LYME REGIS PHILPOT MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED

Registered charity 1041201 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q6708161 · Wikipedia · also known as LYME REGIS MUSEUM

Managing and maintaining the Lyme Regis Museum and its collections.

Objects

4.1 The Objects of the Charity are to advance education for the public benefit in particular but not exclusively in the history , geology and archaeology of Lyme Regis and the surrounding area as told through its heritage, landscapes and story of the people of the area by such means as the directors think fit, including but not limited to;4.1.1 the provision and maintenance of a museum and information service :4.1.2 the documentation and curation of the museum collections and holdings;4.1.3 the exhibition and interpretation of the museum collections and holdings and the provision of public access to them;4.1.4 the provision of learning experiences and educational activities for the public;4.1.5 the provision of exhibitions, conferences, workshops and other events; and4.1.6 To research, promote and publish studies.

Area of benefit: LYME REGIS

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

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

Registered contact address: Dorset, South West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£430k

Latest spending

£429k

Registered

1994

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a positive financial result for the year, with total income of £429,981 slightly exceeding total expenditure of £429,485. Free unrestricted reserves stood at £392,145, which is above the trustees' stated policy target of £170,000 for designated operational and building maintenance reserves. The accounts were subject to an independent examination rather than a full audit, and the trustees confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: designated operational reserves of £120,000 and a building maintenance reserve of £50,000 (held: £392k)

“Trustees agreed to continue to maintain a reserves policy of designated operational reserves of £120,000 and a building maintenance reserve of £50,000.” — page 15

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Lyme Regis (Philpot) Museum Shop Limited

“It operates a wholly owned subsidiary company, the Lyme Regis (Philpot) Museum Shop Limited”

Per its FY2025 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.

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
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 61
Government income: £20,000 — grants £20,000 (1); 5% of the £429,981 total gross income on the same return
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Volunteers: 60
Government income: £20,000 — grants £20,000 (1); 5% of the £425,157 total gross income on the same return
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Volunteers: 40
Government income: £25,050 — grants £25,050 (3); 8% of the £321,875 total gross income on the same return
Has a trading subsidiary

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 02855423
Trading subsidiary: LYME REGIS (PHILPOT) MUSEUM SHOP LIMITED Companies House 02894291

LYME REGIS (PHILPOT) MUSEUM SHOP LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts

Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £21k
The company paid commercial rent to the parent charity.

“In keeping with those objectives, the company has donated £20,520 to its parent during the year under a Deed of Covenant”

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Lyme Regis Museum (matched by registered charity number).

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.

PATERSON, Rhys — director, appointed 10/08/2026not on trustee list
BARCLAY, Michael George William — director, appointed 23/05/2026not on trustee list
GOSTLING, Neil John, Dr — director, appointed 22/02/2025on trustee list
DODD, Gordon Stewart — director, appointed 22/02/2025on trustee list
ENGLISH, Jan Margaret — director, appointed 01/12/2022on trustee list
HODD, Deborah Anne — director, appointed 25/09/2021on trustee list
EVANS, Ian Jonathan, Dr — director, appointed 14/05/2021on trustee list
THOMAS, James Rhys — director, appointed 20/05/2019on trustee list
PITTS, Virginia Kay, Dr — director, appointed 20/05/2019on trustee list
ALBERT GOODMAN LLP — corporate secretary, appointed 31/12/2024

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Deborah Anne Hodd · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr Ian Jonathan Evans · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr Neil John Gostling
Dr Virginia Kay Pitts
Gordon Stewart Dodd · trustee of 1 other charity
James Rhys Thomas · trustee of 1 other charity
Jan Margaret English
Wayne Frederick Earp

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

Operates in: Dorset

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£430k	£429k
31/12/2024	£425k	£379k
31/12/2023	£322k	£311k
31/12/2022	£277k	£254k
31/12/2021	£243k	£302k

Common questions

Is LYME REGIS PHILPOT MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported a positive financial result for the year, with total income of £429,981 slightly exceeding total expenditure of £429,485. Free unrestricted reserves stood at £392,145, which is above the trustees' stated policy target of £170,000 for designated operational and building maintenance reserves. The accounts were subject to an independent examination rather than a full audit, and the trustees confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds LYME REGIS PHILPOT MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED?

Funders whose own accounts filings name LYME REGIS PHILPOT MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED as a grant recipient include THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount
THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2025	£7k
THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£5k
THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2021	£5k
THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	amount not stated

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	07/02/2018	£8k	"Lyme Regis Museum: Building on Success and Planning for the Future"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	03/06/2014	£898k	"The Mary Anning Wing"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	05/10/2010	£24k	"Maritime Lyme"
The National Lottery Community Fund	17/03/2008	£5k	Edwardian Lyme Regis (1901-1911)
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	17/03/2008	£5k	"A Project By This Dorset Group To Organise An Exhibition To Display A Collection Of Photographs And Materials From The Region'S Edwardian Er"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	17/11/2006	£5k	"The Group Will Promote An Exhibition Featuring The Local Landscape, In Particular The History Of Local Coastal Landslips."
The National Lottery Community Fund	16/11/2006	£5k	Lyme's Lively Landscape
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	15/02/2005	£33k	"Lyme Regis Museum Development Phase 3 - PPG"

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
TWO RIDINGS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	1	£168k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION	1	£125k
JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATION	1	£97k
THE HEADLEY TRUST	1	£94k
THE PAUL MELLON CENTRE FOR STUDIES IN BRITISH ART	1	£30k
THE PILGRIM TRUST	1	£22k
SONGDALE LIMITED	1	£8k
THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DEVONSHIRE BENEVOLENT FUND	1	£1k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with PM MUSEUM LTD.

PM MUSEUM LTD income £239k
THE STAITHES MUSEUM AND HERITAGE TRUST income £100k
WEYMOUTH MUSEUM TRUST income £110k
TOPSHAM MUSEUM income £58k
LORD BROCK TRUST income £428k
LYME REGIS LEISURE CENTRE income £57k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
LYME REGIS PHILPOT MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED	£430k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
PM MUSEUM LTD FY2026	£239k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE STAITHES MUSEUM AND HERITAGE TRUST FY2025	£100k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
WEYMOUTH MUSEUM TRUST FY2026	£110k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
TOPSHAM MUSEUM FY2025	£58k	—	0	unclear	—	noted
LORD BROCK TRUST FY2026	£428k	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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