The Idlewild Trust

Analysis

The Idlewild Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in August 1974, 52 years ago. Its declared purposes cover arts/culture/heritage/science and environment/conservation/heritage, 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 Idlewild Trust reported income of £131k and spending of £389k, spending 297% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £140k to £131k (-6.6%), an average of -1.7% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2024, when income dropped by 18%. Over the whole period it spent 196% 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 Idlewild Trust sits at the 82nd percentile: it is larger than about 82% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 75th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Bridge at Waterloo (£131k), The Portsmouth Players (£131k) and Sudbury Gasworks Restoration Trust Limited (£131k).

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.