York Museum & Gallery Trust

Analysis

York Museum & Gallery Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in York. It was registered in June 2002, 24 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. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 04381647). It says it provides human resources and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending March 2025, York Museum & Gallery Trust reported income of £9.2m and spending of £10.1m, spending 110% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £4.8m to £9.2m (+94%), an average of +18% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 26%. Over the whole period it spent 121% 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, York Museum & Gallery Trust sits at the 99th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Zaha Hadid Foundation (£9.2m), The Purcell School (£9.2m) and Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust Limited (£9.2m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 94% and donations and legacies 5.7%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £60k. Charitable activities took 88% of spending and raising funds 12%. Grants to other organisations totalled £281k. Reserves of £765k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 151 people.

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.