Open City

Analysis

Open City is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in 1a Cripps Yard. It was registered in October 1998, 28 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. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03159878). It says it provides services, provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Open City reported income of £1.1m and spending of £1.2m, spending 107% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2020 to March 2025, income grew from £765k to £1.1m (+47%), an average of +10% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 29%. Over the whole period it spent 98% 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, Open City sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 95% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 94th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Nene Valley Railway (£1.1m), Guiting Manor Amenity Trust (£1.1m) and Queens Hall Arts (£1.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 38%, trading 33% and charitable activities 29%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £251k. Charitable activities took 95% of spending and raising funds 3.7%. Reserves of £257k would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 18 people.