Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust

Analysis

Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bradford-On-Avon. It was registered in April 1995, 31 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science, environment/conservation/heritage and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03038464). It says it provides human resources, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust reported income of £666k and spending of £588k, spending 88% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £107k to £666k (+524%), an average of +58% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2025, when income rose by 426%. Over the whole period it spent 79% 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, Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust 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 Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust Limited (£666k), Mostyn Gallery Limited (£666k) and Swedenborg Society (£664k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 90%, charitable activities 3.7% and investments 1.9%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £50k. Charitable activities took 0.0% of spending and raising funds 0.0%.