The Henry Barber Trust
Analysis
The Henry Barber Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Birmingham. It was registered in June 1987, 39 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. It says it makes grants to organisations and other charitable activities.
In the financial year ending July 2025, The Henry Barber Trust reported income of £2.6m and spending of £2.0m, leaving 22% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from July 2021 to July 2025, income grew from £2.0m to £2.6m (+31%), an average of +7.0% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to July 2023, when income rose by 60%. Over the whole period it spent 85% 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 Henry Barber 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 T. S. Eliot Foundation (£2.5m), Bury St Edmunds Theatre Management Limited (£2.6m) and The South East Rivers Trust (£2.5m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 99%. Charitable activities took 89% of spending and raising funds 9.2%. Grants to other organisations totalled £1.7m. Reserves of £5.7m would cover about 34 months of spending at that rate. It employed 1 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Charitable activities 0.6%
- Investments 99%
In the charity's own words
To fund four professorial chairs at the University of Birmingham;To fund the maintenance of the Barber Institute;To purchase works of art or beauty for display at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts;To fund musical recitals for performance at or in connection with the Barber Institute of Fine Arts;To purchase musical instruments, printed and manuscript music and musical and fine arts books.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| The T. S. Eliot Foundation | Milton Keynes | £2.5m |
| Bury St Edmunds Theatre Management Limited | Bury St. Edmunds | £2.6m |
| The South East Rivers Trust | Leatherhead | £2.5m |
| English- Speaking Union of the Commonwealth | London | £2.6m |