THE ALNWICK GARDEN TRUST

Registered charity 1095435 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE ALNWICK GARDEN

The Vision and Mission Statement - The Alnwick Garden cultivates communities and raises aspirations in a place of beauty. Fearlessly inspiring and connecting people in an inclusive garden environment that creates learning opportunities and enriches lives.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£9.5m

Latest spending

£11.6m

Registered

2003

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net outgoing resource of £2,114,236 for the year, driven by total resources expended of £11,568,867 against incoming resources of £9,454,631. However, the trustees report that free cash reserves increased to £666,350 by year-end, and the organization remains confident in its resilience and future prospects despite rising costs.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £100,001 - £110,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £70k)

“In the band £100,001 - £110,000 - 1” — page 35

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Largest income source: Admissions (54% of income)

“Admissions {including Friends and Gift Aid) 5,139,549” — page 12

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: £1.4 million (held: £491k)

“they decided to increase the free cash reserves target to six months of operating costs, setting the goal at £1.4 million.” — page 11

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Payments to trustees: Jonathan Blackie received £6,000 for consultancy services; John Lovett received £nil for consultancy services.

“During the year, Jonathan Blackie, a trustee, received remuneration amounting to £6,000 for non-trustee consultancy services supplied to the charity in the year (2024: £6,000). During the year, John Lovett, a trustee, was paid £nil (2024: £2,000) in relation to consultancy work undertaken in the development of the Lilidorei Project and for the next phase of The Garden's development.” — page 50

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Jonathan Blackie

“During the year, Jonathan Blackie, a trustee, received remuneration amounting to £6,000 for non-trustee consultancy services supplied to the charity in the year (2024: £6,000).” — page 50

“During the year, John Lovett, a trustee, was paid £nil (2024: £2,000) in relation to consultancy work undertaken in the development of the Lilidorei Project and for the next phase of The Garden's development.” — page 50

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: John Lovett

“During the year, Jonathan Blackie, a trustee, received remuneration amounting to £6,000 for non-trustee consultancy services supplied to the charity in the year (2024: £6,000).” — page 50

“During the year, John Lovett, a trustee, was paid £nil (2024: £2,000) in relation to consultancy work undertaken in the development of the Lilidorei Project and for the next phase of The Garden's development.” — page 50

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Opencast Software

“During the year, Jonathan Blackie, a trustee, received remuneration amounting to £6,000 for non-trustee consultancy services supplied to the charity in the year (2024: £6,000).” — page 50

“During the year, John Lovett, a trustee, was paid £nil (2024: £2,000) in relation to consultancy work undertaken in the development of the Lilidorei Project and for the next phase of The Garden's development.” — page 50

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by UNW LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

In the news

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

Rower nears finishing line in daring 3,000-mile Atlantic challenge to raise money for The Alnwick Garden Trust northumberlandgazette.co.uk · 27/03/2025
The Alnwick Garden Trust reports strong revenues as visitor numbers remain “robust” despite “volatile year” insidermedia.com · 07/01/2025
The Alnwick Garden Trust is blasted over plans to build a 'tacky Disneyland' dailymail.com · 15/03/2019

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 04584694

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

DOYLE, Susannah Margaret — director, appointed 08/01/2026on trustee list
ROBSON, Christopher Robert — director, appointed 20/06/2024on trustee list
KALSON, Catherine Brenda — director, appointed 23/07/2021on trustee list
LEIGH-PEMBERTON, James Henry, Sir — director, appointed 30/04/2019on trustee list
LOVETT, John Haddon — director, appointed 30/04/2019on trustee list
BLACKIE, Jonathan Adam — director, appointed 29/03/2011on trustee list
NORTHUMBERLAND, Jane, Duchess — director, appointed 07/11/2002on trustee list

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

4 registered titles 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

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

Total income

£9.5m

Total spending

£11.6m

Cost of raising funds

£4.2m

Reserves (reported)

