The Wordsworth Trust

Analysis

The Wordsworth Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Ambleside. It was registered in November 1997, 29 years ago. Its declared purposes cover 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 03442086). It says it provides advocacy/advice/information, sponsors or undertakes research and acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Wordsworth Trust reported income of £2.2m and spending of £1.9m, spending 87% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £2.9m to £2.2m (-24%), an average of -6.7% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income dropped by 53%. Over the whole period it spent 85% 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 Wordsworth Trust sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Sharpham Trust (£2.2m), Royal West of England Academy (£2.2m) and The Old Meeting House Trust (£2.2m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 64%, charitable activities 21% and investments 12%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £5,000. Charitable activities took 85% of spending and raising funds 15%. Reserves of £667k would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 29 people.