East Lancashire Railway Trust Limited

Analysis

East Lancashire Railway Trust Limited is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bury. It was registered in January 1989, 37 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 01865059). It says it makes grants to organisations and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending March 2025, East Lancashire Railway Trust Limited reported income of £87k and spending of £97k, spending 112% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £50k to £87k (+72%), an average of +14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 46%. Over the whole period it spent 277% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, East Lancashire Railway Trust Limited sits at the 77th percentile: it is larger than about 77% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 69th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Battle of Britain Locomotive Society (£86k), Millom Folk Museum Society (£87k) and The Essex Heritage Trust (£86k).

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.