Lakeland Arts

Analysis

Lakeland Arts is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Cumbria. It was registered in July 2013, 13 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 08162578). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Lakeland Arts reported income of £2.9m and spending of £3.3m, spending 112% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £3.2m to £2.9m (-10.0%), an average of -2.6% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income dropped by 16%. Over the whole period it spent 110% 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, Lakeland Arts 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 97th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Artichoke Trust (£2.9m), Tiber Community Building (£2.9m) and The Park Theatre (£2.9m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from trading 35%, donations and legacies 32% and charitable activities 27%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £67k. Charitable activities took 61% of spending and raising funds 37%. It employed 80 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.