Wikimedia UK
Analysis
Wikimedia UK is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in 96 Euston Road. It was registered in November 2011, 15 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 06741827). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides other finance.
In the financial year ending January 2026, Wikimedia UK reported income of £1.2m and spending of £1.1m, spending 91% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from January 2022 to January 2026, income grew from £860k to £1.2m (+41%), an average of +9.0% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to January 2025, when income rose by 16%. Over the whole period it spent 94% 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, Wikimedia UK sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% 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 Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust Limited (£1.2m), Conway Hall Ethical Society (£1.2m) and The Gurkha Museum Trust (£1.2m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 83%, charitable activities 15% and investments 1.5%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £45k. Charitable activities took 93% of spending and raising funds 5.5%. Reserves of £472k would cover about 5 months of spending at that rate. It employed 12 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 79%
- Legacies 3.7%
- Charitable activities 15%
- Investments 1.5%
- Other 0.9%
In the charity's own words
WMUK exists to help collect, develop and distribute freely licensed knowledge (and other educational, cultural and historic material). We do this by bringing the Wikimedia community in the UK together, and by building links with UK-based cultural institutions, universities, charities and other bodies, and with overseas bodies within the Wikimedia Movement.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust Limited | London | £1.2m |
| Conway Hall Ethical Society | London | £1.2m |
| The Gurkha Museum Trust | Winchester | £1.2m |
| City of London Sinfonia Limited | London | £1.2m |