SS Great Britain Trust

Analysis

SS Great Britain Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bristol. It was registered in February 1971, 55 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 01000878). It says it other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending January 2025, SS Great Britain Trust reported income of £5.1m and spending of £6.2m, spending 121% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from January 2021 to January 2025, income grew from £3.3m to £5.1m (+54%), an average of +12% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to January 2024, when income rose by 50%. Over the whole period it spent 121% 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, SS Great Britain 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 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Rambert Trust Limited (£5.1m), The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (£5.2m) and Compton Verney House Charity (£5.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 42%, trading 33%, donations and legacies 21% and investments 4.2%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £3,000. Charitable activities took 66% of spending and raising funds 3.5%. Reserves of £28k would cover about 0 months of spending at that rate. It employed 73 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.