Hackney Empire Limited

Analysis

Hackney Empire Limited is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in April 1997, 29 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, 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 02060996). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Hackney Empire Limited reported income of £3.4m and spending of £4.1m, spending 121% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £1.9m to £3.4m (+80%), an average of +16% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 53%. Over the whole period it spent 110% 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, Hackney Empire 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 Haynes Motor Museum Ltd (£3.4m), Weston Park Foundation (£3.5m) and Woolwich Creative District Trust (£3.4m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 58%, trading 25%, donations and legacies 16% and investments 1.5%. Charitable activities took 87% of spending and raising funds 1.7%. It employed 59 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.