KEATS HOUSE
Keats House offers a range of activities, including talks, poetry readings, tours and family days. It has a flourishing schools programme. Research access to the book/manuscript collections is available through London Metropolitan Archives. There are also volunteering opportunities and regular play and poetry reading groups. For more details visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk and search on Keats House.
Latest income
£709k
Latest spending
£682k
Registered
1996
Accounts read
FY2025
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that total income increased to £709,187, largely driven by a £572,404 contribution from the City of London Corporation's City’s Estate fund, which covers the charity's running cost deficits. Free reserves rose to £156,193, exceeding the trustee's stated minimum target of £20,000, while the charity remains wholly supported by the trustee and does not maintain reserves at a fixed level to ensure continued delivery of objectives.
What the accounts disclose
Largest income source: City of London Corporation’s City’s Estate (81% of income)
“An amount of £572,404 (2023/24: £324,423) was received from the City of London Corporation’s City’s Estate as a contribution towards the running costs of the charity.” — page 12
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: minimum of £20,000 (held: £156k)
“For good governance purposes, the trustee considers holding a minimum of £20,000 as free reserves to be suitable in light of the operating model in place”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: The City Corporation provides various services to the charity, the costs of which are recharged to the charity. This includes the provision of banking services, charging all transactions to the charity at cost and crediting or charging interest at a commercial rate. The cost of these services is included within expenditure, as set out in Note 7.
“The City Corporation provides various services to the charity, the costs of which are recharged to the charity. This includes the provision of banking services, charging all transactions to the charity at cost and crediting or charging interest at a commercial rate. The cost of these services is included within expenditure, as set out in Note 7.”
“The charity is consolidated within the accounts of City’s Estate, a fund of the City of London Corporation (the City Corporation, the Corporate Trustee of the charity), by virtue of the deemed control arising from the provision of the shortfall between the charity’s income and expenditure by City’s Estate” — page 30
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: The charity is consolidated within the accounts of City’s Estate, a fund of the City of London Corporation (the City Corporation, the Corporate Trustee of the charity), by virtue of the deemed control arising from the provision of the shortfall between the charity’s income and expenditure by City’s Estate.
“The City Corporation provides various services to the charity, the costs of which are recharged to the charity. This includes the provision of banking services, charging all transactions to the charity at cost and crediting or charging interest at a commercial rate. The cost of these services is included within expenditure, as set out in Note 7.”
“The charity is consolidated within the accounts of City’s Estate, a fund of the City of London Corporation (the City Corporation, the Corporate Trustee of the charity), by virtue of the deemed control arising from the provision of the shortfall between the charity’s income and expenditure by City’s Estate” — page 30
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: An amount of £572,404 was received from the City of London Corporation’s City’s Estate as a contribution towards the running costs of the charity.
“The City Corporation provides various services to the charity, the costs of which are recharged to the charity. This includes the provision of banking services, charging all transactions to the charity at cost and crediting or charging interest at a commercial rate. The cost of these services is included within expenditure, as set out in Note 7.”
“The charity is consolidated within the accounts of City’s Estate, a fund of the City of London Corporation (the City Corporation, the Corporate Trustee of the charity), by virtue of the deemed control arising from the provision of the shortfall between the charity’s income and expenditure by City’s Estate” — page 30
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Pension scheme deficit: £2.7m
“The Fund’s estimated net liability has been determined by independent actuaries in accordance with FRS102 as £2.7m as at 31 March 2025 (£49.9m as at 31 March 2024).” — page 20
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Total income
£709k
Total spending
£682k
Cost of raising funds
£7k
Reserves (reported)
£200k
Employees
4
Trustees
- The Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2025 | £709k | £682k |
| 31/03/2024 | £439k | £463k |
| 31/03/2023 | £493k | £479k |
| 31/03/2022 | £350k | £363k |
| 31/03/2021 | £385k | £378k |
Common questions
Is KEATS HOUSE financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total income increased to £709,187, largely driven by a £572,404 contribution from the City of London Corporation's City’s Estate fund, which covers the charity's running cost deficits. Free reserves rose to £156,193, exceeding the trustee's stated minimum target of £20,000, while the charity remains wholly supported by the trustee and does not maintain reserves at a fixed level to ensure continued delivery of objectives. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| The National Lottery Heritage Fund | 05/05/2016 | £41k | "OMG Keats! Engaging young people at Keats House" |
| The National Lottery Heritage Fund | 03/03/2011 | £70k | "Keats love letter" |
| The National Lottery Heritage Fund | 23/11/2006 | £424k | "Magic Casements: The Re-awakening of Keats House" |
| The National Lottery Heritage Fund | 29/07/2004 | £36k | "Keats House Restoration & Access Research" |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of the Nations' Libraries | 2 | £11k |
| THE GOLSONCOTT FOUNDATION | 2 | £2k |
| THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £78k |
| THE MICHAEL MARKS CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £10k |
| THE FENTON ARTS TRUST | 1 | £10k |
| THE T. S. ELIOT FOUNDATION | 1 | £9k |
| THE TEDWORTH CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £5k |
| THE LORD FARINGDON CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £3k |
Charities like this
- KEATS - SHELLEY MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED)
- POETRY LONDON LTD
- THE DICKENS HOUSE AND THE DICKENS HOUSE FUND
- BROMLEY HOUSE LIBRARY
- THE JOSEPHINE HART POETRY FOUNDATION
- LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM FRIENDS
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEATS HOUSE | £709k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| KEATS - SHELLEY MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED) | £646k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| POETRY LONDON LTD | £130k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE DICKENS HOUSE AND THE DICKENS HOUSE FUND | £982k | £60,001 - £70,000 | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| BROMLEY HOUSE LIBRARY | £505k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE JOSEPHINE HART POETRY FOUNDATION | £326k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |