The Royal British Legion
About
To safeguard the welfare, interests and memory of those who are serving or who have served in the Armed Forces. One of the largest membership organisations in the UK, recognised as the custodians of Remembrance and also run the annual Poppy Appeal.
Focus & reach
Verification & registration
Every mark links to the official registry entry and opens in a new tab.
Integrity assessment
A score from 0 to 100 for how openly a charity shares public information across five areas: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and data recency. It does not measure programme impact. See exactly what we do and do not have →
Financials
Charity Commission (UK)Leadership at a glance
Official filingsSimilar charities
GiveRadar Intelligence
GiveRadar Analysis
Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, The Royal British Legion has a substantially complete profile, cross-referenced across 4 independent sources including the Charity Commission.
- GiveRadar has cross-referenced this organization across 4 independent sources, led by the Charity Commission - among the most thoroughly sourced profiles in its cohort. See the sources
- By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 99% of the 2,406 human services charities in the United Kingdom with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
- Its integrity score of 76 places it in the top 25% of the 3,065 human services charities in the United Kingdom GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its registration. View this cohort
- government registration
- financial records (5 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Filing history
5 years on file from Charity Commission (UK): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
Sign up to viewTax deductibility
Whether a gift to The Royal British Legion lowers your own taxes depends on where you pay them. Choose your country to see the rule that applies.
UK donations qualify for Gift Aid. THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION is registered with the Charity Commission. Eligible UK taxpayers can boost their gift by 25% at no extra cost.
THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION is in United Kingdom, a TGE (Transnational Giving Europe) member country. Dutch donors can route gifts via Stichting Transnational Giving Europe to receive Dutch ANBI-equivalent deductibility, subject to TGE's 5% pass-through fee.
THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION is registered in United Kingdom. US donors generally cannot deduct gifts to non-US charities directly. To claim a deduction, route the gift through a US 'Friends of' fiscal sponsor or a donor-advised fund that performs equivalency determination (IRS Rev. Proc. 92-94).
This is general guidance, not tax advice. Confirm treatment with the charity or your tax advisor before donating.
Leadership & board
Official filingsBoard members and senior officers on record, with disclosed pay where available.
15 officers and trustees on file, free with a GiveRadar account.
No red flags detected
Timeline
From official filingsKey dates from this charity's official filings, newest first.
In the news
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
Trustpilot
Millions in the bank "for a rainy day", 6000 ex servicemen living on the streets... and you go and spend £100,000 on a new logo. You are an utterly corrupt disgrace.
Trustpilot
£70 million in the bank and they are asking for more Sort it out and look after the poor men & woman who ask for help another company puts profit before spending SHAME ON YOU
Trustpilot
The Royal British Legion is very good at showing the public how good their work is through TV and Adverts and also very good at fundraising for the charity but its hard to really tell what they spend it on because the service isn't up to scratch.The service they offer is outdated, disjointed and slow at best. For example if you ask for their legal help fighting for compensation against the MOD you will only see them once on the day of your hearing. And if you ask them a question or use their online chat systems your in for a long wait for a reply that if one comes and phoning them isn't much better and at times they come across blunt and not friendly which in a role like that would be one of the needed top qualities. If your a veterans that needs help Help for Heroes, Combat Stress and local council initiatives for veterans do a much better job!
Trustpilot
Another Let Down Veteran.The RBL should be a shamed of themselves, they do nothing to help Veterans I served 10 years, due to my mental health I have fallen on bad times on the job front and now I'm homeless in 2 weeks. All they could offer me was a one off Food Voucher and advice ( I DID NOT NEED ADVICE I NEEDED HELP ) Absolutely Discussing from a so called veterans charity. They ask you to jump though so many hoops just to be let down after weeks of phone calls and emails. I hope they are happy with there work with yet another let down Veteran. I can see only one way out thanks for nothing RBL
Trustpilot
I received an email requesting to renew my membership and a telephone number given was dual. I gave my name and the information that I wished to renew my membership and was then asked for security details, name, email, mobile number, first line of address, which I gave, only to be told this was the wrong number and I had to dial another number. I refused and the operative then said she would transfer me, fine. On transfer I received an automated service, which gave the option to call back, which I selected. Some 10 minutes later I received a call back from someone who said he was from the RBL and test again requesting all the date I had previously given. This I am not prepared to do, I gave you the information on the number you provided in an attempt to make a payment, I am not going to give out my data to all and sundry. So, if you want me to re-subscribe best you sort your act out and make it easier.
