MANCHESTER VICTORIA BATHS TRUST

Registered charity 1026351 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as VICTORIA BATHS PROJECT, VICTORIA BATHS TRUST

The Trust's main activities are to safeguard the Victoria Baths building complex and work towards its preservation and repair, for public access. We work in partnership with a variety of agencies, including Manchester City Council to manage the building, research its history and organise and publicise events.

Objects

. THE OBJECTS FOR WHICH THE TRUST IS ESTABLISHED ARE AS FOLLOWS: 3.1 TO PRESERVE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF MANCHESTER AND OF THE NATION AT LARGE, WHATEVER OF THE HISTORICAL, ARCHITECTURAL AND CONSTRUCTIONAL HERITAGE MAY EXIST IN AND AROUND THE CITY OF MANCHESTER AFORESAID IN THE FORM OF BUILDINGS (INCLUDING ANY BUILDING AS DEFINED IN SECTION 290(1) OF THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1971) OF PARTICULAR BEAUTY OR HISTORICAL, ARCHITECTURAL OR CONSTRUCTIONAL INTEREST. 3.2 TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN THE HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTIONAL HERITAGE IN AND AROUND THE CITY OF MANCHESTER 3.3 TO CREATE AND PROMOTE OPPORTUNITIES AT VICTORIA BATHS FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERTAKE A VARIETY OF RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING SWIMMING AND ARTS EVENTS.

Area of benefit: THE CITY OF MANCHESTER

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Environment/conservation/heritage · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£178k

Latest spending

£246k

Registered

1993

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity held unrestricted reserves of £134,540 at the end of the year, which is above its stated minimum policy target of £100,000. The trustees report no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: a minimum Free Reserves figure of £100,000 (held: £135k)

“In considering this policy, and the current financial position, the Trustees have concluded that a minimum Free Reserves figure of £100,000 needs to be maintained.” — page 9

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Subscriptions and donations from trustees

“Subscriptions of £40 were paid by two trustees to the charity during the year (2023: £30), and restricted donations of £359 were given by 4 trustees (2023: £339) during the year.” — page 19

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 02841292

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

East Lancashire Masonic Charity — “East Lancashire Masonic Charity” (source page)

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

DEWAR, Catherine Mary — director, appointed 07/05/2026not on trustee list
FINN, Georgina Mary — director, appointed 13/04/2026not on trustee list
JAGGER, Judith Evelyn — director, appointed 15/07/2025on trustee list
ROUTLEDGE, Esther Joyce — director, appointed 17/09/2024on trustee list
WHALLEY, Eleanor Frances — director, appointed 17/09/2024on trustee list
RETTIG, Emma — director, appointed 17/09/2024on trustee list
SIMPSON, Lee Maxwell — director, appointed 17/09/2024on trustee list
MCMANUS, Gwynneth — director, appointed 25/07/2022on trustee list
DONOVAN, Suzanne Noreen — director, appointed 03/02/2020not on trustee list
PRIEST, Bernard, Dr — director, appointed 09/10/2019on trustee list
HOLDEN, Matthew — director, appointed 10/04/2017on trustee list
KNIGHT, Malcolm Peter — director, appointed 07/03/2016on trustee list
GLOUDON, Nigel — director, appointed 07/03/2016on trustee list
JOHNSON, Barry Michael — director, appointed 08/12/2014on trustee list
WILLIAMSON, Philippa Jane — secretary, appointed 15/10/2024

Official officers record.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Register events

Received assets from another charity (27/02/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Bernard Priestchair · trustee of 1 other charity
Barry Johnson
Eleanor Frances Whalley
Emma Rettig
Esther Joyce Routledge · trustee of 1 other charity
Gwynneth Lesley McManus
Hannah Clark
Judith Jagger
Lee Maxwell Simpson
Malcolm Peter Knight
Matthew Holden
Nigel Gloudon
Suznanne Donovan

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

Operates in: Manchester City

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£178k	£246k
31/12/2023	£266k	£258k
31/12/2022	£252k	£237k
31/12/2021	£353k	£263k
31/12/2020	£302k	£321k

Common questions

Is MANCHESTER VICTORIA BATHS TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity held unrestricted reserves of £134,540 at the end of the year, which is above its stated minimum policy target of £100,000. The trustees report no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2024 accounts were independently examined.

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	18/05/2020	£49k	"COVID19 Victoria Baths Trust"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	19/12/2008	£10k	"This Group Maintain And Promote The Victoria Baths In Manchester, Which Is A Historical Listed Building And A Community Resource. They Will"
The National Lottery Community Fund	18/12/2008	£10k	Victoria Baths Project Office
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	16/04/2008	£36k	"Victoria Baths History Archive"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	16/02/2006	£5k	"The Award Will Be Used Towards Costs Of Photographing A Diverse Range Of Faces That Have Been Involved With The Baths Over Its 100 Year Use,"
The National Lottery Community Fund	16/02/2006	£5k	Centenary Celebration
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	23/03/2005	£50k	"Victoria Baths - Our Heritage"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	11/09/2003	£50k	"Victoria Baths Project Planning Studies"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	15/05/2003	£5k	"This Group Preserve The Manchester Baths Which Were Closed In 1993. The Edwardian Swimming Pool And Turkish Baths Are Housed In A Listed Bu"

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 MEDLOCK CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£112k
THE GEORGE CADBURY TRUST (GEORGE HENRY T AND LAURENCE J CADBURY SECTIONS)	1	£44k
CLARK FOUNDATION	1	£15k
THE JOYCE FLETCHER CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£5k
THE ANTHONY AND ELIZABETH MELLOWS CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	1	£4k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with MANCHESTER CHARITABLE TRUST LTD.

MANCHESTER CHARITABLE TRUST LTD income £154k
CITY OF MANCHESTER AQUATICS SWIM TEAM income £402k
VICTORIA PARK HARRIERS AND TOWER HAMLETS AC income £140k
MANCHESTER CCRC TRUST income £310k
LORD MAYOR OF MANCHESTER'S CHARITY APPEAL TRUST income £413k
GREATER MANCHESTER ENVIRONMENT TRUST income £1.1m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
MANCHESTER VICTORIA BATHS TRUST	£178k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
MANCHESTER CHARITABLE TRUST LTD FY2025	£154k	—	above	—	no doubt
CITY OF MANCHESTER AQUATICS SWIM TEAM FY2025	£402k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
VICTORIA PARK HARRIERS AND TOWER HAMLETS AC FY2025	£140k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
MANCHESTER CCRC TRUST FY2025	£310k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
LORD MAYOR OF MANCHESTER'S CHARITY APPEAL TRUST FY2025	£413k	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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