Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Company

Analysis

Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Company is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Stowmarket. It was registered in July 1997, 29 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03244631). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending September 2025, Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Company reported income of £138k and spending of £170k, spending 123% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from September 2021 to September 2025, income grew from £131k to £138k (+4.9%), an average of +1.2% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to September 2025, when income rose by 26%. Over the whole period it spent 104% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Company sits at the 81st percentile: it is larger than about 81% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 76th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Bignor Roman Villa Charitable Trust (£138k), British Cactus and Succulent Society (£138k) and Littlemore Pre-School (£138k).

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.