---
title: "World Horse Welfare rating & legitimacy | CharityCompare"
description: "Is World Horse Welfare a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 83/100. Accounts 2024: income £9.9m · 76% on charitable activities. Reg 206658."
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/world-horse-welfare
retrieved: 2026-08-18T04:01:44.846Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

Quick answer

## Is World Horse Welfare a good charity?

World Horse Welfare scores 83/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£9.9m total income, 76% 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.

Norwich · UK-wide · NR16 2LR |
Reg [206658](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/world-horse-welfare) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/206658)

Donate

## How can you give to WORLD HORSE WELFARE?

You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official WORLD HORSE WELFARE form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form.

[Donate](https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=206658)

## What does World Horse Welfare do?

World Horse Welfare is a registered charity (no. 206658) working in animals across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 76% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 15 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈8% 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 — World Horse Welfare hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=world-horse-welfare)

**In short:** WORLD HORSE WELFARE scores 83 out of 100 (4 stars). 76% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.

## What is World Horse Welfare?

World Horse Welfare has a Clarity Score of 83 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 206658. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Animals. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £9.9m, with 76% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 15 months of operating costs. 1 filing concern(s) noted on this profile. 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

83/100

4★ · Good

Cause spend

76%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£9.9m

Latest year 2024

Reserves

15 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£4.4 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) ·
25% overhead · Website on register ·
Confidence: high

## How does WORLD HORSE WELFARE compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers WORLD HORSE WELFARE scores higher than.

Income band (£5m–£10m)63rdpercentile

**Scores higher than 63% of 619 charities in its income band** · 83/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

Animals charities60thpercentile

**Scores higher than 60% of 370 charities in this cause** · 83/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

## How reliable is World Horse Welfare's data?

Source

Charity Commission (England & Wales)

Accounts year

2024

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 World Horse Welfare'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% | 14 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
| 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% | 15 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% | 2% · 5/5 pts |

### Financial Efficiency

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

60/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 70% | 76% · 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). | 50% | 24p per £1 income · 5/10 pts (3-year average) |

### Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

10/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 10% | 15 volunteers / 131 staff · 1/10 pts |

[How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

## What is World Horse Welfare's Clarity Score?

83/100 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

100/100

Financial Health

60/100

Financial Efficiency

10/100

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 oversight14 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)15 months · 15/15 pts

Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average

Liabilities to assets2% · 5/5 pts

### Financial Efficiency

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

60/100

Program expense ratio76% · 7/10 pts (3-year average)

Fundraising efficiency24p per £1 income · 5/10 pts (3-year average)

### Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

10/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio15 volunteers / 131 staff · 1/10 pts

## How much does World Horse Welfare raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total income | £9.9m | — |
| Total expenditure | £12m | — |
| Charitable activities | £8.9m | 74% |
| Fundraising | £3.2m | 26% |
| Governance & admin | £96k | 1% |

74%On charitable activities

## Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2024) · £12m spent

- Charitable activities74% · £8.9m
- Fundraising26% · £3.2m
- Governance1% · £96k

## What trust indicators does World Horse Welfare 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)

14 trustees on the Charity Commission register

- ✓ Workforce on register

131 employees · 15 volunteers (0:1 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 206658

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/206658)

### Trustees & officers

- SAM BULLARD since 2018
- Dr Christopher Wynne Tufnell MRCVS since 2019
- Edward Hugh Thomas since 2020
- Melissa Gray-Cheape since 2019
- Mark Davies CVO DL since 2020
- Jane Allen since 2021
- Dr Meredith Smith since 2023
- SAIMA HABIB since 2023
- Dr Polly Clare Compston since 2024
- Rebecca Sheena Claire Emerson-Keeler since 2024
- Samantha Tolhurst since 2025
- Lars Breisner since 2025

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 World Horse Welfare'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 World Horse Welfare?

Overall score

83/100 (4★)

Income

£9.9m

Cause spend

76% of expenditure

Reg number

206658

Scope

UK-wide

Reserves

15 months

Trustees

14

Accounts year

2024

Filing

up to date

## How does WORLD HORSE WELFARE compare, and where else can you look?

[Compare WORLD HORSE WELFARE with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=world-horse-welfare) [More animals charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/animals) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

### Where WORLD HORSE WELFARE sits

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

- [animals charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/animals)
- [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education)
- [Charities in Norwich](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/norwich)

### Similar animals charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

- [TEES RIVERS CHARITABLE TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/tees-rivers-charitable-trust) 100/100 · £2.0m
- [THE RSPCA DANAHER ANIMAL HOME](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-rspca-danaher-animal-home) 100/100 · £1.4m
- [GREENACRES RESCUE LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/greenacres-rescue-limited) 100/100 · £884k
- [GREATWOOD CHARITY LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/greatwood-charity-limited) 100/100 · £851k

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## What red flags does World Horse Welfare have?

## Frequently asked questions

Common questions about World Horse Welfare's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is World Horse Welfare a good charity? + World Horse Welfare scores 83 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 76% 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 World Horse Welfare a legitimate charity? + Yes — World Horse Welfare is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 206658). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/206658. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is World Horse Welfare's charity number? + World Horse Welfare's charity number is 206658. 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 World Horse Welfare's charity rating? + World Horse Welfare scores 83 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 World Horse Welfare have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for World Horse Welfare. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts (1 filing concern(s) noted on this profile). For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate.

How much of my donation reaches World Horse Welfare? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, 76% of World Horse Welfare'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 World Horse Welfare's overheads? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 24% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 25% of total expenditure at World Horse Welfare. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what World Horse Welfare'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 World Horse Welfare receive? + World Horse Welfare reported £9.9m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are World Horse Welfare'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 World Horse Welfare based? + World Horse Welfare is listed at Norwich · UK-wide · NR16 2LR and operates UK-wide, focused on animals.

How does CharityCompare score World Horse Welfare? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in World Horse Welfare'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 World Horse Welfare'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.