The Watershed Arts Trust Limited

Analysis

The Watershed Arts Trust Limited is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bristol. It was registered in March 1982, 44 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 01608779). It says it other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Watershed Arts Trust Limited reported income of £7.5m and spending of £7.7m, spending 103% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £4.5m to £7.5m (+67%), an average of +14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 77%. Over the whole period it spent 102% 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 Watershed Arts Trust Limited sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% of them. 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 Film London (£7.4m), Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru-The Books Council of Wales (£7.5m) and The New Forest Agricultural Show Society (£7.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 56%, trading 29%, donations and legacies 12% and investments 2.8%. Charitable activities took 77% of spending and raising funds 23%. Reserves of £899k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 127 people.

Data notes from the register: The latest annual return was received after its deadline.