Royal British Legion Poppy Factory

Analysis

Royal British Legion Poppy Factory is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Surrey. It was registered in May 1964, 62 years ago. Its declared purposes cover economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under community and economic development. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00204405). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides other finance and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending September 2025, Royal British Legion Poppy Factory reported income of £4.8m and spending of £5.4m, spending 114% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from September 2021 to September 2025, income grew from £4.1m to £4.8m (+15%), an average of +3.7% a year. Over the whole period it spent 113% of the income it received.

Among 1,869 England and Wales charities whose main cause is community and economic development and that reported income, Royal British Legion Poppy Factory 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 Smart Works Charity (£4.7m), New Economics Foundation (£5.0m) and The Northern College for Residential Adult Education Limited (£4.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 42%, investments 35%, donations and legacies 21% and trading 1.9%. Charitable activities took 79% of spending and raising funds 20%. Reserves of £2.4m would cover about 5 months of spending at that rate. It employed 57 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.