ROYAL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY — Charity Commission profile

01 Identity

Registration and reporting

Registration status: Registered
Reporting status: Submission Received
Charity type: Other
Registered: 2 November 1964
Removed: Not supplied
Company number supplied: RC000469
Financial period: 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025
Latest income: £226,363
Latest expenditure: £263,608
Gift Aid: Yes
Owns or uses land: No
In administration: No
Insolvent: No
CIO: No

Public contact address: Royal Commonwealth Society, 65 Basinghall Street, London, EC2V 5DZ

Website recorded by the regulator: www.royalcwsociety.org (displayed as text)

02 Activities

What the charity does

Through youth empowerment, education and high-level advocacy, the RCS champions the importance of literacy, equality and inclusion, the environment and connected communities in the Commonwealth. Non-partisan and independent, we convene and connect Commonwealth political and diplomatic representatives, as well as industry, civil society, academic and business leaders, on a wide range of issues.

03 Official extract

Charity Annual Return History

Fin Period Start Date: 1 April 2024
Fin Period End Date: 31 March 2025
Ar Cycle Reference: AR25
Reporting Due Date: 31 January 2026
Date Annual Return Received: 23 September 2025
Date Accounts Received: 23 September 2025
Total Gross Income: £226,363
Total Gross Expenditure: £263,608

Fin Period Start Date: 1 April 2023
Fin Period End Date: 31 March 2024
Ar Cycle Reference: AR24
Reporting Due Date: 31 January 2025
Date Annual Return Received: 14 November 2024
Date Accounts Received: 14 November 2024
Total Gross Income: £323,775
Total Gross Expenditure: £238,714

Fin Period Start Date: 1 April 2022
Fin Period End Date: 31 March 2023
Ar Cycle Reference: AR23
Reporting Due Date: 31 January 2024
Date Annual Return Received: 5 January 2024
Date Accounts Received: 5 January 2024
Total Gross Income: £348,308
Total Gross Expenditure: £372,568

Fin Period Start Date: 1 April 2021
Fin Period End Date: 31 March 2022
Ar Cycle Reference: AR22
Reporting Due Date: 31 January 2023
Date Annual Return Received: 4 October 2022
Date Accounts Received: 4 October 2022
Total Gross Income: £367,257
Total Gross Expenditure: £311,742

Fin Period Start Date: 1 April 2020
Fin Period End Date: 31 March 2021
Ar Cycle Reference: AR21
Reporting Due Date: 31 January 2022
Date Annual Return Received: 10 August 2021
Date Accounts Received: 10 August 2021
Total Gross Income: £348,833
Total Gross Expenditure: £279,991

04 Official extract

Charity Annual Return Parta

Latest Fin Period Submitted Ind: Yes
Fin Period Order Number: 1
Ar Cycle Reference: AR25
Fin Period Start Date: 1 April 2024
Fin Period End Date: 31 March 2025
Ar Due Date: 31 January 2026
Ar Received Date: 23 September 2025
Total Gross Income: £226,363
Total Gross Expenditure: £263,608
Grant Making Is Main Activity: No
Count Govt Contracts: 0
Count Govt Grants: £1
Income From Government Grants: £35,000
Charity Has Trading Subsidiary: No
Does Trustee Receive Any Benefit: No
Trustee Payments Acting As Trustee: No
Trustee Receives Payments Services: No
Trustee Receives Other Benefit: No
Trustee Resigned Employment: No
Employees Salary Over 60k: No
Count Volunteers: 20

Latest Fin Period Submitted Ind: No
Fin Period Order Number: 2
Ar Cycle Reference: AR24
Fin Period Start Date: 1 April 2023
Fin Period End Date: 31 March 2024
Ar Due Date: 31 January 2025
Ar Received Date: 14 November 2024
Total Gross Income: £323,775
Total Gross Expenditure: £238,714
Grant Making Is Main Activity: No
Count Govt Contracts: 0
Count Govt Grants: £1
Income From Government Grants: £35,000
Charity Has Trading Subsidiary: No
Does Trustee Receive Any Benefit: No
Trustee Payments Acting As Trustee: No
Trustee Receives Payments Services: No
Trustee Receives Other Benefit: No
Trustee Resigned Employment: No
Employees Salary Over 60k: No
Count Volunteers: 20

Latest Fin Period Submitted Ind: No
Fin Period Order Number: 3
Ar Cycle Reference: AR23
Fin Period Start Date: 1 April 2022
Fin Period End Date: 31 March 2023
Ar Due Date: 31 January 2024
Ar Received Date: 5 January 2024
Total Gross Income: £348,308
Total Gross Expenditure: £372,568
Grant Making Is Main Activity: No
Count Govt Contracts: 0
Count Govt Grants: £1
Income From Government Grants: £35,000
Charity Has Trading Subsidiary: No
Does Trustee Receive Any Benefit: No
Trustee Payments Acting As Trustee: No
Trustee Receives Payments Services: No
Trustee Receives Other Benefit: No
Trustee Resigned Employment: No
Employees Salary Over 60k: No
Count Volunteers: 30

