The Pilgrim Trust

Analysis

The Pilgrim Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in September 1962, 64 years ago. Its declared purposes cover arts/culture/heritage/science, environment/conservation/heritage and other charitable purposes, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Pilgrim Trust reported income of £1.2m and spending of £3.5m, spending 281% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £1.6m to £1.2m (-24%), an average of -6.6% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2024, when income dropped by 21%. Over the whole period it spent 214% 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 Pilgrim Trust sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 95th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Coin Street Centre Trust (£1.2m), Steephill School (£1.2m) and Bury Metropolitan Arts Association (£1.2m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 96%. Charitable activities took 94% of spending and raising funds 0.4%. Reserves of £94.7m would cover about 308 months of spending at that rate. It employed 4 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.