---
title: "The Royal Air Forces Association -… rating | CharityCompare"
description: "The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body scores 98/100 (Exceptional). Latest accounts 2024: income £22m · 88% on charitable activities. Reg 226686."
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-royal-air-forces-association-corporate-body
retrieved: 2026-08-18T02:05:10.776Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

Quick answer

## Is The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body a good charity?

The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body scores 98/100 (5 stars, Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£22m total income, 88% 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 · LE3 1UT |
Reg [226686](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-royal-air-forces-association-corporate-body) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.rafa.org.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/226686)

Donate

## How can you give to THE ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION - CORPORATE BODY?

You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official THE ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION - CORPORATE BODY form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form.

[Donate](https://www.rafa.org.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=226686)

## What does The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body do?

The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body is a registered charity (no. 226686) working in armed forces across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 88% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 9 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈12% 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 Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=the-royal-air-forces-association-corporate-body)

**In short:** THE ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION - CORPORATE BODY scores 98 out of 100 (5 stars). 88% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

## What is The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body?

The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body has a Clarity Score of 98 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 226686. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Armed forces. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £22m, with 88% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 9 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](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026.

Overall score

98/100

5★ · Exceptional

Cause spend

88%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£22m

Latest year 2024

Reserves

9 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£7.8 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) ·
13% overhead · Website on register ·
Confidence: high

## How does THE ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION - CORPORATE BODY compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers THE ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION - CORPORATE BODY scores higher than.

Income band (£10m+)100thpercentile

**Scores higher than 100% of 943 charities in its income band** · 98/100 vs 77 peer average (marker).

Armed forces charities99thpercentile

**Scores higher than 99% of 84 charities in this cause** · 98/100 vs 74 peer average (marker).

## How reliable is The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body's data?

Source

Charity Commission (England & Wales)

Accounts year

2024

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 Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body'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.

97/100
| 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% | 9 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. | 80% | 15% · 4/5 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% | 88% · 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% | 13p 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% | 6,000 volunteers / 573 staff · 10/10 pts |

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

## What is The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body's Clarity Score?

98/100 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

97/100

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.

97/100

Reserves (months of cash)9 months · 15/15 pts

Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average

Liabilities to assets15% · 4/5 pts

### Financial Efficiency

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

95/100

Program expense ratio88% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Fundraising efficiency13p 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 ratio6,000 volunteers / 573 staff · 10/10 pts

## How much does The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total income | £22m | — |
| Total expenditure | £22m | — |
| Charitable activities | £20m | 89% |
| Fundraising | £2.5m | 11% |
| Governance & admin | £527k | 2% |

89%On charitable activities

## Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2024) · £22m spent

- Charitable activities89% · £20m
- Fundraising11% · £2.5m
- Governance2% · £527k

## What trust indicators does The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body 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

573 employees · 6,000 volunteers (10:1 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 226686

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/226686)

### Trustees & officers

- Air Marshal Sir Barry Mark North since 2016
- MARK NEAL since 2018
- Air Vice Marshal Alastair Reid Chair · since 2022
- Simon Arnett since 2023
- Sally Munday since 2023
- Sqn Ldr Micah Aopare since 2024
- Sheila Bailey since 2024
- Air Cdre Lee Turner since 2024
- Lucinda Eggleton since 2025
- Raymond Hall MBE since 2025
- Marion Frances Wells since 2025
- WO Murugesvaran Subramaniam 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 Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body'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 Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body?

Overall score

98/100 (5★)

Income

£22m

Cause spend

88% of expenditure

Reg number

226686

Scope

UK-wide

Reserves

9 months

Trustees

14

Accounts year

2024

Filing

up to date

## How does THE ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION - CORPORATE BODY compare, and where else can you look?

[Compare THE ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION - CORPORATE BODY with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=the-royal-air-forces-association-corporate-body) [More armed forces charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/armed-forces) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

### Where THE ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION - CORPORATE BODY sits

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

- [armed forces charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/armed-forces)
- [homelessness charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/homelessness)
- [disability charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/disability)
- [health charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/health)
- [Charities in Leicester](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/leicester)

### Similar armed forces charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

- [ROYAL NAVAL SAILING ASSOCIATION](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/royal-naval-sailing-association) 99/100 · £782k
- [ARMY FLYING MUSEUM LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/army-flying-museum-limited) 96/100 · £1.3m
- [CARE OF POLICE SURVIVORS](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/care-of-police-survivors) 93/100 · £661k
- [INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/institution-of-royal-engineers) 93/100 · £622k

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## Frequently asked questions

Common questions about The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body a good charity? + The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body scores 98 out of 100 (5 stars — Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 88% 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 Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body a legitimate charity? + Yes — The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 226686). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/226686. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body's charity number? + The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body's charity number is 226686. 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 Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body's charity rating? + The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body scores 98 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 Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body. 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 Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, 88% of The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body'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 Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body's overheads? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 12% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 13% of total expenditure at The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body'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 Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body receive? + The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body reported £22m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body'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 Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body based? + The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body is listed at Leicester · UK-wide · LE3 1UT and operates UK-wide, focused on armed forces.

How does CharityCompare score The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body'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 Royal Air Forces Association - Corporate Body'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.