---
title: "The Mary Rose Trust rating & legitimacy | CharityCompare"
description: "Is The Mary Rose Trust a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 86/100. Accounts 2025: income £3.2m · 91% on charitable activities. Reg 277503."
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-mary-rose-trust
retrieved: 2026-08-18T04:53:41.917Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

Quick answer

## Is The Mary Rose Trust a good charity?

The Mary Rose Trust scores 86/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£3.2m total income, 91% 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.

Portsmouth · PO1 3LX |
Reg [277503](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-mary-rose-trust) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.maryrose.org/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/277503)

Donate

## How can you give to THE MARY ROSE TRUST?

You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official THE MARY ROSE TRUST form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form.

[Donate](https://www.maryrose.org/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=277503)

## What does The Mary Rose Trust do?

The Mary Rose Trust is a registered charity (no. 277503) working in environment in Portsmouth · PO1 3LX. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 91% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 1 month of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈10% 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 Mary Rose Trust hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=the-mary-rose-trust)

**In short:** THE MARY ROSE TRUST scores 86 out of 100 (4 stars). 91% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

## What is The Mary Rose Trust?

The Mary Rose Trust has a Clarity Score of 86 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 277503. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Environment. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £3.2m, with 91% 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](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026.

Overall score

86/100

4★ · Good

Cause spend

91%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£3.2m

Latest year 2025

Reserves

1 mo

1 month of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£8.5 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) ·
10% overhead · Website on register ·
Confidence: high

## How does THE MARY ROSE TRUST compare?

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

Income band (£1m–£5m)71stpercentile

**Scores higher than 71% of 2,776 charities in its income band** · 86/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

Environment charities77thpercentile

**Scores higher than 77% of 460 charities in this cause** · 86/100 vs 76 peer average (marker).

## How reliable is The Mary Rose Trust's data?

Source

Charity Commission (England & Wales)

Accounts year

2025

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 Mary Rose 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
| 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.

57/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 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. | 70% | 7/10 pts · 3-year average |
| Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 100% | 2% · 5/5 pts |

### Financial Efficiency

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

95/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 100% | 91% · 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). | 90% | 12p per £1 income · 9/10 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% | 140 volunteers / 67 staff · 10/10 pts |

[How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

## What is The Mary Rose Trust's Clarity Score?

86/100 total · Good · 4 of 5 stars

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

100/100

Accountability & Transparency

57/100

Financial Health

95/100

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.

57/100

Reserves (months of cash)1 month · 5/15 pts

Income stability / growth7/10 pts · 3-year average

Liabilities to assets2% · 5/5 pts

### Financial Efficiency

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

95/100

Program expense ratio91% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Fundraising efficiency12p per £1 income · 9/10 pts (3-year average)

### Community Support

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

100/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio140 volunteers / 67 staff · 10/10 pts

## How much does The Mary Rose Trust raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total income | £3.2m | — |
| Total expenditure | £4.4m | — |
| Charitable activities | £4.0m | 91% |
| Fundraising | £401k | 9% |
| Governance & admin | £50k | 1% |

91%On charitable activities

## Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £4.4m spent

- Charitable activities91% · £4.0m
- Fundraising9% · £401k
- Governance1% · £50k

## What trust indicators does The Mary Rose 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)

14 trustees on the Charity Commission register

- ✓ Workforce on register

67 employees · 140 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 277503

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/277503)

### Trustees & officers

- Adam Humphryes since 2013
- CHRISTOPHER JOHN BRANDON since 2013
- Timothy Mark Rusby since 2018
- NIGEL KEITH PURSE Chair · since 2020
- Suzannah Rebecca Gabriella Lipscomb since 2020
- Professor Terence Richard Stevens since 2022
- Aileen Marion Peirce since 2023
- Dr Andrew David Painting since 2023
- Kirsten Victoria Suenson-Taylor since 2023
- Trevor William Keeble since 2023
- Rosemary Audrey Sinclair Grey since 2023
- Bobby Shailesh Mehta since 2025

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 Mary Rose 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 Mary Rose Trust?

Overall score

86/100 (4★)

Income

£3.2m

Cause spend

91% of expenditure

Reg number

277503

Scope

Local (portsmouth)

Reserves

1 month

Trustees

14

Accounts year

2025

Filing

up to date

## How does THE MARY ROSE TRUST compare, and where else can you look?

[Compare THE MARY ROSE TRUST with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=the-mary-rose-trust) [More environment charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/environment) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

### Where THE MARY ROSE TRUST sits

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

- [environment charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/environment)
- [arts charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/arts)
- [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education)
- [children charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/children)
- [Charities in Portsmouth](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/portsmouth)

### Similar environment charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

- [ESSEX AND SUFFOLK RIVERS TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/essex-and-suffolk-rivers-trust) 100/100 · £963k
- [GREAT WESTERN SOCIETY LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/great-western-society-limited) 99/100 · £3.9m
- [THE MID-NORFOLK RAILWAY PRESERVATION TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-mid-norfolk-railway-preservation-trust) 99/100 · £2.5m
- [THE SHARPHAM TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-sharpham-trust) 99/100 · £2.2m

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## Frequently asked questions

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

Is The Mary Rose Trust a good charity? + The Mary Rose Trust scores 86 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 91% 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 Mary Rose Trust a legitimate charity? + Yes — The Mary Rose Trust is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 277503). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/277503. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is The Mary Rose Trust's charity number? + The Mary Rose Trust's charity number is 277503. 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 Mary Rose Trust's charity rating? + The Mary Rose Trust scores 86 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Good). 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 Mary Rose Trust have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Mary Rose 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 Mary Rose Trust? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 91% of The Mary Rose 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 Mary Rose Trust's overheads? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 9% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 10% of total expenditure at The Mary Rose Trust. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Mary Rose 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 Mary Rose Trust receive? + The Mary Rose Trust reported £3.2m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are The Mary Rose 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 Mary Rose Trust based? + The Mary Rose Trust is listed at Portsmouth · PO1 3LX, focused on environment.

How does CharityCompare score The Mary Rose Trust? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Mary Rose 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 Mary Rose 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.