THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

Registered charity 219279 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BRITISH LEGION, POPPY APPEAL, THE LEGION, THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION (CORPORATE BODY)

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.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Accommodation/housing · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the Royal British Legion reported an operating deficit of £9.1 million before investment gains, resulting in a net surplus of £12.4 million after significant investment returns. The charity holds free unrestricted reserves of £105.7 million, which exceeds its stated minimum target of £85 million, and the Trustees confirm the organization is a going concern with sufficient resources to meet liabilities as they fall due.

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

What the accounts disclose

Accounts audited by Deloitte LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Royal British Legion (matched by registered charity number).

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

• Postcode Lottery — “The Royal British Legion has been selected to take part in Crowns for Causes, a national campaign delivered in partnership with Strava and P…” (source page)

Public-sector contracts awarded

From the official Contracts Finder and Find a Tender notices (supplier matched by exact registered name). Contract income is distinct from grants.

UK research funding (UKRI Gateway to Research)

• Gateways to the First World War (Phase 2) —
• The health and well-being of LGBT+ military personnel and veterans —
• Soldiers' Status within Society —
• "Information about Drinking for Ex-serving personnel (InDEx)" - Development of a personalised alcohol app —
• "Information about Drinking for Ex-serving personnel (InDEx)" - Development of a personalised alcohol app —

Property (HM Land Registry)

343 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (307 freehold); recorded price paid £768k. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

CQC provider record: The Royal British Legion — Registered, 6 registered locations, 2 regulated activities, last inspected 06/04/2023.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record

Trustpilot: The Royal British Legion scores 2.2/5 from 39 reviews (source) — reviews usually concern the charity’s shops or services, not its charitable performance.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook (780,054 likes) · instagram (195K followers)

Advertised salaries (public job ads)

Roles this charity has advertised on CharityJob, matched on the exact employer name. A different source from the statutory pay bands above: these are asking salaries for vacancies, not what anyone was paid.

• Solution Architect — £55,548 to £60,458 per annum · City of London (On-site) · posted 1 day ago (seen 21/08/2026)
• National Recovery Frameworks and Quality Manager — £44,000 to £48,000 per annum · Shropshire (On-site) · posted 1 week ago (seen 21/08/2026)
• Public Affairs and Campaigns Officer (North) — £32,411 to £34,000 per annum · Northumberland (On-site) · posted 2 weeks ago (seen 21/08/2026)
• Casual Catering Assistant — £13.06 per hour · Broadstairs, Kent (On-site) · posted 2 weeks ago (seen 21/08/2026)

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 30/09/2025)

Reported reserves equal ~7.0 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 2.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 28.7% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 2.9%) (benchmarks).

Care Quality Commission ratings

CQC inspection ratings for services run by a provider matching this charity’s name (matched by name; verify provider identity on CQC’s site).

• Halsey House: Requires improvement (04/04/2023) · CQC record
• Galanos House: Outstanding (13/11/2025) · CQC record
• Lister House: Good (27/11/2018) · CQC record
• Maurice House: Good (23/09/2025) · CQC record
• Mais House: Good (20/05/2023) · CQC record
• Dunkirk Memorial House: Outstanding (03/01/2019) · CQC record

Register events

• Received assets from another charity (23/06/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
• Received assets from another charity (23/03/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
• Received assets from another charity (02/06/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
• Received assets from another charity (02/06/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
• Received assets from another charity (30/05/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
• Received assets from another charity (14/04/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

• Lynda Atkins DLchair · trustee of 1 other charity
• Becks Buckingham
• DEBBIE SORKIN MA MBA
• ELIZABETH BUTLER
• Helen Owen · trustee of 1 other charity
• James Lambert
• Jan Buxton
• John Thornhill
• Major James Sibbald · trustee of 1 other charity
• Monica Risam
• Neil James
• PAUL HARRIS · trustee of 1 other charity
• Paul Astruc
• Paul Lincoln
• Philip Davies
• Steven Lee

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

Operates in: Belgium · Belize · Brazil · Chile · Cyprus · Falkland Islands · Fiji · France · Germany · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Hong Kong

Income and spending

Common questions

Known funders

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

Government & lottery funding

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

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.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ROYAL BRITISH LEGION POPPY FACTORY.

• ROYAL BRITISH LEGION POPPY FACTORY income £4.8m
• THE ROYAL NAVY AND ROYAL MARINES CHARITY income £13.7m
• The Royal Signals Charity income £1.5m
• THE ROYAL WELSH REGIMENTAL WELFARE AND BENEVOLENCE FOUNDATION income £351k
• THE ROYAL ANGLIAN REGIMENT CHARITY income £403k
• THE SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN AND FAMILIES ASSOCIATION - FORCES HELP income £33.2m

Side by side with its peers

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