British Exploring Society

Analysis

British Exploring Society is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in December 1989, 37 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives, arts/culture/heritage/science and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02411786). It says it provides human resources, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending October 2025, British Exploring Society reported income of £818k and spending of £896k, spending 110% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from October 2021 to October 2025, income fell from £1.3m to £818k (-35%), an average of -10% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to October 2024, when income dropped by 44%. Over the whole period it spent 109% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, British Exploring Society sits at the 88th percentile: it is larger than about 88% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 93rd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The British Association for the Study of the Liver (£815k), Princes Risborough Centre Ltd (£818k) and Hatzola Trust (£815k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 98%. Charitable activities took 96% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Reserves of £215k would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 17 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.