Luton Cultural Services Trust

Analysis

Luton Cultural Services Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Luton. It was registered in February 2008, 18 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 06373488). It says it provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Luton Cultural Services Trust reported income of £3.6m and spending of £3.8m, spending 105% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £4.5m to £3.6m (-21%), an average of -5.8% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income dropped by 29%. Over the whole period it spent 103% 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, Luton Cultural Services Trust sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Central Park (£3.6m), The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum (£3.6m) and Chapter (Cardiff) Limited (£3.6m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 59%, trading 23% and charitable activities 18%. Charitable activities took 80% of spending and raising funds 19%. It employed 45 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.