The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings

Analysis

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in April 2006, 20 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 05743962). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides services.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings reported income of £1.1m and spending of £2.2m, spending 202% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £1.6m to £1.1m (-33%), an average of -9.5% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2025, when income dropped by 59%. 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, The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings 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 Maaike McInnes Charitable Trust (£1.1m), Ballet Black (£1.1m) and The Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills Company Limited (£1.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 62%, trading 13%, donations and legacies 13% and investments 9.4%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £18k. Charitable activities took 85% of spending and raising funds 14%. Grants to other organisations totalled £6,620. Reserves of £4.0m would cover about 22 months of spending at that rate. It employed 23 people.