The Long Shop Museum

Analysis

The Long Shop Museum is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Suffolk. It was registered in June 2016, 10 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, 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, The Long Shop Museum reported income of £519k and spending of £210k, leaving 60% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £271k to £519k (+92%), an average of +18% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 471%. Over the whole period it spent 64% 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 Long Shop Museum sits at the 92nd percentile: it is larger than about 92% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 90th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Brighton Open Air Theatre (Boat) (£518k), Group for Education in Museums (£520k) and The Harley Foundation (£518k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 94%, charitable activities 3.5%, investments 1.4% and trading 1.3%. Charitable activities took 92% of spending and raising funds 8.3%. Reserves of £1.1m would cover about 61 months of spending at that rate. It employed 3 people.