The Arvon Foundation
Analysis
The Arvon Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in West Yorkshire. It was registered in March 1973, 53 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 01086582). It says it makes grants to individuals, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.
In the financial year ending December 2025, The Arvon Foundation reported income of £2.8m and spending of £2.3m, spending 83% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £1.9m to £2.8m (+49%), an average of +10% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 27%. Over the whole period it spent 87% 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 Arvon Foundation 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 97th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Mayflower Academy Limited (£2.8m), S1: Artspace/Projects (£2.8m) and Watts Gallery Trust (£2.8m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 47% and donations and legacies 39%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £6,502. Charitable activities took 91% of spending and raising funds 6.7%. Reserves of £243k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 41 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 39%
- Legacies 0.2%
- Charitable activities 47%
- Investments 0.7%
- Other 13%
In the charity's own words
We run a year-round programme of creative writing courses at three rural writing houses and also online, offering expert tuition from established writers in all forms of published writing to people from all backgrounds and experience. We run mentoring and other creative writing projects and a grant scheme to enable open access to our courses, and provide dedicated facilities for writers' retreats.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Mayflower Academy Limited | Southampton | £2.8m |
| S1: Artspace/Projects | South Yorkshire | £2.8m |
| Watts Gallery Trust | Guildford | £2.8m |
| Moss Side Millennium Powerhouse Ltd | Manchester | £2.8m |