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Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited

Charity rating & review

97/100 Clarity Score · 5 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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97 /100

Clarity score

Exceptional

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Quick answer

Is Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited a good charity?

Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited scores 97/100 (5 stars, Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£1.2m total income, 78% 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.

Portsmouth · UK-wide · Powys Reg 1000378 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited do?

Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited is a registered charity (no. 1000378) working in arts & culture across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 78% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 16 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 — Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY PRESERVATION CO. LIMITED scores 97 out of 100 (5 stars). 78% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

What is Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited?

Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited has a Clarity Score of 97 out of 100 on CharityCompare (5 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 1000378. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Arts & culture. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £1.2m, with 78% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 16 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

97/100

5★ · Exceptional

Cause spend

78%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£1.2m

Latest year 2025

Reserves

16 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

Fundraising efficiency not stated · 2% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY PRESERVATION CO. LIMITED compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY PRESERVATION CO. LIMITED scores higher than.

Income band (£1m–£5m)97thpercentile

Scores higher than 97% of 2,776 charities in its income band · 97/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

Arts & culture charities97thpercentile

Scores higher than 97% of 624 charities in this cause · 97/100 vs 76 peer average (marker).

How reliable is Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited'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 Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited'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 WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY PRESERVATION CO. LIMITED
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% 11 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.

100/100

Financial Health metrics for WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY PRESERVATION CO. LIMITED
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% 16 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.

100% 6% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

85/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY PRESERVATION CO. LIMITED
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

70% 78% · 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% 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 WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY PRESERVATION CO. LIMITED
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

100% 210 volunteers / 9 staff · 10/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited's Clarity Score?

97/100 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
100/100
Financial Health
85/100
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 oversight11 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

100/100

Reserves (months of cash)16 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets6% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

85/100

Program expense ratio78% · 7/10 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 ratio210 volunteers / 9 staff · 10/10 pts

How much does Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings

WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY PRESERVATION CO. LIMITED revenue and expenses for 2025
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £1.2m
Total expenditure £1.0m
Charitable activities £842k 82%
Governance & admin £29k 3%
82%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £1.0m spent

  • Charitable activities82%
  • Governance3%
  • Other spending15%

What trust indicators does Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited 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)

    11 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    9 employees · 210 volunteers (23:1 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 1000378

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • SIMON JOHN BOWDEN
  • MR STEVE CLEWS
  • PROFESSOR IAIN SINCLAIR MCLEAN
  • Helen Margaret Ashby since 2017
  • Anne-Marie Wright Chair · since 2023
  • Ryk Parkinson since 2023
  • Daisy Rhianna Shennan since 2025
  • Helen Clare Gauntlett since 2025
  • ANDREW GEORGE CHARMAN since 2012
  • Jack Gregory since 2026
  • Paul Christopher Charles Wixey since 2026
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 Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited's finances changed over five years?

£0k £400k £800k £1200k £1600k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £1,512k Spending 2021: £926k Cause spend 2021: £926k Income 2022: £1,215k Spending 2022: £953k Cause spend 2022: £812k Income 2023: £968k Spending 2023: £1,077k Cause spend 2023: £820k Income 2024: £980k Spending 2024: £1,096k Cause spend 2024: £835k Income 2025: £1,233k Spending 2025: £1,023k Cause spend 2025: £842k
  • 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 Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited?

Overall score
97/100 (5★)
Income
£1.2m
Cause spend
78% of expenditure
Reg number
1000378
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
16 months
Trustees
11
Accounts year
2025
Filing
up to date

Where WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY PRESERVATION CO. LIMITED sits

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

Similar arts & culture charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

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How do you add Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited's rating to your site?

Free to use — a lightweight HTML badge or an embeddable score widget, each linking back to this independent profile and our methodology.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited a good charity? +

Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited scores 97 out of 100 (5 stars — Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 78% 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 Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited a legitimate charity? +

Yes — Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1000378). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1000378. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited's charity number? +

Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited's charity number is 1000378. 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 Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited's charity rating? +

Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited scores 97 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 Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited. 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 Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, 78% of Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited'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 Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited's overheads? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 2% of total expenditure at Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited'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 Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited receive? +

Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited reported £1.2m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: stable.

Are Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited'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 Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited based? +

Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited is listed at Portsmouth · UK-wide · Powys and operates UK-wide, focused on arts & culture.

How does CharityCompare score Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited'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 Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Co. Limited'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.