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The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society

Charity rating & review

87/100 Clarity Score · 4 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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87 /100

Clarity score

Good

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Quick answer

Is The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society a good charity?

The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society scores 87/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£571k total income, 99% 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 · TA2 6SF Reg 201929 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society do?

The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society is a registered charity (no. 201929) working in environment in Taunton · TA2 6SF. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 99% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 1 month of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income changed sharply in 2023 (likely a merger, transfer or reporting change) — year-on-year trend labels are not meaningful across that step. 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 Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: THE SOMERSET ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY scores 87 out of 100 (4 stars). 99% average program spend (Latest year, disclosed years only). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

What is The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society?

The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society has a Clarity Score of 87 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 201929. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Environment. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £571k, with 99% 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

87/100

4★ · Good

Cause spend

99%

latest year · charitable activities

Accountability

93/100

Finance beacon

Income

£571k

Latest year 2024

Reserves

1 mo

1 month of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£1099.2 raised per £1 fundraising (latest year) · 3% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does THE SOMERSET ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers THE SOMERSET ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY scores higher than.

Income band (£500k–£1m)70thpercentile

Scores higher than 70% of 2,187 charities in its income band · 87/100 vs 79 peer average (marker).

Environment charities80thpercentile

Scores higher than 80% of 460 charities in this cause · 87/100 vs 76 peer average (marker).

How reliable is The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society's data?

Source
Charity Commission (England & Wales)
Accounts year
2024
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 Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society'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.

93/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE SOMERSET ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
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% 6 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies

Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return.

70% 7/10 pts

Financial Health

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

67/100

Financial Health metrics for THE SOMERSET ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
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.

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% 0% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE SOMERSET ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

100% 99% · 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.

100/100

Community Support metrics for THE SOMERSET ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

100% 12 volunteers / 1 staff · 10/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society's Clarity Score?

87/100 total · Good · 4 of 5 stars

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

93/100
Accountability & Transparency
67/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
100/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

93/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts
Trustee oversight6 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies7/10 pts

Financial Health

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

67/100

Reserves (months of cash)1 month · 5/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets0% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio99% · 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.

100/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio12 volunteers / 1 staff · 10/10 pts

How much does The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings

THE SOMERSET ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY revenue and expenses for 2024
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £571k
Total expenditure £85k
Charitable activities £84k 99%
Fundraising £964 1%
Governance & admin £8k 9%
99%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2024) · £85k spent

  • Charitable activities99%
  • Fundraising1%
  • Governance9%

What trust indicators does The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society 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)

    6 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    1 employees · 12 volunteers (12:1 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 →

Official register

Reg 201929

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Lizzie Induni Chair · since 2020
  • Dr MARTIN LEONARD WILLIAM SALZER since 2021
  • Nigel Pearce since 2023
  • DAVID JOHN NICHOLSON since 2024
  • Ian Keys since 2024
  • Jill Doreen Strobridge 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 Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society's finances changed over five years?

£0k £200k £400k £600k £800k 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Income 2020: £81k Spending 2020: £100k Cause spend 2020: £0k Income 2021: £87k Spending 2021: £125k Cause spend 2021: £0k Income 2022: £54k Spending 2022: £39k Cause spend 2022: £0k Income 2023: £435k Spending 2023: £68k Cause spend 2023: £0k Income 2024: £571k Spending 2024: £85k Cause spend 2024: £84k
  • 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 Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society?

Overall score
87/100 (4★)
Income
£571k
Cause spend
99% of expenditure
Reg number
201929
Scope
Local (taunton)
Reserves
1 month
Trustees
6
Accounts year
2024
Filing
up to date

Where THE SOMERSET ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY sits

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

Similar environment charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

How can you share The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society's rating?

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society a good charity? +

The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society scores 87 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 99% 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 Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society a legitimate charity? +

Yes — The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 201929). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/201929. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society's charity number? +

The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society's charity number is 201929. 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 Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society's charity rating? +

The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society scores 87 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 Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. 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 Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society? +

According to its 2024 regulator filing, 99% of The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society's total spending went to charitable activities. 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 Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society's overheads? +

According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 1% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 3% of total expenditure at The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society'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 Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society receive? +

The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society reported £571k total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: restructured.

Are The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society'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 Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society based? +

The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society is listed at Taunton · TA2 6SF, focused on environment.

How does CharityCompare score The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society'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 Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society'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.