The Archives and Records Association (UK and Ireland)

Analysis

The Archives and Records Association (UK and Ireland) is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Somerset. It was registered in September 1994, 32 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 02969472). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides services.

In the financial year ending September 2025, The Archives and Records Association (UK and Ireland) reported income of £686k and spending of £727k, spending 106% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from September 2021 to September 2025, income grew from £449k to £686k (+53%), an average of +11% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to September 2022, when income rose by 21%. 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, The Archives and Records Association (UK and Ireland) sits at the 93rd percentile: it is larger than about 93% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 92nd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Grierson Trust (£686k), Cement Fields (£686k) and Music for Youth (£686k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 90% and investments 3.0%. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £10k. Reserves of £587k would cover about 10 months of spending at that rate. It employed 5 people.