Sheffield Museums Trust

Analysis

Sheffield Museums Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Surrey Street. It was registered in April 2021, 5 years ago. Its declared purposes cover arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 13063156). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Sheffield Museums Trust reported income of £5.5m and spending of £6.0m, spending 109% of what it took in. Across the 4 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2025, income grew from £4.2m to £5.5m (+30%), an average of +9.2% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 21%. Over the whole period it spent 116% 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, Sheffield Museums 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 Pleasance Theatre Trust (£5.5m), Asymmetry Art Foundation (£5.6m) and South West Lakes Trust (£5.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 47%, donations and legacies 30% and trading 20%. Charitable activities took 86% of spending and raising funds 13%. Reserves of £922k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 129 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.