Wakefield Theatre Trust

Analysis

Wakefield Theatre Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Wakefield. It was registered in September 1974, 52 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 01173859). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Wakefield Theatre Trust reported income of £2.4m and spending of £2.5m, spending 103% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £1.2m to £2.4m (+102%), an average of +19% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 47%. Over the whole period it spent 101% 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, Wakefield Theatre Trust sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% 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 The Little Angel Theatre (£2.4m), National Maritime Museum Cornwall Trust (£2.4m) and Nofit State Community Circus Ltd (£2.4m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 88%, donations and legacies 7.7% and trading 3.3%. Charitable activities took 93% of spending and raising funds 5.6%. Reserves of £610k would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 31 people.

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.