The Thursford Collection

Analysis

The Thursford Collection is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Fakenham. It was registered in November 1976, 50 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 01279056). It says it other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Thursford Collection reported income of £8.6m and spending of £7.3m, spending 86% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £968k to £8.6m (+784%), an average of +72% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 518%. Over the whole period it spent 89% 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 Thursford Collection sits at the 99th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Gloucestershire Everyman Theatre Company Limited (£8.5m), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (£8.6m) and Beaudesert Park School Trust Limited (£8.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 70%, trading 28% and investments 2.0%. Charitable activities took 72% of spending and raising funds 28%. Reserves of £4.2m would cover about 7 months of spending at that rate. It employed 89 people.