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THE SAINSBURY LABORATORY

Registered charity 1065510 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The principal activity of the charity is plant and plant disease research, with the aim of funding out how pests cause disease, and exploring how plants protect themsleves against these pathogens. The Laboratory also provides education and research training in the subject areas of the research programme.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£14.2m
Latest spending
£12.3m
Registered
1997
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a consolidated surplus of £1,897,719 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total unrestricted reserves of £11,427,940. The trustees maintain sufficient unrestricted reserves to ensure stability, designating £5,400,000 for long-term sustainability beyond 2029 when major donor funding is no longer secured. The accounts state there are sufficient assets to support scientific plans into the foreseeable future.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three months of annual charitable spend (held: £11.4m)
“Trustees consider approximately three months of annual charitable spend to be a reasonable allocation of reserves to cover such a likelihood. At year end this amounted to approximately £1,500,000.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Payments to trustees: Appolinaire Djikeng received £12,000 and Neil Gow received £19,500 remuneration as Directors of Plant Science Innovations Ltd.
“Appolinaire Djikeng received £12,000 (2024: £6,000) and Neil Gow received £19,500 (2024: £7,500) remuneration as Directors of Plant Science Innovations Ltd.” — page 24
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: NBI Partnership Ltd charged £924,000 for administrative and support services under a cost share agreement.
“During the year The Sainsbury Laboratory was charged £924,000 (2024 £813,000) under this agreement.” — page 31
“During the year Gatsby provided £7.6m (2024: £6.4m) of funding.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Gatsby Charitable Foundation provided £7.6m of funding.
“During the year The Sainsbury Laboratory was charged £924,000 (2024 £813,000) under this agreement.” — page 31
“During the year Gatsby provided £7.6m (2024: £6.4m) of funding.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Plant Bioscience Ltd paid £310 under a 'Rewards to Inventors' agreement.
“During the year The Sainsbury Laboratory was charged £924,000 (2024 £813,000) under this agreement.” — page 31
“During the year Gatsby provided £7.6m (2024: £6.4m) of funding.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP charged £123,527 for service charges and rent.
“During the year The Sainsbury Laboratory was charged £924,000 (2024 £813,000) under this agreement.” — page 31
“During the year Gatsby provided £7.6m (2024: £6.4m) of funding.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: UEA provided payroll and pension services, owed £926,000 at year end.
“During the year The Sainsbury Laboratory was charged £924,000 (2024 £813,000) under this agreement.” — page 31
“During the year Gatsby provided £7.6m (2024: £6.4m) of funding.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Plant Science Innovations Limited
“The Sainsbury Laboratory has a 100% owned subsidiary Plant Science Innovations Ltd” — page 5
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Crowe U.K. LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Funders the charity credits

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

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 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 · linkedin

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

Total income
£14.2m
Total spending
£12.3m
Reserves (reported)
£3.4m
Employees
85

Reported reserves equal ~3.3 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (86% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£14.2m£12.3m
31/03/2024£12.7m£10.4m
31/03/2023£10.8m£10.0m
31/03/2022£9.4m£9.6m
31/03/2021£10.1m£9.4m

Common questions

Is THE SAINSBURY LABORATORY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported a consolidated surplus of £1,897,719 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total unrestricted reserves of £11,427,940. The trustees maintain sufficient unrestricted reserves to ensure stability, designating £5,400,000 for long-term sustainability beyond 2029 when major donor funding is no longer secured. The accounts state there are sufficient assets to support scientific plans into the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.

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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
SOCIETE GENERALE UK FOUNDATION1£650k
LAWES AGRICULTURAL TRUST1£593k
THE HEADLEY TRUST1£300k
THE LINBURY TRUST1£200k
THE AURORA TRUST1£45k
THE THREE GUINEAS TRUST1£40k
CLAN TRUST LIMITED1£31k
THE J J CHARITABLE TRUST1£30k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BRITISH SOCIETY FOR PLANT PATHOLOGY.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE SAINSBURY LABORATORY£14.2m——unclear—no doubt
BRITISH SOCIETY FOR PLANT PATHOLOGY FY2024£405k—0above—no doubt
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL BOTANY TRUST FY2025£2.1m—0unclear—no doubt
ROTHAMSTED RESEARCH LIMITED FY2025£29.3m——above—material uncertainty
THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST FOUNDATION FY2024£2.2mover £60,0001unclear—no doubt
THE SARGENT CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025£682k—0above—no doubt

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