Intelligent Giving

TOP MARKS FOR FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS

Though most associated with hospital shops, WRVS does most of its work with older people. Its 56,000 volunteers - both men and women - assist over 78,000 pensioners with all manner of tasks, from driving them to the shops to providing meals on wheels. The emphasis is on making friends with isolated people. The charity is being forced to adapt to a cut in its government funding, but it appears to be facing up to the challenge with success. The annual report is - for the second year running - one of our favourites.

Read the charity's reply

QUALITY OF REPORTING What is this?	89%
How much info does the charity want to share? This score, taken from our search for 43 key points in the annual report, gives the answer. Top mark is 100%. Anything over 70% is a good effort.
SIZE OF CHARITY... What is this?	Extra large
We only profile the largest charities in England & Wales, and our sizes are relative to the largest and smallest among them. So where we describe a charity as 'Small', it is still much larger than the national average.
HIGHEST SALARY What is this?	£100k to £149k
Taken from the vague bandings given in annual reports; note that 'Under £60k' could be £9k or £59k. Nonetheless the number of bars should roughly correlate with the 'Size of charity' bars.
RESERVES WOULD LAST... What is this?	8 months
If income dried up, how long could work continue? 3-12 months is normal. Less may be precarious. 12+ months may be over-cautious (or if very high, may represent the value of the charity's property).
ETHICAL INVESTMENT POLICY What is this?	Unknown
We asked the charity if it has an ethical investment policy. If yes, it gets an angel. Those with no policy but which don't invest in tobacco/arms get a halo. Those without investments, or who didn't respond, appear neutral. Those with stakes in arms/tobacco get a fallen angel.

But don't take our word for it...

• The charity's website
• GuideStar summary
• Charity Commission link to annual report

WRVS is an age positive charity. Our goal is to ensure every older person in the UK has the opportunity to stay independent and live the life they want. But we need more support to reach more older people. You can help by donating or becoming a WRVS volunteer . And there are many ways organisations can partner with us to lend a hand to older people in their community. Our supporters make a big difference, thank you.