Trustpilot
Joined online on 21st March and am still waiting for my membership pack! I have phoned them 3 times but still nothing has arrived. I have now given up. I think my father and two grandfathers, who served in the RAF, British Army and Royal Navy respectively, would be appalled at the lack of customer service. Very disappointing indeed.
Trustpilot
Despite their various promises to support Veterans and their families my experience is that they are very selective on who they support and it smacks to me of a "class system". Only thing I would recommend is that you don't give freely to this charity and might even want to consider not buying a poppy. As much as it hurts me to say this the RBL collects huge sums of money during Remembrance Tide but seems not to want to spend it on our veterans and their families. RN Veteran
Trustpilot
We were shocked to see that the building was absolutely covered in graffiti. We drew their attention to this but they didn’t seem to think it was a problem. If you live there however you’d see it rather differently (ASB etc…)
Trustpilot
Horrible experience dealing with Miles Eastwick this man is incompetent and is directly responsible for me been kicked out of a hotel only to be put out on the street where I remain at this moment
Trustpilot
Are not interested in your needs even when you have helped them before talk to you like dirt donate to another charity don't give them anymore money disgracefull
How it stacks up against peers
Compared with 8 similar human services charities in United Kingdom.
Cause areas in United Kingdom
Charities working in each area, this charity's highlighted.
Sources and verification
- Officers and trustees
- Charity Commission for England and Wales - Register of Charities · 15 disclosed in the public registry.
What we know and don't know
Every data point we track for this charity, and whether we have found it. Disclosure only, never a judgment of the charity's work.
Data freshness
How current this profile is, and when we last checked it against the official source.
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
Read full methodologyIf you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email info@giveradar.com with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.
Frequently asked questions about The Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion is a registered human services nonprofit based in London, United Kingdom. It is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It was founded in 1977 and has been operating for 49 years. Its registration number is 054446. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds registration with the UK Fundraising Regulator, which means it has committed to the Code of Fundraising Practice and accountable fundraising standards. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 76/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports £168M in annual revenue. 15 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected. The charity has 29 community reviews with an average rating of 1.6/5. On Trustpilot, it has a rating of 2.2/5 based on 29 reviews.
Based on official filings, The Royal British Legion has £168M in annual revenue. It allocates 72% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 91% for human services charities in United Kingdom. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of £234K. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
To safeguard the welfare, interests and memory of those who are serving or who have served in the Armed Forces. One of the largest membership organisations in the UK, recognised as the custodians of Remembrance and also run the annual Poppy Appeal. The Royal British Legion is classified as a human services organization registered in United Kingdom. The organization was founded in 1977.
The Royal British Legion is an unincorporated association, a group of people who agree to come together for a common charitable purpose. This is the simplest legal structure: it has no separate legal identity, so contracts and property must be held by individual trustees on behalf of the charity. Its Charity Commission registration number is 054446.
The Royal British Legion's registered charity number is 219279. You can use it to look up the organization on the Charity Commission register.
The Royal British Legion is located in London, United Kingdom. The organization was established in 1977 and has been active for 49 years.
The Royal British Legion is based in London. The Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) is the primary regulator. Scotland has its own regulator (OSCR), and Northern Ireland has the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI). A charity registered with the CCEW may operate across the whole of the UK or internationally.
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Quick facts about The Royal British Legion
- What is The Royal British Legion?
- The Royal British Legion is a human services unincorporated association based in London, United Kingdom. To safeguard the welfare, interests and memory of those who are serving or who have served in the Armed Forces. One of the largest membership organisations in the UK, recognised as the custodians of Remembrance and also run the annual Poppy Appeal.
- When was The Royal British Legion founded?
- The Royal British Legion was founded in 1977.
- Where is The Royal British Legion located?
- Headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
- What is The Royal British Legion's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is £168.5 million. 72% of expenses go to program services.
- Is The Royal British Legion trustworthy?
- The Royal British Legion has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 76 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is The Royal British Legion's registration number?
- Registration: 054446 (United Kingdom).
- What is The Royal British Legion's website?
- https://www.britishlegion.org.uk
- Are donations to The Royal British Legion tax-deductible?
- Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. US donors should check whether the charity has an equivalency-determination letter or a US-based fiscal sponsor before claiming a deduction.