Finance Score: -1
Governance Score: 9
Support Score: 9
  • Liabilities <10%: +3
  • Excess reserves: -2
  • Reasonable growth: +1
  • Fundraising costs high: -3
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Grant maker support: +9
Overall GiG Score: 17 ?

THE CHARLESTON TRUST (BLOOMSBURY IN SUSSEX) 

Charleston is a house, garden and art gallery situated in the South Downs National Park. It was the home of twentieth century artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, who were key members of the Bloomsbury group. Charleston has a shop and cafe and is available for venue hire. It is open all year.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • This charity has a robust balance sheet
  • There has been reasonable growth in spending over the last 3 years relative to the previous period
  • There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Financial issues to consider:

  • This charity has substantial assets and unrestricted reserves of £7,813,668 available, equivalent to 29 months of spending and so may not be able to utilise additional funding
  • Fundraising costs are high relative to funds raised

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/12/22£3,559£3,240£319£705£8,721£7,81428.96125
31/12/21£2,498£2,376£123£581£8,401£7,94440.13735
31/12/20£2,078£1,296£783£612£8,279£7,59370.35315
31/12/19£1,951£2,055£-104£1,278£7,496£7,09541.48450
31/12/18£3,311£2,056£1,255£1,123£7,600£7,16341.87196
31/12/17£2,604£1,648£956£934£6,352£4133700
31/12/16£3,993£1,523£2,470£46£5,385£4763.7300
31/12/15£2,617£1,338£1,279£657£2,905£3943.5310
31/12/14£1,400£1,199£201£567£1,625£3193.2240
31/12/13£1,224£989£235£461£1,419£3444.2110
31/12/12£1,024£968£55£464£1,160£3504.3130
31/12/11£893£884£8£454£1,093£4626.3120
31/12/10£1,073£851£222£435£1,280£6629.3120
31/12/09£882£816£66£429£1,050£70910.4120
31/12/08£963£756£207£417£973£75312100
31/12/07£1,010£919£91£392£810£5887.7110
31/12/06£476£548£-72£0£0£0n/a00
31/12/05£584£717£-134£0£0£0n/a00

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 25.9%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 21.8%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 3%
Highest pay band: £80,000-£90,000
Liabilities/Assets: 5%
Liabilities/Income: 13%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 90%
Reserves/Spending: 28.9 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 4 months
Quick Ratio: 1.4
Asset Split ?
Established: 19 years

www.charleston.org.uk

l.zandstra@charleston.org.uk

01323811626

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies House
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Arts/Culture/Heritage/Science
  • Education/Training
  • Environment/Conservation/Heritage
  • General Charitable Purposes
GiG Classification
  • Performing and visual arts
How it operates
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides buildings/facilities/open space
  • Provides human resources
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • East Sussex,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • Elderly/Old People
  • Other Defined Groups
  • People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin
  • People With Disabilities
  • The General Public/Mankind
Who works here?
  • 61 employees
  • 25 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
DCMS£1,045,649
National Lottery Heritage Fund£234,100
Wolfson Foundation£145,000
Architectural Heritage Fund£50,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation - Grant to Charleston Trust (Bloomsbury in Sussex)
£6,000 28/10/2022
50% of the running costs for an artists’ house and studio museum in East Sussex
DCMS - Culture Recovery Fund: Continuity Support
£428,000 27/10/2021
To support cultural organisations who have received funding from the Culture Recovery Fund: Grants programme, in the first or second rounds, and can clearly demonstrate the financial need for further ....more
Wolfson Foundation - Grant to Charleston
£145,000 09/12/2020
WF Covid-19 Support Fund
Architectural Heritage Fund - Grant to The Charleston Trust
£50,000 08/12/2020
Charleston
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation - Grant to Charleston Trust (Bloomsbury in Sussex)
£2,500 04/11/2020
4% as running costs for an artists’ house and studio museum in East Sussex
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Charleston Trust
£234,100 26/06/2020
COVID19 The Charleston Trust
DCMS - The Charleston Trust
£249,995 01/04/2020
To support Arts and Culture throughout England
DCMS - The Charleston Trust
£367,654 01/04/2020
To support Arts and Culture throughout England
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (10)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 30-59
  • HANNAH WALLACE Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Head Of Student Engagement And Enhancement
  • HARRIET OTOO Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Head Of Communications
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 17/12/2004, number: 1107313
  • Registered at Companies House on 23/08/2004, number: 05212725
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Policies in force
  • Complaints handling
  • Conflicting interests
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
18 returns made; all on time
Recent reorganisation events:
  • Asset transfer in from THE ASHAM LITERARY ENDOWMENT TRUST on 03/02/2021
Main office

Charleston
Firle
Lewes
BN8 6LL

Objectives

(1) TO ACQUIRE PROTECT AND IMPROVE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC GENERALLY THE LAND AND BUILDINGS LISTED IN THE DEEDS OF CHARLESTON FARMHOUSE FIRLE EAST SUSSEX BUT KNOWN AS CHARLESTON ITS CHARACTER AMENITIES AND CONTENTS AND ANY ADJACENT PROPERTY AND(2) TO PROMOTE THE MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF THE ART ARCHITECTURE AND CONTENTS OF CHARLESTON AND ITS HISTORICAL LITERARY AND ARTISTIC CONNECTIONS; AND(3) TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE APPRECIATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE ARTS.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED. IN PRACTICE EAST SUSSEX.

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving
CharityBase
Authorised officials of this charity can add information to this page (including a Donate Now button) for no cost

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