THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

Charity Number: 219279
Charity reporting is up to date (on time)

Charity overview

Activities - how the charity spends its money

To safeguard the welfare, interests and memory of those who are serving or who have served in the Armed Forces. One of the largest membership organisations in the UK, recognised as the custodians of Remembrance and also run the annual Poppy Appeal.

Income and expenditure

Data for financial year ending 30 September 2023

Total income:
£147,061,000

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Donations and legacies £83.22m
Charitable activities £31.57m
Other trading activities £23.93m
Investments £7.76m
Other £590.00k

Total expenditure:
£180,628,000

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Raising funds £46.90m
Charitable activities £133.73m
Other £0

£6,620,000 investments gains (losses)

Total income includes £481,377 from 7 government grant(s)

Charitable expenditure

Charitable expenditure

Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.

In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.

Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.

By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.

Text alternative for this canvas graphic is in the data table below.
Raising funds and other expenditure £46.90m
Charitable expenditure £133.73m

People

1649 Employee(s)

14 Trustee(s)

55000 Volunteer(s)

Employees with total benefits over £60,000

Number of employees
£60k to £70k 32
£70k to £80k 11
£80k to £90k 11
£90k to £100k 2
£100k to £110k 1
£110k to £120k 2
£120k to £130k 2
£130k to £140k 1
£150k to £200k 1

Fundraising

No information available

Trading

This charity has one or more trading subsidiaries.

Trustee payments

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.

What, who, how, where

What the charity does:
  • General Charitable Purposes
  • Education/training
  • The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
  • Disability
  • The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
  • Accommodation/housing
  • Economic/community Development/employment
Who the charity helps:
  • Other Defined Groups
How the charity helps:
  • Makes Grants To Individuals
  • Makes Grants To Organisations
  • Provides Human Resources
  • Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
  • Provides Services
  • Provides Advocacy/advice/information
  • Other Charitable Activities
Where the charity operates:
  • Throughout England And Wales
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Cyprus
  • Falkland Islands
  • Fiji
  • France
  • Germany
  • Gibraltar
  • Guernsey
  • Hong Kong
  • Ireland
  • Isle Of Man
  • Japan
  • Jersey
  • Kenya
  • Malta
  • Monaco
  • Netherlands
  • Northern Ireland
  • Portugal
  • Scotland
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • Thailand
  • United States

Governance

Registration history:
  • 10 July 1977: Standard registration
Organisation type:
Other
Other names:
  • POPPY APPEAL (Working name)
  • THE LEGION (Working name)
  • BRITISH LEGION (Previous name)
  • THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION (CORPORATE BODY) (Previous name)
Gift aid:
Recognised by HMRC for gift aid
Other regulators:
  • Care Quality Commission
Policies:
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
  • 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
  • Social media policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Land and property:
This charity owns and/or leases land or property

Trustees

Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service

14 Trustee(s)

Name Role Date of appointment Other trusteeships Reporting status of other trusteeships
Lynda Atkins DL Chair 18 May 2025
WALLINGFORD DISTRICT TALKING NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
Received: On time
Major James Sibbald Trustee 18 May 2025
THE ALMSHOUSE OF ROBERT STILES
Received: On time
John Thornhill Trustee 18 May 2025
None on record
Thomas Harrison Trustee 18 May 2025
None on record
PAUL HARRIS Trustee 18 May 2025
CHARITY OF WILLIAM READ
Received: On time
Jan Buxton Trustee 29 January 2024
None on record
Steven Lee Trustee 21 May 2023
None on record
James Lambert Trustee 21 May 2023
None on record
Philip Davies Trustee 21 May 2023
None on record
Paul Astruc Trustee 21 May 2023
None on record
Monica Risam Trustee 24 September 2020
None on record
Helen Owen Trustee 17 May 2020
THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM COMPANY LIMITED
Received: On time
ELIZABETH BUTLER Trustee 14 June 2018
None on record
DEBBIE SORKIN MA MBA Trustee 14 June 2018
None on record

