Laidlaw Opera Trust

Analysis

Laidlaw Opera Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in October 2017, 9 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 company (Companies House number 10780520). It says it makes grants to individuals and makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Laidlaw Opera Trust reported income of £3.1m and spending of £3.0m, spending 98% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from July 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £10.2m to £3.1m (-70%), an average of -26% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to July 2024, when income dropped by 51%. Over the whole period it spent 104% 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, Laidlaw Opera Trust 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 Campaign for Science and Engineering (£3.1m), Open College of the Arts (£3.1m) and The Kamini and Vindi Banga Family Trust (£3.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 98% and investments 1.2%. Charitable activities took 99% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £2.7m. It employed 1 people.