Latest Fin Period Submitted Ind: No
Fin Period Order Number: 4
Ar Cycle Reference: AR22
Fin Period Start Date: 1 April 2021
Fin Period End Date: 31 March 2022
Ar Due Date: 31 January 2023
Ar Received Date: 4 October 2022
Total Gross Income: £367,257
Total Gross Expenditure: £311,742
Charity Raises Funds From Public: Yes
Charity Professional Fundraiser: No
Charity Commercial Participator: No
Charity Receives Govt Funding Contracts: No
Charity Receives Govt Funding Grants: Yes
Count Govt Grants: £1
Income From Government Grants: £35,000
Charity Has Trading Subsidiary: No
Does Trustee Receive Any Benefit: No
Trustee Resigned Employment: No
Employees Salary Over 60k: No
Count Volunteers: 0

Latest Fin Period Submitted Ind: No
Fin Period Order Number: 5
Ar Cycle Reference: AR21
Fin Period Start Date: 1 April 2020
Fin Period End Date: 31 March 2021
Ar Due Date: 31 January 2022
Ar Received Date: 10 August 2021
Total Gross Income: £348,833
Total Gross Expenditure: £279,991
Charity Raises Funds From Public: Yes
Charity Professional Fundraiser: No
Charity Commercial Participator: No
Charity Receives Govt Funding Contracts: No
Charity Receives Govt Funding Grants: Yes
Count Govt Grants: £5
Income From Government Grants: £42,090
Charity Has Trading Subsidiary: No
Does Trustee Receive Any Benefit: No
Trustee Resigned Employment: No
Employees Salary Over 60k: No
Count Volunteers: 0

05 Official extract

Charity Area Of Operation

Geographic Area Type: Region
Geographic Area Description: Throughout England
Welsh Ind: No

06 Official extract

Charity Classification

Classification Code: 109
Classification Type: What
Classification Description: Arts/culture/heritage/science

Classification Code: 207
Classification Type: Who
Classification Description: The General Public/mankind

Classification Code: 201
Classification Type: Who
Classification Description: Children/young People

Classification Code: 117
Classification Type: What
Classification Description: Other Charitable Purposes

Classification Code: 102
Classification Type: What
Classification Description: Education/training

Classification Code: 310
Classification Type: How
Classification Description: Other Charitable Activities

Classification Code: 206
Classification Type: Who
Classification Description: Other Defined Groups

Classification Code: 112
Classification Type: What
Classification Description: Environment/conservation/heritage

Classification Code: 308
Classification Type: How
Classification Description: Sponsors Or Undertakes Research

Classification Code: 204
Classification Type: Who
Classification Description: People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin

Classification Code: 115
Classification Type: What
Classification Description: Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity

Classification Code: 307
Classification Type: How
Classification Description: Provides Advocacy/advice/information

07 Official extract

Charity Event History

Charity Name: ROYAL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY
Charity Event Order: 1
Event Type: Standard registration
Date Of Event: 1964-11-02T00:00:00

Charity Name: ROYAL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY
Charity Event Order: 2
Event Type: Asset transfer in
Date Of Event: 2015-12-22T00:00:00
Reason: Transfer of funds
Assoc Organisation Number: 1055935
Assoc Registered Charity Number: 1055935
Assoc Charity Name: THE JOINT COMMONWEALTH SOCIETIES TRUST

08 Official extract

Charity Governing Document

Governing Document Description: ROYAL CHARTER 1882; SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTERS 1922, 1964 AND 2004. ORDER IN COUNCIL 1928 AND 1958 AND 2002.
Charitable Objects: TO PROMOTE WITHIN OUR UNITED KINGDOM AND OVERSEAS THE INCREASE AND SPREAD OF KNOWLEDGE RESPECTING THE PEOPLE AND COUNTRIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH AND THEIR CULTURES BY PROVIDING A CENTRAL COMMONWEALTH MEETING PLACE WITH CULTURAL AND SOCIAL FACILITIES FOR MEMBERS. (SEE SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTER)
Area Of Benefit: NATIONAL AND OVERSEAS

09 Official extract

Charity Policy

Policy Name: Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures

Policy Name: Investing charity funds policy and procedures

Policy Name: Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures

Policy Name: Investment

Policy Name: Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures

Policy Name: Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures

Policy Name: Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries

Policy Name: Trustee expenses policy and procedures

Policy Name: Social media policy and procedures

Policy Name: Serious incident reporting policy and procedures

Policy Name: Conflicting interests

Policy Name: Internal risk management policy and procedures

Policy Name: Risk management

Policy Name: Financial reserves policy and procedures

Policy Name: Complaints handling

Policy Name: Complaints policy and procedures

Policy Name: Paying staff

Policy Name: Safeguarding policy and procedures

Policy Name: Bullying and harassment policy and procedures