Finance Score: 4

Governance Score: -1

Support Score: 5

Good reserves management: +3
Multiple Deficits: -2
Fundraising costs low: +3

Mainly male board: -1

Grant maker support: +5

Overall GiG Score: 8

ROYAL COMMONWEALTH EX-SERVICES LEAGUE

The charity operates outside the United Kingdom looking after the welfare of ex-servicemen, women and widows of Commonwealth countries who have at some time served the British Crown.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

Reserves management has been consistently within official guidelines
Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

The Board is predominantly male

Financial issues to consider:

On several occasions in recent years income has been less than spending

Established: 7 years

http://www.commonwealthveterans.org.uk/welfar

hyoung@commonwealthveterans.org.uk

020 3207 2413

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E	Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff
31/03/23	£3,794	£3,837	£-43	£52	£1,914	£1,712	5.4	11
31/03/22	£4,121	£4,244	£-124	£47	£1,980	£1,718	4.9	10
31/03/21	£3,556	£4,568	£-1,013	£46	£2,030	£1,764	4.6	11
31/03/20?	£5,183	£5,304	£-120	£0	£2,900	£2,176	4.9	7
31/12/18	£1,590	£2,783	£-1,193	£96	£3,034	£1,730	7.5	4

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 4.3%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 1.4%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 5%
Highest pay band: £90,000-£100,000
Liabilities/Assets: 3%
Liabilities/Income: 1%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 89%
Reserves/Spending: 5.4 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 2 months
Quick Ratio: 11.5

Asset Split ?

Listed activities

Armed Forces/Emergency Service Efficiency
Disability
Other Charitable Purposes
The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty

How it operates

Makes Grants to Individuals
Makes Grants to Organisations

Where it operates

Antigua And Barbuda, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Burma, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, Pakistan, Saint Vincent, Scotland, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts And Nevis, St Lucia, Tanzania, The Bahamas, The Gambia, Throughout ....more

Who it helps

Elderly/Old People
Other Defined Groups
People With Disabilities
The General Public/Mankind

Who works here?

11 employees

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Dulverton Trust - Welfare grants to ex- service people overseas 2023/24
£35,000	08/02/2023	Welfare grants to ex- service people overseas 2023/24
Seafarers UK - Grant to Royal Commonwealth Ex-Service League
£10,000	23/07/2020	Grant funding contribution to provide former Merchant Navy Commonwealth seafarers in poverty in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in the Commonwealth with 2 meals a day.
Seafarers UK - Grant to Royal Commonwealth Ex-Service League
£10,000	23/07/2020	Grant funding contribution to provide former Merchant Navy Commonwealth seafarers in poverty in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in the Commonwealth with 2 meals a day.
Seafarers UK - Grant to Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League
£10,000	01/10/2018	Grant funding to provide former Commonwealth seafarers in poverty with a meal a day.
Seafarers UK - Grant to Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League
£10,000	01/10/2018	Grant funding to provide former Commonwealth seafarers in poverty with a meal a day.
Seafarers UK - Grant to Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League
£4,127	30/05/2018	Grant funding to provide former Commonwealth seafarers in poverty with a meal a day.
Seafarers UK - Grant to Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League
£4,127	30/05/2018	Grant funding to provide former Commonwealth seafarers in poverty with a meal a day.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (12)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Based on 11/12 persons

Age Range of Trustees: 57-79

ANDREW FREEMANTLE Appointed: 2017, Occupation: None

ANDREW JOHN MARTIN Appointed: 2010, Occupation: Company Director

BRIGADIER JOHN CHRISTOPHER LAW KING Appointed: 2012, Occupation: Retired

EVELYN ANNE STROUTS Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Retired

ELISABETH WATKINS Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Judge

JEREMY MICHAEL ARCHER MA Appointed: 2017, Other trusteeships: THE RIFLES OFFICERS' FUND, THE RIFLES REGIMENTAL TRUST, THE RIFLES BENEVOLENT TRUST, THE NOT FORGOTTEN ASSOCIATION (NFA), THE DEVONSHIRE AND DORSET REGIMENTAL TRUST, THE DORCHESTER KEEP MILITARY MUSEUM TRUST,

JASON VICTOR COWARD Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Company Director

LT CDR MARTYN HAWTHORN Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Retired

MAJOR GENERAL CHRISTOPHER HASLETT ELLIOTT Appointed: 2013, Occupation: Retired

MAJOR GENERAL GERALD IAN MITCHELL (Chair) Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Programme Management Senior Executive

MICHAEL JOHN WINARICK Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeship: JOHN PEARCE FOUNDATION,

PAUL WESLEY FARQUHARSON CHAMBERS Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Financial Advisor

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 27/09/2017, number: 1174874
Registered at Companies House on 18/08/2017, number: 10922587

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

Filing Record

5 returns made; all on time

Main office

ROYAL COMMONWEALTH EX-SERVICES LEAG
HAIG HOUSE
199 BOROUGH HIGH STREET
LONDON
SE1 1AA

Objectives

WITH A VIEW TO PERPETUATING THE MEMORY OF GALLANT MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SUFFERED OR DIED FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS, THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY SHALL BE BY CHARITABLE MEANS:1) TO SEEK TO ENSURE THAT NO MAN OR WOMAN RESIDENT OVERSEAS WHO HAS AT SOME TIME SERVED THE CROWN: A) IN THE ARMED FORCES OF ANY COMMONWEALTH COUNTRY OR FORMER COMMONWEALTH COUNTRY BEFORE THAT COUNTRY ACHIEVED INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM; OR B) DURING HOSTILITIES IN THE MERCHANT NAVIES OF ANY SUCH COUNTRY; OR C) IN THE RED CROSS OR ST JOHNÆS ORGANISATION WHILE SUCH ORGANISATION WAS SERVING WITH THE ARMED FORCES OF ANY SUCH COUNTRY, SHOULD SUFFER UNDUE HARDSHIP;2) TO SEEK TO ENSURE THE WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS OF SUCH PERSONS WHO QUALIFY FOR SUPPORT UNDER 3.1 SHOULD NOT SUFFER UNDUE HARDSHIP; 3) TO ASSIST UNITED KINGDOM SERVICE CHARITIES TO PROVIDE WELFARE TO QUALIFYING PERSONNEL (INCLUDING THEIR WIDOWS OR WIDOWERS) RESIDENT OVERSEAS WHO ARE IN NEED AND WHO AT SOME TIME SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES OR DURING HOSTILITIES IN THE MERCHANT NAVY OR THE RED CROSS OR ST JOHNÆS ORGANISATIONS WHILE SUCH ORGANISATIONS WERE SERVING WITH THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM; AND4) TO SEEK, WHERE POSSIBLE AND WITHIN RESOURCES, TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE SUBJECT OF REMEMBRANCE OF THE SERVICE OF THE ARMED AND AUXILIARY FORCES OF THE COMMONWEALTH AND OF THEIR NEEDS.

Data Sources