The Guildhall Trust

Analysis

The Guildhall Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Portsmouth. It was registered in August 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 07519927). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Guildhall Trust reported income of £5.4m and spending of £6.0m, spending 112% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £1.4m to £5.4m (+291%), an average of +41% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 83%. Over the whole period it spent 97% 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, The Guildhall Trust sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Ramsbury Manor Foundation (£5.4m), John Bagley Music Trust (£5.4m) and Marine Conservation Society (£5.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 74%, trading 17% and donations and legacies 7.1%. Charitable activities took 100% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Reserves of £574k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 222 people.