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THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Charity rating & review

77/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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77 /100

Clarity score

Good

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Is THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED a good charity?

THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED scores 77/100 (Good) on our Clarity Score, with 94% 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.

Birmingham · UK-wide · BS1 6AD Reg 206862 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED is a registered charity (no. 206862) working in children & youth across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 94% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 1 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 SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED scores 77 out of 100 (3 stars). 94% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED has a Clarity Score of 77 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 206862. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £23m, with 94% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 1 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

77/100

3★ · Good

Cause spend

94%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£23m

Latest year 2021

Reserves

1 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£21.3 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 5% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED compares

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

Income band (£10m+)77 vs 77 avg

Ranks higher than 48% of 1,022 charities in its income band.

Children & youth charities77 vs 78 avg

Ranks higher than 46% 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.

100/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE SOIL ASSOCIATION 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 · one or two = 0 pts (governance red flag).

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.

57/100

Financial Health metrics for THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED
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.

47% 1 months · 7/15 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.

0% 44% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

100% 94% · 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% 5p 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 SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

0% 10 volunteers / 416 staff · 0/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

77/100 total · Good · 3 of 4 stars

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

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
57/100
Financial Health
100/100
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 oversight11 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

57/100

Reserves (months of cash)1 months · 7/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets44% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio94% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency5p 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 ratio10 volunteers / 416 staff · 0/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED revenue and expenses for 2021
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £23m
Total expenditure £16m
Charitable activities £15m 96%
Fundraising £613k 4%
Governance & admin £45k 0%
96%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2021) · £16m spent

  • Charitable activities96%
  • Fundraising4%
  • Governance0%
  • Other spending0%

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)

    11 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    416 employees · 10 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 →

Official register

Reg 206862

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Prof Isabel Oliver since 2017
  • Andrew Stanley Burgess since 2019
  • Jonathan William Spencer since 2020
  • Caroline Ann Missen since 2021
  • Philip Edward Fearnley since 2021
  • Steven Lancaster Lizars since 2021
  • Sabine Vandenbroucke since 2022
  • Richard Friend Allan since 2023
  • Neil Hugh Morris since 2026
  • Kirsty Marie Shaw since 2026
  • Victoria Stevens since 2026
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 £6300k £12600k £18900k £25200k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £23,385k Spending 2021: £16,058k Cause spend 2021: £15,384k Income 2022: £16,299k Spending 2022: £17,731k Cause spend 2022: £16,862k Income 2023: £18,548k Spending 2023: £20,760k Cause spend 2023: £18,897k Income 2024: £21,508k Spending 2024: £21,658k Cause spend 2024: £20,589k Income 2025: £24,876k Spending 2025: £24,650k Cause spend 2025: £23,366k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
77/100 (3★)
Income
£23m
Cause spend
94% of expenditure
Reg number
206862
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
1 months
Trustees
11
Accounts year
2021
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED's charity rating? +

THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED scores 77 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 SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED a good charity to donate to? +

THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED scores 77 out of 100 (3 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 94% 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 SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 206862. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED's Charity Commission registration number? +

THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED's registration number is 206862. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/206862

How much income does THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED receive? +

THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED reported £23m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 94% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 5% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 5%.

Are THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED'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 SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED based? +

THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED is listed at Birmingham · UK-wide · BS1 6AD and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.

How does CharityCompare score THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED? +

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 SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED? +

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 SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.