--- title: "The Spark Arts for Children charity rating | CharityCompare" description: "Is The Spark Arts for Children a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 90/100. Accounts 2025: income £534k · 77% on charitable activities. Reg 1106952." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-spark-arts-for-children retrieved: 2026-08-18T04:03:15.303Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is The Spark Arts for Children a good charity? The Spark Arts for Children scores 90/100 (5 stars, Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£534k total income, 77% 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 · LE1 1RE | Reg [1106952](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-spark-arts-for-children) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.thesparkarts.co.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1106952) Donate ## How can you give to THE SPARK ARTS FOR CHILDREN? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official THE SPARK ARTS FOR CHILDREN form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.thesparkarts.co.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1106952) ## What does The Spark Arts for Children do? The Spark Arts for Children is a registered charity (no. 1106952) working in arts & culture in Leicester · LE1 1RE. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 77% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 3 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈7% 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 Spark Arts for Children hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=the-spark-arts-for-children) **In short:** THE SPARK ARTS FOR CHILDREN scores 90 out of 100 (5 stars). 77% average program spend (Latest year, disclosed years only). Filings are up to date with no major concerns. ## What is The Spark Arts for Children? The Spark Arts for Children has a Clarity Score of 90 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 1106952. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Arts & culture. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £534k, with 77% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 3 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 90/100 5★ · Exceptional Cause spend 77% latest year · charitable activities Accountability 100/100 Finance beacon Income £534k Latest year 2025 Reserves 3 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £10.7 raised per £1 fundraising (latest year) · 8% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does THE SPARK ARTS FOR CHILDREN compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers THE SPARK ARTS FOR CHILDREN scores higher than. Income band (£500k–£1m)78thpercentile **Scores higher than 78% of 2,187 charities in its income band** · 90/100 vs 79 peer average (marker). Arts & culture charities90thpercentile **Scores higher than 90% of 624 charities in this cause** · 90/100 vs 76 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is The Spark Arts for Children'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 Spark Arts for Children'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% | 6 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. 80/100 | 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% | 3 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. | 40% | 4/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 100% | 4% · 5/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 85/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 70% | 77% · 7/10 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% | 9p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) | ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 90/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 90% | 13 volunteers / 7 staff · 9/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is The Spark Arts for Children's Clarity Score? 90/100 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 80/100 Financial Health 85/100 Financial Efficiency 90/100 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 oversight6 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies10/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 80/100 Reserves (months of cash)3 months · 15/15 pts Income stability / growth4/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets4% · 5/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 85/100 Program expense ratio77% · 7/10 pts (3-year average) Fundraising efficiency9p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 90/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratio13 volunteers / 7 staff · 9/10 pts ## How much does The Spark Arts for Children raise and spend? Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £534k | — | | Total expenditure | £376k | — | | Charitable activities | Not disclosed | — | ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2025) · £376k spent. Not disclosed in this filing — the Charity Commission return omits the charitable-activities split. ## What trust indicators does The Spark Arts for Children 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) 6 trustees on the Charity Commission register - ✓ Workforce on register 7 employees · 13 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 1106952 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/1106952) ### Trustees & officers - Mahmood Reza - Michael Candler Chair · since 2014 - Jasbir Mann since 2017 - Suzanne Laura Guthrie since 2020 - Ruth Lee since 2022 - Dr Patricia Bennett since 2022 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 Spark Arts for Children'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 Spark Arts for Children? Overall score 90/100 (5★) Income £534k Cause spend 77% of expenditure Reg number 1106952 Scope Local (leicester) Reserves 3 months Trustees 6 Accounts year 2025 Filing up to date ## How does THE SPARK ARTS FOR CHILDREN compare, and where else can you look? [Compare THE SPARK ARTS FOR CHILDREN with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=the-spark-arts-for-children) [More arts & culture charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/arts) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where THE SPARK ARTS FOR CHILDREN sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [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 Leicester](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/leicester) ### Similar arts & culture charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [HACKNEY QUEST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/hackney-quest) 100/100 · £827k - [COMMON WEALTH THEATRE LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/common-wealth-theatre-limited) 100/100 · £760k - [PALLANT HOUSE GALLERY](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/pallant-house-gallery) 99/100 · £3.0m - [CREATE (ARTS) LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/create-arts-limited) 99/100 · £1.6m ## How can you share The Spark Arts for Children's rating? 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Free to use — a lightweight HTML badge or an embeddable score widget, each linking back to this independent profile and our [methodology](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology). BadgeScore widget [♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 90/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-spark-arts-for-children) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 90/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about The Spark Arts for Children's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is The Spark Arts for Children a good charity? + The Spark Arts for Children scores 90 out of 100 (5 stars — Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 77% 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 Spark Arts for Children a legitimate charity? + Yes — The Spark Arts for Children is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1106952). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1106952. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is The Spark Arts for Children's charity number? + The Spark Arts for Children's charity number is 1106952. 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 Spark Arts for Children's charity rating? + The Spark Arts for Children scores 90 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 Spark Arts for Children have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Spark Arts for Children. 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 Spark Arts for Children? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 77% of The Spark Arts for Children'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 Spark Arts for Children's overheads? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 23% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 8% of total expenditure at The Spark Arts for Children. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Spark Arts for Children'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 Spark Arts for Children receive? + The Spark Arts for Children reported £534k total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing. Are The Spark Arts for Children'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 Spark Arts for Children based? + The Spark Arts for Children is listed at Leicester · LE1 1RE, focused on arts & culture. How does CharityCompare score The Spark Arts for Children? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Spark Arts for Children'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 Spark Arts for Children'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.