Royal Navy Museums
Analysis
Royal Navy Museums is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Portsmouth. It was registered in October 2008, 18 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science, environment/conservation/heritage and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 06699696). It says it provides advocacy/advice/information, sponsors or undertakes research and acts as an umbrella or resource body.
In the financial year ending March 2025, Royal Navy Museums reported income of £19.7m and spending of £21.7m, spending 110% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £17.0m to £19.7m (+16%), an average of +3.8% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 59%. Over the whole period it spent 80% 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, Royal Navy Museums sits at the 100th 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 Theatre Royal Bath Limited (£19.7m), Enable Leisure and Culture (£19.8m) and Chatsworth House Trust (£19.4m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 45%, charitable activities 33%, trading 11% and investments 8.4%. Charitable activities took 73% of spending and raising funds 12%. Grants to other organisations totalled £4.7m. Reserves of £5,000 would cover about 0 months of spending at that rate. It employed 3 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 45%
- Charitable activities 33%
- Trading 11%
- Investments 8.4%
- Other 2.7%
In the charity's own words
To become the world's leading naval museum underpinned by the spirit of enterprise and adventure which has always been the hallmark of the Royal Navy. To make accessible to all the story of the Royal Navy and its people from earliest times to the present by collecting, preserving and interpreting artefacts, photographs, documents, manuscripts and oral history testimony.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| The Theatre Royal Bath Limited | Bath | £19.7m |
| Enable Leisure and Culture | London | £19.8m |
| Chatsworth House Trust | Derbyshire | £19.4m |
| London Transport Museum Limited | London | £19.9m |