • Charitable activities91%
  • Fundraising9%
  • Other spending0%

What trust indicators does The Marlowe 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)

    9 trustees on the Charity Commission register

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 1179882

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • JONATHAN Ryerson Douglas CHURCH Chair · since 2018
  • DAVID TERENCE DIGBY HARREL LLB since 2018
  • Abdur-Rehman Ismael Mia since 2020
  • Guy Holloway since 2020
  • Colin Carmichael since 2022
  • Nigel John Cripps since 2023
  • Kerry Dawn Jordan-Daus since 2025
  • Atri Rohan Banerjee since 2025
  • Pamel Jane Baxter 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 Marlowe Trust's finances changed over five years?

£0k £4500k £9000k £13500k £18000k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £4,929k Spending 2021: £4,388k Cause spend 2021: £4,343k Income 2022: £11,760k Spending 2022: £10,861k Cause spend 2022: £10,086k Income 2023: £15,940k Spending 2023: £15,724k Cause spend 2023: £14,578k Income 2024: £14,601k Spending 2024: £14,546k Cause spend 2024: £13,253k Income 2025: £17,664k Spending 2025: £17,264k Cause spend 2025: £15,682k
  • 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 Marlowe Trust?

Overall score
73/100 (3★)
Income
£18m
Cause spend
92% of expenditure
Reg number
1179882
Scope
Local (canterbury)
Reserves
1 month
Trustees
9
Accounts year
2025
Filing
up to date

Where THE MARLOWE TRUST sits

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

Similar disability charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

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Frequently asked questions

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

Is The Marlowe Trust a good charity? +

The Marlowe Trust scores 73 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 92% 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 Marlowe Trust a legitimate charity? +

Yes — The Marlowe Trust is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1179882). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1179882. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is The Marlowe Trust's charity number? +

The Marlowe Trust's charity number is 1179882. 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 Marlowe Trust's charity rating? +

The Marlowe Trust scores 73 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 Marlowe Trust have reviews and complaints? +

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

According to its 2025 regulator filing, 92% of The Marlowe 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 Marlowe Trust's overheads? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 8% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 8% of total expenditure at The Marlowe Trust. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Marlowe 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 Marlowe Trust receive? +

The Marlowe Trust reported £18m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are The Marlowe 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 Marlowe Trust based? +

The Marlowe Trust is listed at Canterbury · CT1 2AS, focused on disability.

How does CharityCompare score The Marlowe Trust? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Marlowe 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 Marlowe 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.