Deptford Challenge Trust Limited

Analysis

Deptford Challenge Trust Limited is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in July 1998, 28 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, arts/culture/heritage/science, amateur sport and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03390541). It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending August 2025, Deptford Challenge Trust Limited reported income of £1.7m and spending of £1.4m, spending 82% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to August 2025, income grew from £322k to £1.7m (+432%), an average of +52% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to August 2023, when income rose by 172%. Over the whole period it spent 90% 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, Deptford Challenge Trust Limited sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 96% 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 Theatr Mwldan (£1.7m), The Duke's Playhouse Limited (£1.7m) and The Oxford School of Drama Trust (£1.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 61%, donations and legacies 37% and investments 1.4%. Charitable activities took 26% of spending and raising funds 73%. Grants to other organisations totalled £300k. Reserves of £470k would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate.