Bankside Open Spaces Trust

Analysis

Bankside Open Spaces Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in March 2001, 25 years ago. Its declared purposes cover amateur sport, environment/conservation/heritage and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under amateur sport and recreation. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 04040674). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space, provides services and acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Bankside Open Spaces Trust reported income of £1.3m and spending of £1.5m, spending 111% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £756k to £1.3m (+75%), an average of +15% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 56%. Over the whole period it spent 88% of the income it received.

Among 12,174 England and Wales charities whose main cause is amateur sport and recreation and that reported income, Bankside Open Spaces Trust sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 95th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Folkestone Parks and Pleasure Grounds Charity (£1.3m), Sherborne Sports and Leisure Limited (£1.3m) and Ne Youth (£1.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 47%, trading 41% and donations and legacies 12%. Charitable activities took 97% of spending and raising funds 1.9%. Reserves of £16k would cover about 0 months of spending at that rate. It employed 19 people.