West Somerset Rural Life Museum

Analysis

West Somerset Rural Life Museum is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Minehead. It was registered in October 1997, 29 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. It says it provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending December 2025, West Somerset Rural Life Museum reported income of £12k and spending of £13k, spending 108% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £23k to £12k (-46%), an average of -14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2024, when income rose by 108%. Over the whole period it spent 92% 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, West Somerset Rural Life Museum sits at the 37th percentile: it is larger than about 36% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 35th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Families & Friends of the Oldham Music Centre (£12k), Crosby Garrett Village Hall (£12k) and Selborne Village Hall (£12k).