Tarka Valley Railway

Analysis

Tarka Valley Railway is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bideford. It was registered in July 2015, 11 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science and recreation, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space, provides services and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Tarka Valley Railway reported income of £35k and spending of £18k, leaving 50% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £60k to £35k (-42%), an average of -13% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income dropped by 31%. Over the whole period it spent 82% 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, Tarka Valley Railway sits at the 62nd percentile: it is larger than about 62% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 55th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Henley Youth Festival Trust (£35k), Ashcott Village Hall (£35k) and Norfolk Mills and Pumps Trust (£35k).