The Dorset Gardens Trust

Analysis

The Dorset Gardens Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Devon. It was registered in November 1990, 36 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02498049). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Dorset Gardens Trust reported income of £20k and spending of £19k, spending 92% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £17k to £20k (+18%), an average of +4.2% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 46%. Over the whole period it spent 80% of the income it received.

Among 17,634 England and Wales charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, The Dorset Gardens Trust sits at the 49th percentile: it is larger than about 49% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 45th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Tompkins Tate Musical Instrument Trust (£20k), Vivacity Choir (£20k) and Stoke Gabriel Scout Group (£20k).