Financial history

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Financial period end date

Income / Expenditure 30/09/2019 30/09/2020 30/09/2021 30/09/2022 30/09/2023
Total gross income £175.88m £143.11m £137.36m £153.53m £147.06m
Total expenditure £181.68m £160.97m £141.83m £151.85m £180.63m
Income from government contracts N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Income from government grants £16.03m £3.71m £2.88m £1.36m £481.38k
Income - Donations and legacies £101.32m £87.12m £77.48m £96.08m £83.22m
Income - Other trading activities £22.94m £18.85m £24.16m £21.78m £23.93m
Income - Charitable activities £44.62m £31.56m £29.13m £27.52m £31.57m
Income - Endowments £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Investment £6.62m £5.51m £5.36m £6.36m £7.76m
Income - Other £391.00k £69.00k £1.23m £1.79m £590.00k
Income - Legacies £21.79m £19.66m £23.77m £28.11m £23.34m
Expenditure - Charitable activities £138.19m £122.78m £103.73m £109.12m £133.73m
Expenditure - Raising funds £43.49m £38.20m £38.10m £42.74m £46.90m
Expenditure - Governance £1.09m £1.40m £1.20m £1.25m £836.00k
Expenditure - Grants institution £12.21m £5.33m £5.45m £5.71m £4.24m
Expenditure - Investment management £449.00k £404.00k £448.00k £485.00k £447.00k
Expenditure - Other £0 £0 £0 £0 £0

Assets and liabilities

Definitions for assets and liabilities
Own use assets

These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.

Long term Investments

Investments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.

Other assets

These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.

Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability

This is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.

Total liabilities

These are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.

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Asset / Liability 30/09/2019 30/09/2020 30/09/2021 30/09/2022 30/09/2023
Own use assets £102.38m £86.03m £83.31m £82.78m £83.59m
Long-term investments £235.92m £235.86m £251.76m £240.27m £243.43m
Other assets £78.35m £70.27m £80.46m £85.81m £55.55m
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability -£6.63m -£11.03m -£3.56m -£1.07m -£1.36m
Total liabilities £38.21m £30.56m £32.16m £29.67m £30.69m

Accounts and annual returns

This table shows the charity's record of submitting annual returns, accounts and trustees' annual report (TAR) for the last five financial periods.
Title Reporting year Date received Received Download
Annual return 30 September 2023 29 July 2024 On Time
Accounts and TAR 30 September 2023 29 July 2024 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 30 September 2022 28 June 2023 On Time
Accounts and TAR 30 September 2022 28 June 2023 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 30 September 2021 24 May 2022 On Time
Accounts and TAR 30 September 2021 24 May 2022 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 30 September 2020 27 July 2021 On Time
Accounts and TAR 30 September 2020 27 July 2021 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 30 September 2019 29 July 2020 On Time
Accounts and TAR 30 September 2019 29 July 2020 On Time Download Open in new window
Submit annual return Open in new window

Governing document

Details of the type of governing document the charity has and when it was established.
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.

ROYAL CHARTER GRANTED 21 APR 1925 AS AMENDED BY SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTER DATED 10 APR 1979 AS AMENDED BY SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTER DATED 27 MAY 1993 AS AMENDED BY SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTER DATED 30 MAY 2003

Charitable objects

(A) TO RELIEVE NEED AND TO FURTHER THE EDUCATION OF BENEFICIARIES (DEFINED IN CLAUSE 2) AND THEIR SPOUSES, CHILDREN AND DEPENDANTS; (B) TO RELIEVE NEED AND PROTECT THE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH OF THE SPOUSES, CHILDREN, DEPENDANTS AND IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS OF BENEFICIARIES WHO HAVE DIED OR BEEN SEVERLEY INJURED; (C) TO RELIEVE SUFFERING, HARDSHIP AND DISTRESS TO SPOUSES, CHILDREN AND DEPENDANTS CAUSED BY THE ABSENCE OF THOSE SERVING IN THE ROYAL NAVY, ARMY AND RAF ON REGULAR, RESERVE OR AUXILIARY ENGAGEMENTS; (D) TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT SCHEMES FOR THE RESETTLEMENT, REHABILITATION, RETRAINING AND SHELTERED EMPLOYMENT OF BENEFICIARIES AND THEIR SPOUSES, CHILDREN AND DEPENDANTS; (E) TO PROMOTE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY THE COMMEMORATION OF THOSE WHO HAVE DIED WHILST ON ACTIVE SERVICE WITH THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

Area of benefit

The area the charity can operate in, as set out in its governing document.

NOT DEFINED

Linked charities

Linked charities
Linked charity 219279-4 BRITISH LEGION AREA HOUSES AT KETTERING
Governing document
CONVEYANCE DATED THE 12TH APRIL 1928. SCHEME OF THE 1LTH DECEMBER 1969
Charitable objects
TO PROVIDE HOUSING ACCOMMODATION FOR EX-SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE DISABLED AS THE RESULT OF WARE SERVICE.
Area of benefit
@
Registration history
  • 10 July 1977 : Standard registration

Contact information

Address:
THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
199 BOROUGH HIGH STREET
LONDON
SE1 1AA
Phone:
02032072100
Email:
sgray@britishlegion.org.uk
Website:

www.britishlegion.org.uk Open in new window