SOMERSET AND DORSET RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST

Registered charity 1045547 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as MIDSOMER NORTON STATION PROJECT, SOMERSET AND DORSET RAILWAY TRACKBED TRUST

Restoration of part of the Somerset & Dorset Railway, based on Midsomer Norton Station, as a working heritage railway and museum.

Objects

(1) THE PRESERVATION, RESTORATION AND USE OF ANY SECTION OF THE FORMER SOMERSET & DORSET JOINT RAILWAY CALLED IN THIS DOCUMENT "THE RAILWAY". THIS TO INCLUDE TRACKBED, STATIONS, BRIDGES, VIADUCTS, CULVERTS, CUTTINGS, OUT BUILDINGS, ADJACENT LAND (E.G. WOODLAND) AND ANY RUNNING STOCK THAT THE TRUST MAY BUY, STORE, BORROW, OR LOAN.(2) THE PRESERVATION AND DISPLAY OF HISTORIC ARTEFACTS, RELICS AND DOCUMENTS OF THE RAILWAY OR RAILWAYS IN LINE WITH THE COMPANY’S ACQUISITION AND DISPOSAL POLICY.(3) THE CARRYING OUT OF RESEARCH INTO THE HISTORY AND OPERATION OF THE RAILWAY OR RAILWAYS GENERALLY, THE STUDY OF LOCAL HISTORY IN RELATION THERETO AND THE PUBLICATION OR OTHER DISSEMINATION OF THE RESULTS OF SUCH RESEARCH AND STUDY.(4) THE EDUCATION OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE HISTORY AND OPERATION OF RAILWAYS GENERALLY AND THE RAILWAY IN PARTICULAR.(5) THE PROVISION OF RECREATION FACILITIES IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF IMPROVING THE CONDITION OF LIFE OF SUCH PERSONS WHO HAVE NEED OF SUCH FACILITIES BY REASON OF THEIR YOUTH, OLD AGE, DISABILITY OR SOCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES; AND(6) THE PROVISION OF EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING FACILITIES FOR THOSE ENGAGED IN THE RESTORATION AND OPERATION OF THE RAILWAY OR RAILWAYS IN GENERAL

Area of benefit: IN PRACTICE THE OLD COUNTIES OF SOMERSET AND DORSET

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 · Economic/community Development/employment · Recreation · website · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity's total funds increased to £1,470,234, driven largely by a £550,000 legacy received during the year. However, the trustees note uncertainty regarding future trading activities due to the pandemic and report that general donations have dropped, which is a cause for concern. Despite these risks, the charity remains financially stable with unrestricted reserves of £1,244,426.

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

What the accounts disclose

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 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
• 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

Corporate structure

• Registered company of the charity Companies House 03038464 · Financial health read from its filings

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust (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.

• BOTTOMLEY, Keith, Lord — director, appointed 07/10/2023not on trustee list
• COSGRAVE, Joseph, Dr — director, appointed 25/09/2020on trustee list
• BURFITT, Roger — director, appointed 26/11/2018on trustee list
• JONES, Philip Howard — director, appointed 27/09/2014on trustee list
• BAXTER, John Ronald — director, appointed 30/11/2000on trustee list
• COSGRAVE, Joseph, Dr — secretary, appointed 01/04/2026
• BAXTER, John Ronald, Mr. — secretary, appointed 27/09/2015

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

3 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (2 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

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

Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

• STEPHEN LACEYchair
• Barrie Papworth
• Brian Litherland
• Christopher Ruddick
• JOHN RONALD BAXTER
• Joseph Cosgrave
• Malcolm Barton
• PHILIP HOWARD JONES
• Roger Burfitt

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

Operates in: Bath And North East Somerset · Somerset

Income and spending

Common questions

Government & lottery funding

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

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.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE SOMERSET AND DORSET RAILWAY TRUST LTD..

• THE SOMERSET AND DORSET RAILWAY TRUST LTD. income £319k
• WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST LTD income £88k
• NORTH DORSET RAILWAY income £164k
• BODMIN RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST income £105k
• WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY ASSOCIATION income £1.4m
• Wensleydale Railway Trust income £378k

Side by side with its peers

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