Gladstone's Library

Analysis

Gladstone's Library is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Deeside. It was registered in April 1989, 37 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, religious activities and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under religion. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02363642). It says it provides human resources and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending December 2024, Gladstone's Library reported income of £1.5m and spending of £1.5m, spending 102% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2020 to December 2024, income grew from £1.3m to £1.5m (+12%), an average of +2.8% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 68%. Over the whole period it spent 92% of the income it received.

Among 20,496 England and Wales charities whose main cause is religion and that reported income, Gladstone's Library 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 95th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Shropshire & Marches Methodist Circuit (£1.5m), Luther King House Educational Trust (£1.5m) and Toras Emes (£1.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 40%, trading 30%, donations and legacies 23% and investments 6.9%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £20k. Charitable activities took 86% of spending and raising funds 5.3%. Reserves of £1.0m would cover about 8 months of spending at that rate. It employed 42 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.