Birmingham Museums Trust

Analysis

Birmingham Museums Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Birmingham. It was registered in April 2012, 14 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 07737797). It says it provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Birmingham Museums Trust reported income of £12.6m and spending of £11.9m, spending 94% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £10.5m to £12.6m (+21%), an average of +4.9% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 19%. Over the whole period it spent 100% 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, Birmingham Museums Trust sits at the 99th 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 Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society (£12.6m), Sheffield Theatres Trust (£12.8m) and Rsa (The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) (£12.6m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 88% and trading 11%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £12k. Charitable activities took 88% of spending and raising funds 1.4%. Reserves of £4.0m would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 161 people.