The Sheffield Media and Exhibition Centre Limited

Analysis

The Sheffield Media and Exhibition Centre Limited is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Sheffield. It was registered in February 1991, 35 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02444438). It says it provides human resources and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Sheffield Media and Exhibition Centre Limited reported income of £4.2m and spending of £4.3m, spending 101% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £3.0m to £4.2m (+43%), an average of +9.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 25%. Over the whole period it spent 104% 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 Sheffield Media and Exhibition Centre Limited sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Hepworth Wakefield (£4.2m), Octagon Theatre Trust Limited (£4.2m) and Sir John Soane's Museum (£4.2m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from trading 48%, donations and legacies 32% and charitable activities 20%. Charitable activities took 56% of spending and raising funds 44%. Reserves of £3.1m would cover about 9 months of spending at that rate. It employed 85 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.