Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society

Analysis

Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Leatherhead. It was registered in December 2013, 13 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, disability and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under disability. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 08828584). It says it makes grants to individuals, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society reported income of £5.0m and spending of £5.2m, spending 106% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £5.2m to £5.0m (-4.6%), an average of -1.2% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income dropped by 22%. Over the whole period it spent 113% of the income it received.

Among 12,871 England and Wales charities whose main cause is disability and that reported income, Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Caring for Life (£4.8m), Side by Side (Children) Limited (£5.0m) and The Children's Village (£4.8m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 54%, investments 23%, trading 16% and charitable activities 6.6%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £1.9m. Charitable activities took 70% of spending and raising funds 27%. Reserves of £5.3m would cover about 12 months of spending at that rate. It employed 74 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.