Bristol Aero Collection Trust

Analysis

Bristol Aero Collection Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bristol. It was registered in April 1992, 34 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 02689238). It says it other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Bristol Aero Collection Trust reported income of £2.5m and spending of £2.9m, spending 116% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £2.3m to £2.5m (+8.1%), an average of +2.0% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 38%. Over the whole period it spent 103% 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, Bristol Aero Collection Trust sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 97th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Statfold Narrow Gauge Museum Trust Ltd (£2.5m), Awards for Young Musicians (£2.5m) and The New Phytologist Foundation (£2.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 43%, trading 40% and donations and legacies 17%. Charitable activities took 78% of spending and raising funds 21%. It employed 35 people.