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The Society of Mary and Martha

Charity rating & review

88/100 Clarity Score · 4 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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88 /100

Clarity score

Good

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Quick answer

Is The Society of Mary and Martha a good charity?

The Society of Mary and Martha scores 88/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£649k total income, 100% 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.

Exeter · UK-wide · EX6 7YT Reg 327394 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does The Society of Mary and Martha do?

The Society of Mary and Martha is a registered charity (no. 327394) working in disability across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 100% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 22 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been broadly stable over recent years. 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 Society of Mary and Martha hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: THE SOCIETY OF MARY AND MARTHA scores 88 out of 100 (4 stars). 100% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

What is The Society of Mary and Martha?

The Society of Mary and Martha has a Clarity Score of 88 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 327394. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Disability. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £649k, with 100% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 22 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

88/100

4★ · Good

Cause spend

100%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£649k

Latest year 2025

Reserves

22 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

Fundraising efficiency not stated · 3% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does THE SOCIETY OF MARY AND MARTHA compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers THE SOCIETY OF MARY AND MARTHA scores higher than.

Income band (£500k–£1m)73rdpercentile

Scores higher than 73% of 2,187 charities in its income band · 88/100 vs 79 peer average (marker).

Disability charities72ndpercentile

Scores higher than 72% of 711 charities in this cause · 88/100 vs 79 peer average (marker).

How reliable is The Society of Mary and Martha'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 Society of Mary and Martha'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 SOCIETY OF MARY AND MARTHA
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% 8 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 SOCIETY OF MARY AND MARTHA
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% 22 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.

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

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

100% 1% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE SOCIETY OF MARY AND MARTHA
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

100% 100% · 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% 0p 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 SOCIETY OF MARY AND MARTHA
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 Society of Mary and Martha's Clarity Score?

88/100 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
93/100
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 oversight8 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)22 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth8/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets1% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio100% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency0p 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 Society of Mary and Martha raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings

THE SOCIETY OF MARY AND MARTHA revenue and expenses for 2025
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £649k
Total expenditure £619k
Charitable activities £619k 100%
Governance & admin £15k 2%
100%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £619k spent

  • Charitable activities100%
  • Governance2%

What trust indicators does The Society of Mary and Martha 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)

    8 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 327394

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • REVEREND CANON LYNDA MARY BARLEY since 2015
  • Carl Anthony Lee since 2015
  • Hillary Ann Hanson since 2016
  • Rev Frank Albert Wright Chair · since 2018
  • Jacqueline Mary Henretty since 2018
  • IAN EDWARD POWELL since 2022
  • Rev Nina Mary Joyner Summerfield since 2024
  • Rev Antony Kenneth Lane since 2024
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 Society of Mary and Martha's finances changed over five years?

£0k £200k £400k £600k £800k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £552k Spending 2021: £563k Cause spend 2021: £472k Income 2022: £578k Spending 2022: £692k Cause spend 2022: £603k Income 2023: £589k Spending 2023: £623k Cause spend 2023: £623k Income 2024: £646k Spending 2024: £609k Cause spend 2024: £609k Income 2025: £649k Spending 2025: £619k Cause spend 2025: £619k
  • 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 Society of Mary and Martha?

Overall score
88/100 (4★)
Income
£649k
Cause spend
100% of expenditure
Reg number
327394
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
22 months
Trustees
8
Accounts year
2025
Filing
up to date

Where THE SOCIETY OF MARY AND MARTHA sits

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

Similar disability charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

How can you share The Society of Mary and Martha's rating?

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about The Society of Mary and Martha's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is The Society of Mary and Martha a good charity? +

The Society of Mary and Martha scores 88 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 100% 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 Society of Mary and Martha a legitimate charity? +

Yes — The Society of Mary and Martha is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 327394). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/327394. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is The Society of Mary and Martha's charity number? +

The Society of Mary and Martha's charity number is 327394. 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 Society of Mary and Martha's charity rating? +

The Society of Mary and Martha scores 88 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 Society of Mary and Martha have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Society of Mary and Martha. 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 Society of Mary and Martha? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, 100% of The Society of Mary and Martha'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 Society of Mary and Martha's overheads? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 3% of total expenditure at The Society of Mary and Martha. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Society of Mary and Martha'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 Society of Mary and Martha receive? +

The Society of Mary and Martha reported £649k total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: stable.

Are The Society of Mary and Martha'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 Society of Mary and Martha based? +

The Society of Mary and Martha is listed at Exeter · UK-wide · EX6 7YT and operates UK-wide, focused on disability.

How does CharityCompare score The Society of Mary and Martha? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Society of Mary and Martha'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 Society of Mary and Martha'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.