THE THAMES FESTIVAL TRUST

Registered charity 1074794 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THAMES FESTIVAL TRUST, THE MAYOR'S THAMES FESTIVAL, THE THAMES FESTIVAL

Thames Festival Trust's focus is on engaging a wide public in art, heritage, education, environmental and well-being programmes that reveal our rivers' rich natural environment, share their unique history, protect their sustainability, and celebrate the diverse connections they make for us with the wider world.

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

Latest income

£452k

Latest spending

£612k

Registered

1999

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the Trust ended 2025 with a net deficit of £159,736, covered by unrestricted and restricted reserves. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves stood at £336,899, which exceeds the stated policy target of four months of operational costs plus redundancy liabilities (£119,911). The Trust confirms it has sufficient confirmed funding for 2026 to maintain activities and meet obligations.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £60,001 - £70,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £60k)

“Remuneration for one employee fell in the band £60,000 to £70,000 for the year (2024: one in the band £60,000 to £70,000).” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“Remuneration for one employee fell in the band £60,000 to £70,000 for the year (2024: one in the band £60,000 to £70,000).” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: four months of operational costs plus redundancy liabilities (held: £337k)

“The Trust’s reserves policy aims to maintain reserves equal to four months of operational costs plus redundancy liabilities, and expenses incurred in the event of winding-up the Trust (currently £119,911).”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Funders the charity credits

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

Port of London — “Our Funders Port of London” (source page)

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2023)

Total income

£605k

Total spending

£456k

Cost of raising funds

£84k

Reserves (reported)

£669k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~17.6 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 7.0 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (95% 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: 13.8% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 2.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Stephen Warringtonchair · trustee of 1 other charity
Andrew John Cooke
Angel Gavieiro Besteiro
Dr HENRY FAJEMIROKUN · trustee of 1 other charity
Ishbel Matheson
Kate Sandars
OLGA STANOJLOVIC · trustee of 1 other charity
Pete Stephens
Raj Barinder Kehal
Rosie Emma Jo Beaumont-Thomas
Sandra Dawe

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

Operates in: Throughout England

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£452k	£612k
31/12/2024	£482k	£516k
31/12/2023	£605k	£456k
31/12/2022	£728k	£561k
31/12/2021	£471k	£504k

Common questions

Is THE THAMES FESTIVAL TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the Trust ended 2025 with a net deficit of £159,736, covered by unrestricted and restricted reserves. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves stood at £336,899, which exceeds the stated policy target of four months of operational costs plus redundancy liabilities (£119,911). The Trust confirms it has sufficient confirmed funding for 2026 to maintain activities and meet obligations. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE THAMES FESTIVAL TRUST earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £60,001 - £70,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds THE THAMES FESTIVAL TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE THAMES FESTIVAL TRUST as a grant recipient include TRINITY BUOY WHARF TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount
TRINITY BUOY WHARF TRUST	FY2024	£41k
TRINITY BUOY WHARF TRUST	FY2022	£10k
TRINITY BUOY WHARF TRUST	FY2025	£-3k

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	15/04/2026	£129k	"Our Global London"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	15/01/2025	£124k	"Lost and Found: 19th century maritime Deptford interpreted through mudlark finds."
London Borough of Hounslow	03/08/2023	£500	Grant to Thames Festival Trust
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	07/06/2023	£100k	"Places of Change: Lodging houses & other spaces in London's Royal Docks, 1855 - 1948"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	11/05/2022	£10k	"A Voyage Through Time: Harland & Wolff in the Royal Docks"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	09/02/2022	£96k	"London's Lost Village"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	05/03/2020	£99k	"The Islanders: the industrial and community heritage of Silvertown and North Woolwich"
Greater London Authority	28/06/2019	£50k	Thames Festival Trust
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	02/05/2019	£72k	"Foragers of the Foreshore, a history of mudlarking on the River Thames"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	06/12/2018	£87k	"The Barking Stink - the industrial heritage of the River Roding"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	07/03/2018	£84k	"The Waterman's Race and The Right to Row"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	10/05/2017	£10k	"Back to the River"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	11/01/2017	£80k	"London's Boatyards"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	14/01/2016	£77k	"Life Afloat"
Greater London Authority	10/08/2015	£50k	Grant to Thames Festival Trust
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	13/06/2006	£50k	"You Never Step in the Same River Twice"

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
JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£52k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION	1	£384k
THE OCTOPUS FOUNDATION	1	£213k
KUSUMA TRUST UK	1	£200k
THE WOODLAND TRUST	1	£85k
THE DERBYSHIRE ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST LIMITED	1	£51k
Community Foundation North East	1	£33k
THE PORTRACK CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£15k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THAMES RIVERS TRUST.

THAMES RIVERS TRUST income £136k
THE RIVERS TRUST income £8.8m
THE TRENT RIVERS TRUST income £1.9m
Dee Trust income £800k
THAMES21 LIMITED income £3.2m
TYNE RIVERS TRUST income £1.4m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE THAMES FESTIVAL TRUST	£452k	£60,001 - £70,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
THAMES RIVERS TRUST FY2025	£136k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE RIVERS TRUST FY2024	£8.8m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
THE TRENT RIVERS TRUST FY2025	£1.9m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
Dee Trust FY2024	£800k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THAMES21 LIMITED FY2025	£3.2m	£80,001 - £90,000	1	above	—	no doubt

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