Dorchester Arts

Analysis

Dorchester Arts is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Dorset. It was registered in December 1992, 34 years ago. Its declared purposes cover arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02752793). It says it provides human resources, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Dorchester Arts reported income of £559k and spending of £546k, spending 98% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £205k to £559k (+172%), an average of +28% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 65%. Over the whole period it spent 94% 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, Dorchester Arts sits at the 92nd percentile: it is larger than about 92% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 91st percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Word Up North Limited (£558k), The Ipswich Institute Reading Room and Library (£560k) and Regal Tenbury Trust Limited (£558k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 83% and donations and legacies 14%. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 1.5%. Reserves of £94k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 6 people.