THE BATSFORD FOUNDATION
Registered charity 1090796 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BATSFORD ARBORETUM, BATSFORD GARDEN CENTRE
The conservation and improvement of the Arboretum and Japanese garden at Batsford, keeping them open to the public and school and professional parties. Grants are occasionally made to others in support of the Foundation's objectives and educational facilities provided.
Causes: Education/training · Environment/conservation/heritage · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity reported a net unrestricted income surplus of £243,051 for the year ended 31 January 2025, with total unrestricted funds increasing to £5,706,408. The trustees confirm that reserves are sufficient to cover approximately 4.4 times their stated policy target of 10% of incoming resources, indicating a strong financial position with no material uncertainties regarding going concern.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Employees paid over £60,000: 1
“Only one employee had a salary in excess of £60,000, namely the director of operations.” — page 22
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: approximately 10% of incoming resources from generated funds (held: £5.7m)
“The trustees' policy is to maintain a level of reserves at approximately 10% of incoming resources from generated funds” — page 4
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Director of Operations S Priest paid rent for on-site property.
“During the year, S Priest (director of operations) occupied a property on the premises necessary for the proper performance of his duties and paid rent during the year of £5,000 (2024: £5,000) by salary sacrifice.” — page 31
“During the year, a company called Frank P. Matthews Limited, of which N D Dunn (trustee) is a director, sold the charity goods for sale in the shop with a total purchase value of £11,663 (2024: £13,558).” — page 31
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee N D Dunn's company sold goods to the charity.
“During the year, S Priest (director of operations) occupied a property on the premises necessary for the proper performance of his duties and paid rent during the year of £5,000 (2024: £5,000) by salary sacrifice.” — page 31
“During the year, a company called Frank P. Matthews Limited, of which N D Dunn (trustee) is a director, sold the charity goods for sale in the shop with a total purchase value of £11,663 (2024: £13,558).” — page 31
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Batsford Garden Centre Limited
“The charity owns the entire share capital of Batsford Garden Centre Limited, a company registered in England and Wales.” — page 21
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Hazlewoods LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.
Property (HM Land Registry)
2 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 · instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/01/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£1.2m
Reported reserves equal ~3.5 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Other trading activities (52% 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: 55.0% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).
- SIR JAMES HENRY EDWARD CHICHESTER BTchair
- HON IAN WILLS · trustee of 1 other charity
- NICHOLAS DUNN
- Nicholas Williams-Ellis
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Gloucestershire
Income and spending
Common questions
Is THE BATSFORD FOUNDATION financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net unrestricted income surplus of £243,051 for the year ended 31 January 2025, with total unrestricted funds increasing to £5,706,408. The trustees confirm that reserves are sufficient to cover approximately 4.4 times their stated policy target of 10% of incoming resources, indicating a strong financial position with no material uncertainties regarding going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Hazlewoods LLP.
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 FRIENDS OF OXFORD BOTANIC GARDEN & ARBORETUM.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.