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.
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
Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor
“The accounts have been prepared by the Trustees on a going concern basis which they consider appropriate, having taken into consideration the uncertainty of the future trading activities of the Trust over the next twelve months caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.” — page 10
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: The charitable company has taken advantage of exemption, under the terms of Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland', not to disclose related party transactions with wholly owned subsidiaries within the group.
“The charitable company has taken advantage of exemption, under the terms of Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland', not to disclose related party transactions with wholly owned subsidiaries within the group.” — page 20
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust (matched by registered charity number).
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).
- 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
Is SOMERSET AND DORSET RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST financially healthy?
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. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.
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 WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST LTD.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.