Design West

Analysis

Design West is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bristol. It was registered in November 1984, 42 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 incorporated organisation (CIO). It says it provides human resources, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Design West reported income of £998k and spending of £988k, spending 99% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £588k to £998k (+70%), an average of +14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 40%. Over the whole period it spent 93% 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, Design West sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 95% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 94th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include David Parr House & Gallery (£997k), Brass for Africa (£998k) and Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation (£996k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 60%, trading 36% and investments 4.4%. Charitable activities took 50% of spending and raising funds 49%. Reserves of £315k would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 19 people.