English Pen

Analysis

English Pen is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in August 2008, 18 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science and other charitable purposes, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 05747142). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, English Pen reported income of £663k and spending of £931k, spending 140% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £718k to £663k (-7.7%), an average of -2.0% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 132%. Over the whole period it spent 84% 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, English Pen sits at the 93rd percentile: it is larger than about 93% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 92nd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (£662k), The Japan Society (£664k) and The Shanklin Chine Trust (£662k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 55%, donations and legacies 35% and investments 4.7%. Charitable activities took 78% of spending and raising funds 20%. Grants to other organisations totalled £152k. Reserves of £747k would cover about 10 months of spending at that rate. It employed 10 people.