Customs House Trust Limited

Analysis

Customs House Trust Limited is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Tyne and Wear. It was registered in February 1994, 32 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 02848282). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides human resources and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Customs House Trust Limited reported income of £3.1m and spending of £3.2m, spending 103% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £1.5m to £3.1m (+105%), an average of +20% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 35%. Over the whole period it spent 96% 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, Customs House Trust 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 97th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust (£3.1m), The Royal Institution of Cornwall (£3.1m) and Farnham Maltings Association Limited (£3.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 46%, trading 32% and donations and legacies 21%. Charitable activities took 93% of spending and raising funds 6.5%. Reserves of £433k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 61 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.