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THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Charity rating & review

87/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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87 /100

Clarity score

Good

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Is THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE a good charity?

THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE scores 87/100 (Good) on our Clarity Score, with 80% of spending going to charitable activities and accounts up to date. This reflects financial transparency and stewardship from Charity Commission filings — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.

Cambridge · CB3 0AG Reg 1137542 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE is a registered charity (no. 1137542) working in children & youth in Cambridge · CB3 0AG. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 80% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 8 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been declining 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.

In short: THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE scores 87 out of 100 (3 stars). 80% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE has a Clarity Score of 87 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1137542. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £10m, with 80% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 8 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

87/100

3★ · Good

Cause spend

80%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

93/100

Finance beacon

Income

£10m

Latest year 2021

Reserves

8 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£7.2 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 15% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE compares

Clarity Score benchmarked against similar UK charities — higher is better.

Income band (£10m+)87 vs 77 avg

Ranks higher than 81% of 1,022 charities in its income band.

Children & youth charities87 vs 78 avg

Ranks higher than 76% of 3,988 charities in this cause.

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2021
Filing date
2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
Profile reviewed
2026-06-25

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons require information beyond public filings.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales . Open Government Licence v3.0 .

Beacon report

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from Charity Commission 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 COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
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 · one or two = 0 pts (governance red flag).

100% 44 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.

100/100

Financial Health metrics for THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of cash)

3–24 months = 15 pts · 1–3 months = 7 pts · under 1 month or over 3 years (hoarding) = 0 pts.

100% 8 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth

Positive or stable three-year revenue trend = 10 pts · sustained decline = 0 pts.

100% 10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

Low debt (< 30% liabilities to assets) = 5 pts · high debt = 0 pts.

100% 4% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts.

100% 80% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

Spends ≤ £0.20 to raise £1 = 10 pts · £0.21–£0.35 = 5 pts · above £0.35 = 0 pts (fundraising cost ÷ income).

100% 14p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

0/100

Community Support metrics for THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts.

0% Not reported · 0/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

87/100 total · Good · 3 of 4 stars

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

93/100
Accountability & Transparency
100/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
0/100
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 oversight44 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies7/10 pts

Financial Health

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

100/100

Reserves (months of cash)8 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets4% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio80% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency14p per £1 income · 10/10 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

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE revenue and expenses for 2021
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £10m
Total expenditure £9.5m
Charitable activities £7.9m 83%
Fundraising £1.0m 11%
Governance & admin £78k 1%
83%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2021) · £9.5m spent

  • Charitable activities83%
  • Fundraising11%
  • Governance1%
  • Other spending6%

Trust indicators

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    44 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 →

Official register

Reg 1137542

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • DR HUGHES AZERAD
  • PROFESSOR HOLGER BABINSKY
  • Professor CECILIA BRASSETT
  • Dr ROWAN MARGARET BURNSTEIN
  • Professor TIMOTHY ARTHUR COOMBS
  • PROFESSOR PAUL DUPREE
  • Professor ANTJE LUISE DU BOIS-PEDAIN
  • Dr ALLEGRE LAURENCE HADIDA
  • PROFESSOR TIMOTHY NORMAN HARPER
  • DR JANE HUGHES
  • Professor NEIL GARATH JONES
  • Professor STUART MARTIN
How we score charities +

The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK Charity Commission data. Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

Full methodology →

Accountability & Transparency

Scored from filings

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15), declared policies (10).

Financial Health

Scored from filings

30 points — reserves (15), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5).

Financial Efficiency

Scored from filings

20 points — program expense ratio (10), fundraising efficiency (10). Kept at 20% to avoid punishing legitimate infrastructure costs.

Community Support

Scored from filings

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data.

Overall score

Sum of all pillar points. Translated to stars: 90–100 Exceptional (4★), 75–89 Good (3★), 60–74 Needs improvement (2★), below 60 Poor (1★).

Five-year trends

£0k £3800k £7600k £11400k £15200k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £10,270k Spending 2021: £9,526k Cause spend 2021: £7,872k Income 2022: £12,608k Spending 2022: £11,690k Cause spend 2022: £9,083k Income 2023: £13,367k Spending 2023: £13,493k Cause spend 2023: £10,744k Income 2024: £14,823k Spending 2024: £13,669k Cause spend 2024: £11,643k Income 2025: £15,101k Spending 2025: £14,763k Cause spend 2025: £11,106k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
87/100 (3★)
Income
£10m
Cause spend
80% of expenditure
Reg number
1137542
Scope
Local (cambridge)
Reserves
8 months
Trustees
44
Accounts year
2021
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE's charity rating? +

THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE scores 87 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Good). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from Charity Commission filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10).

Is THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE a good charity to donate to? +

THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE scores 87 out of 100 (3 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 80% 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 COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1137542. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE's Charity Commission registration number? +

THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE's registration number is 1137542. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1137542

How much income does THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE receive? +

THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE reported £10m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 80% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 14% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 15%.

Are THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE's accounts up to date? +

Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE based? +

THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE is listed at Cambridge · CB3 0AG, focused on children & youth.

How does CharityCompare score THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE? +

We analyse Charity Commission annual accounts using three-year averages for program expense, fundraising efficiency, and overhead; working capital from reserves vs average expenditure; liabilities-to-assets from the latest balance sheet when available. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons are not yet assessed from public data alone. See our methodology for weights and thresholds.

Does CharityCompare recommend donating to THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE? +

No. CharityCompare provides independent scores and facts from official filings. We do not tell you where to donate or earn commission from charities.

How can I compare THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put THE COLLEGE OF ST MARY MAGDALENE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.