---
title: "Together for Short Lives charity rating | CharityCompare"
description: "Is Together for Short Lives a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 79/100. Accounts 2025: income £6.0m · 87% on charitable activities. Reg 1144022."
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/together-for-short-lives
retrieved: 2026-08-18T02:13:55.453Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

Quick answer

## Is Together for Short Lives a good charity?

Together for Short Lives scores 79/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£6.0m total income, 87% 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.

Bristol · UK-wide · BS2 8PE |
Reg [1144022](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/together-for-short-lives) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1144022)

Donate

## How can you give to TOGETHER FOR SHORT LIVES?

You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official TOGETHER FOR SHORT LIVES form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form.

[Donate](https://www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1144022)

## What does Together for Short Lives do?

Together for Short Lives is a registered charity (no. 1144022) working in disability across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 87% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 3 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈17% 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 — Together for Short Lives hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=together-for-short-lives)

**In short:** TOGETHER FOR SHORT LIVES scores 79 out of 100 (4 stars). 87% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

## What is Together for Short Lives?

Together for Short Lives has a Clarity Score of 79 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1144022. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Disability. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £6.0m, with 87% 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

79/100

4★ · Good

Cause spend

87%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£6.0m

Latest year 2025

Reserves

3 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£7.4 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) ·
14% overhead · Website on register ·
Confidence: high

## How does TOGETHER FOR SHORT LIVES compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers TOGETHER FOR SHORT LIVES scores higher than.

Income band (£5m–£10m)51stpercentile

**Scores higher than 51% of 619 charities in its income band** · 79/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

Disability charities46thpercentile

**Scores higher than 46% of 711 charities in this cause** · 79/100 vs 79 peer average (marker).

## How reliable is Together for Short Lives'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 Together for Short Lives'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% | 9 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.

70/100
| 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. | 50% | 5/10 pts · 3-year average |
| Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 20% | 48% · 1/5 pts |

### Financial Efficiency

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

90/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 90% | 87% · 9/10 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.

0/100
| 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 →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

## What is Together for Short Lives's Clarity Score?

79/100 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

70/100

Financial Health

90/100

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 oversight9 trustees · 15/15 pts

Declared policies10/10 pts

### Financial Health

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

70/100

Reserves (months of cash)3 months · 15/15 pts

Income stability / growth5/10 pts · 3-year average

Liabilities to assets48% · 1/5 pts

### Financial Efficiency

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

90/100

Program expense ratio87% · 9/10 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.

0/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratioNot reported · 0/10 pts

## How much does Together for Short Lives raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total income | £6.0m | — |
| Total expenditure | £6.6m | — |
| Charitable activities | £6.0m | 91% |
| Fundraising | £607k | 9% |
| Governance & admin | £77k | 1% |

91%On charitable activities

## Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £6.6m spent

- Charitable activities91% · £6.0m
- Fundraising9% · £607k
- Governance1% · £77k

## What trust indicators does Together for Short Lives 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)

9 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 →](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/members/)

Official register

Reg 1144022

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/1144022)

### Trustees & officers

- Mark Winston Smith since 2023
- Robert William Lightfoot since 2023
- Jeremy Mark Evans since 2024
- Sarah Lorking since 2024
- Andrew Heywood Hughes Chair · since 2025
- BRAD MCLEAN since 2025
- Kirsty Murray since 2025
- Sarah Morgan since 2025
- Dr Lynda Ann Brook since 2026

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 Together for Short Lives'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 Together for Short Lives?

Overall score

79/100 (4★)

Income

£6.0m

Cause spend

87% of expenditure

Reg number

1144022

Scope

UK-wide

Reserves

3 months

Trustees

9

Accounts year

2025

Filing

up to date

## How does TOGETHER FOR SHORT LIVES compare, and where else can you look?

[Compare TOGETHER FOR SHORT LIVES with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=together-for-short-lives) [More disability charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/disability) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

### Where TOGETHER FOR SHORT LIVES sits

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

- [disability charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/disability)
- [health charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/health)
- [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education)
- [children charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/children)
- [Charities in Bristol](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/bristol)
- [disability charities in Bristol](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/disability/bristol)

### Similar disability charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

- [POLKA CHILDREN'S THEATRE LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/polka-children-s-theatre-limited) 100/100 · £3.6m
- [TREWEN MEADOWS](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/trewen-meadows) 100/100 · £1.4m
- [CAMBRIDGE RAPE CRISIS CENTRE](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/cambridge-rape-crisis-centre) 100/100 · £916k
- [Kent Neuro Therapy Centre Limited](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/kent-neuro-therapy-centre-limited) 100/100 · £858k

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## Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Together for Short Lives's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Together for Short Lives a good charity? + Together for Short Lives scores 79 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 87% 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 Together for Short Lives a legitimate charity? + Yes — Together for Short Lives is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1144022). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1144022. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is Together for Short Lives's charity number? + Together for Short Lives's charity number is 1144022. 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 Together for Short Lives's charity rating? + Together for Short Lives scores 79 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 Together for Short Lives have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Together for Short Lives. 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 Together for Short Lives? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 87% of Together for Short Lives'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 Together for Short Lives's overheads? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 13% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 14% of total expenditure at Together for Short Lives. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Together for Short Lives'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 Together for Short Lives receive? + Together for Short Lives reported £6.0m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are Together for Short Lives'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 Together for Short Lives based? + Together for Short Lives is listed at Bristol · UK-wide · BS2 8PE and operates UK-wide, focused on disability.

How does CharityCompare score Together for Short Lives? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Together for Short Lives'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 Together for Short Lives'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.