THE ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY FOR OFFICERS

Registered charity 207405 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY, THE ROYAL NAVY OFFICERS' CHARITY

Founded in 1739 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1838, the Society grants financial relief to officers and former officers of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, QARNNS, WRNS and their Reserves, and including spouses, former spouses, and families in need. In the last year grants just in excess of £500,000 were made. Additionally many hours are spent signposting, offering advice or a friendly ear.

Causes: The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£1.7m

Latest spending

£1.0m

Registered

1962

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity holds substantial unrestricted reserves of £18.6m, significantly exceeding its stated policy target of £375k (six months of expenditure). With a net income of £734,761 and total funds of £19.5m, the charity demonstrates strong financial resilience and adequate resources to continue in operational existence.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £90,001 - £100,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £70k)

“One employee (2024: one employee) had emoluments of £90,000-£100,000 (2024: £90,000-£100,000)” — page 21

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“One employee (2024: one employee) had emoluments of £90,000-£100,000 (2024: £90,000-£100,000) The cost to this charity is 0in the range of £60,000- £70,000 as a portion of their salary and associated costs are re-charged to ARNO” — page 21

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Largest income source: Donations and legacies (59% of income)

“Investment income was £715,358 and legacies/donations, for which the Council are extremely grateful, £1,030,065.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: six months of its own expenditure (held: £18.6m)

“It aims to hold its free reserves to a level equivalent to six months of its own expenditure, which would require a liquid reserve of around £375k.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Moore Kingston Smith LLP. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Top pay band moved from £80,001 - £90,000 (FY2024) to £90,001 - £100,000 (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income

£1.7m

Total spending

£1.0m

Cost of raising funds

£27k

Reserves (reported)

£375k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~4.5 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 1.6% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (03/06/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (11/09/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (11/09/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (20/02/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (06/12/2018) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Vice Admiral Andrew Kyte CBchair
COMMANDER BEN HUGHES RN
Commander Penelope Graham RN
Commodore Philip Thicknesse · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr Ian Fyfe-Green · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr Joanne Keogh OBE
Lieutenant Commander William Hairsine RN
Lieutenant Samuel Williams RN
Surgeon Commodore Stuart Millar
VENERABLE MARTIN POLL

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£1.7m	£1.0m
31/12/2024	£928k	£809k
31/12/2023	£724k	£701k
31/12/2022	£1.0m	£711k
31/12/2021	£708k	£726k

Common questions

Is THE ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY FOR OFFICERS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity holds substantial unrestricted reserves of £18.6m, significantly exceeding its stated policy target of £375k (six months of expenditure). With a net income of £734,761 and total funds of £19.5m, the charity demonstrates strong financial resilience and adequate resources to continue in operational existence. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Moore Kingston Smith LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY FOR OFFICERS earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £90,001 - £100,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds THE ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY FOR OFFICERS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY FOR OFFICERS as a grant recipient include THE REED FOUNDATION.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE REED FOUNDATION	FY2021	—

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	—	£15k	Local Grants 2017/18

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE CORPORATION OF TRINITY HOUSE OF DEPTFORD STROND	3	£537k
THE GOSLING FOUNDATION LIMITED	3	£112k
ARMED FORCES COVENANT FUND	2	£983k
The Seafarers' Charity (King George's Fund for Sailors)	1	—
ROYAL ENGINEERS CENTRAL CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£1.2m
THE ROYAL NAVY AND ROYAL MARINES CHARITY	1	£720k
THE I T F SEAFARERS TRUST	1	£99k
LEST WE FORGET ASSOCIATION	1	£26k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT TRUST (GRAND FLEET AND KINDRED FUNDS).

THE ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT TRUST (GRAND FLEET AND KINDRED FUNDS) income £12.5m
THE ROYAL NAVY AND ROYAL MARINES CHARITY income £16.2m
THE SHIPWRECKED FISHERMEN AND MARINERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY income £1.6m
The Naval Children's Charity income £1.5m
ROYAL ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION income £1.7m
THE ROYAL MILITARY POLICE CENTRAL BENEVOLENT FUND income £278k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY FOR OFFICERS	£1.7m	£90,001 - £100,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
THE ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT TRUST (GRAND FLEET AND KINDRED FUNDS) FY2025	£12.5m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE ROYAL NAVY AND ROYAL MARINES CHARITY FY2024	£16.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE SHIPWRECKED FISHERMEN AND MARINERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY FY2025	£1.6m	£90,001 - £100,000	1	above	—	no doubt
The Naval Children's Charity FY2026	£1.5m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ROYAL ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION FY2025	£1.7m	£70,001 - £80,000	—	unclear	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.