BLACKPOOL GRAND THEATRE (ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTS) LIMITED

Registered charity 1022754 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The presentation of performances to a paid attendance of theatregoers.Performances comprised of Musicals, Pantomine, Variety, Ballet, Children's Theatre and Drama.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£5.3m

Latest spending

£4.6m

Registered

1993

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the group delivered a small surplus on unrestricted general funds, resulting in a small overall deficit of £4,971 after transfers to fixed assets. The trustees confirm that free reserves of £535,608 are above the stated policy target of £375,000–£400,000, and forecasts indicate a positive reserves position under both normal and less favourable conditions.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three months running costs (held: £536k)

“The trustees consider that the ideal level of free reserves (unrestricted funds not invested in fixed assets or otherwise designated) at the year-end would be between £375,000 and £400,000, equivalent to three months running costs.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Management fees charged to Blackpool Grand Theatre Trust Ltd

“During the year, the charity charged the Trust company for management fees of £69,960 (2024: £77,971). Also during the year, the Trust paid a grant of £24,879 (2024: £Nil) to the A&E charity towards the cost of the Arts Council Capital Grant Project.” — page 50

“Catering made a pre-tax profit of £64,804 (2023-24: £57,711) which it has Gift Aided to the charity, under a deed of covenant.” — page 12

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Gift Aid from Blackpool Grand Theatre Catering Company Ltd

“During the year, the charity charged the Trust company for management fees of £69,960 (2024: £77,971). Also during the year, the Trust paid a grant of £24,879 (2024: £Nil) to the A&E charity towards the cost of the Arts Council Capital Grant Project.” — page 50

“Catering made a pre-tax profit of £64,804 (2023-24: £57,711) which it has Gift Aided to the charity, under a deed of covenant.” — page 12

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Intercompany charges with Blackpool Grand Productions Ltd

“During the year, the charity charged the Trust company for management fees of £69,960 (2024: £77,971). Also during the year, the Trust paid a grant of £24,879 (2024: £Nil) to the A&E charity towards the cost of the Arts Council Capital Grant Project.” — page 50

“Catering made a pre-tax profit of £64,804 (2023-24: £57,711) which it has Gift Aided to the charity, under a deed of covenant.” — page 12

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Blackpool Grand Theatre Catering Company Ltd, Showseats Ltd, Blackpool Grand Productions Ltd

“The Charity has three wholly owned subsidiaries: Blackpool Grand Theatre Catering Company Ltd (Catering), Showseats Ltd. and Blackpool Grand Productions Ltd (BGP). Showseats Ltd continued to be dormant. Blackpool Grand Productions Ltd, which was formed as a production company for in-house productions was active during the year.” — page 12

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Horne Brooke Shenton. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Reserves position vs the charity's own policy moved from "below" (FY2024) to "above" (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income

£5.3m

Total spending

£4.6m

Cost of raising funds

£329k

Reserves (reported)

£1.1m

Employees

44

Reported reserves equal ~3.0 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (71% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 6.2% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Alistair Armitchair
Andrew Edward Crawford
Andrew Walker
Benjamin Steven Forrest
Jeanette Pope
Karen Metcalfe
Martin Scragg
Michelle Amos
Peter Akroyd
Peter Thomas Legg
Ruth Emma Cockburn

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Blackpool

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£5.3m	£4.6m
31/03/2024	£4.5m	£4.4m
31/03/2023	£4.0m	£3.9m
31/03/2022	£3.5m	£3.4m
31/03/2021	£1.7m	£1.4m

Common questions

Is BLACKPOOL GRAND THEATRE (ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTS) LIMITED financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the group delivered a small surplus on unrestricted general funds, resulting in a small overall deficit of £4,971 after transfers to fixed assets. The trustees confirm that free reserves of £535,608 are above the stated policy target of £375,000–£400,000, and forecasts indicate a positive reserves position under both normal and less favourable conditions. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Horne Brooke Shenton.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	22/07/2005	£899	"Blackpool Grand Theatre (Arts & Entertainments) Ltd Group Will Use An Award To Carry Out A 2-Day Conference That Will Celebrate The Achievem"
The National Lottery Community Fund	22/07/2005	£15k	Theatre at War
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	12/09/2002	£5k	"This Youth Theatre Group Wishes To Develop A Performance Based On The Memories Of Members' Parents, Grandparents And Other Members Of The Co"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	13/02/2001	£239k	"Glorious Grand Restoration"

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE THEATRES TRUST CHARITABLE FUND	4	£27k
THE FOYLE FOUNDATION	2	£200k
MARIA BJORNSON MEMORIAL FUND	2	£10k
THE JOHN THAW FOUNDATION	2	£3k
THE ROPER FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£586k
THE MISS BERYL BILLINGS (KNOWN AS MARGOT BOYD) CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£305k
THE MEDLOCK CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£175k
THE JOHN APTHORP CHARITY	1	£7k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BLACKPOOL GRAND THEATRE TRUST LIMITED.

BLACKPOOL GRAND THEATRE TRUST LIMITED income £227k
THE THEATRE ROYAL BATH LIMITED income £19.7m
PEOPLE'S THEATRE ARTS GROUP LIMITED income £345k
THE NEW THEATRE ROYAL-TRUSTEES (PORTSMOUTH) LIMITED income £1.4m
THE BARN THEATRE TRUST LIMITED income £243k
LEEDS THEATRE TRUST LIMITED income £9.7m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
BLACKPOOL GRAND THEATRE (ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTS) LIMITED	£5.3m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
BLACKPOOL GRAND THEATRE TRUST LIMITED FY2025	£227k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
THE THEATRE ROYAL BATH LIMITED FY2025	£19.7m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
PEOPLE'S THEATRE ARTS GROUP LIMITED FY2025	£345k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE NEW THEATRE ROYAL-TRUSTEES (PORTSMOUTH) LIMITED FY2025	£1.4m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE BARN THEATRE TRUST LIMITED FY2025	£243k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.