The South West Heritage Trust

Analysis

The South West Heritage Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Taunton. It was registered in October 2014, 12 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 09053532). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.

In the financial year ending October 2025, The South West Heritage Trust reported income of £5.2m and spending of £4.7m, spending 89% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from October 2021 to October 2025, income grew from £3.8m to £5.2m (+37%), an average of +8.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to October 2024, when income rose by 109%. Over the whole period it spent 99% 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 South West Heritage 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 Eureka the National Children's Museum (£5.2m), Bader College (£5.2m) and The National Churches Trust (£5.2m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 87%, trading 10% and donations and legacies 2.2%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £49k. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 2.4%. Reserves of £586k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 72 people.