Cumbria Theatre Trust
Analysis
Cumbria Theatre Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Keswick. It was registered in September 1985, 41 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 01874868). It says it provides human resources, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.
In the financial year ending March 2025, Cumbria Theatre Trust reported income of £4.0m and spending of £3.7m, spending 94% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £2.3m to £4.0m (+75%), an average of +15% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 64%. Over the whole period it spent 95% 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, Cumbria Theatre Trust 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 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Royal Bath and West of England Society (£4.0m), Grange Park Opera (£4.0m) and Nottingham Media Centre Limited (£4.0m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 53%, donations and legacies 33% and trading 6.4%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £327k. Charitable activities took 97% of spending and raising funds 2.2%. Reserves of £636k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 29 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 25%
- Legacies 8.2%
- Charitable activities 53%
- Trading 6.4%
- Investments 0.7%
- Other 7.1%
In the charity's own words
Provision of a year-round theatre and performing arts resource for the communities of, and visitors to, Cumbria.Activities include productions and performances created in-house and by others for public consumption, programmes of participatory activity and workshop activity focussed on professional artistic development.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| The Royal Bath and West of England Society | Somerset | £4.0m |
| Grange Park Opera | Alresford | £4.0m |
| Nottingham Media Centre Limited | Nottingham | £4.0m |
| Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment | London | £4.0m |