The Potters Bar University of the Third Age

Analysis

The Potters Bar University of the Third Age is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Hertfordshire. It was registered in March 2000, 26 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. It says it acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending July 2025, The Potters Bar University of the Third Age reported income of £44k and spending of £46k, spending 104% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from July 2021 to July 2025, income grew from £9,163 to £44k (+379%), an average of +48% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to July 2022, when income rose by 207%. Over the whole period it spent 101% 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 Potters Bar University of the Third Age sits at the 67th percentile: it is larger than about 67% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 58th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Rollright Trust Limited (£44k), Chipping Norton and District Choral Society (£44k) and The Valerie White Memorial Trust (£44k).

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.