£875k

Employees

216

Reported reserves equal ~0.9 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable 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: 44.5% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

JONATHAN BLACKIEchair
Christopher Robert Robson
Dr Catherine Brenda Kalson
JANE NORTHUMBERLAND
John Haddon Lovett
Sir James Henry Leigh-Pemberton
Susannah Margaret Doyle

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

Operates in: Newcastle Upon Tyne City · North Tyneside · Northumberland

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£9.5m	£11.6m
31/03/2024	£10.1m	£11.2m
31/03/2023	£8.4m	£7.3m
31/03/2022	£7.0m	£6.4m
31/03/2021	£3.9m	£4.6m

Common questions

Is THE ALNWICK GARDEN TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net outgoing resource of £2,114,236 for the year, driven by total resources expended of £11,568,867 against incoming resources of £9,454,631. However, the trustees report that free cash reserves increased to £666,350 by year-end, and the organization remains confident in its resilience and future prospects despite rising costs. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by UNW LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE ALNWICK GARDEN TRUST earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £100,001 - £110,000 band.

Who funds THE ALNWICK GARDEN TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE ALNWICK GARDEN TRUST as a grant recipient include THE MERCERS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, THE W A HANDLEY CHARITY TRUST, CEO SLEEPOUT.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE MERCERS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2022	£27k	Church & Communities Programme
THE W A HANDLEY CHARITY TRUST	FY2024	£4k
CEO SLEEPOUT	FY2023	£4k
CEO SLEEPOUT	FY2022	£4k
CEO SLEEPOUT	FY2024	£3k
CEO SLEEPOUT	FY2024	£3k

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
Community Foundation North East	05/06/2025	£2k	Grant to Alnwick Garden Trust
Community Foundation North East	15/05/2024	£2k	Grant to Alnwick Garden Trust
The National Lottery Community Fund	20/12/2023	£350k	RC+ Growing Together Northumberland
Community Foundation North East	23/06/2022	£400	Grant to Alnwick Garden Trust
Community Foundation North East	09/06/2022	£1k	Grant to Alnwick Garden Trust
Community Foundation North East	20/05/2021	£400	A grant to Alnwick Garden Trust
Community Foundation North East	29/04/2021	£500	A grant to Alnwick Garden Trust
The Mercers' Company	17/10/2018	£80k	Grant to Alnwick Garden Trust
Community Foundation North East	07/03/2018	£400	Annual donation
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	25/10/2012	£10k	"Digging for Memories"
The National Lottery Community Fund	04/03/2011	£7k	Wonderfully Wild Project
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	28/01/2008	£50k	"What Northumberland means to me"
Northern Rock Foundation	11/12/2006	£100k	Grant awarded to The Alnwick Garden Trust (Northumberland)
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	26/04/2005	£50k	"The Poison Garden: Natural Heritage Access for All"
Northern Rock Foundation	08/07/2003	£250k	Grant awarded to The Alnwick Garden Trust (Northumberland)

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
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£1.3m
KUSUMA TRUST UK	1	£523k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION	1	£400k
THE LINBURY TRUST	1	£250k
THE FOYLE FOUNDATION	1	£200k
COLWINSTON CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£5k
THE THEATRES TRUST CHARITABLE FUND	1	£5k
THE JOICEY TRUST	1	£3k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ALNWICK BAPTIST CHURCH.

ALNWICK BAPTIST CHURCH income £164k
ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY income £362k
CHISWICK HOUSE AND GARDENS TRUST income £3.2m
ALNWICK DISTRICT PLAYHOUSE TRUST income £1.8m
ALNWICK YOUNG PEOPLES ASSOCIATION income £132k
THE NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN OF WALES income £5.4m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE ALNWICK GARDEN TRUST	£9.5m	£100,001 - £110,000	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ALNWICK BAPTIST CHURCH FY2025	£164k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY FY2025	£362k	—	0	within	—	no doubt
CHISWICK HOUSE AND GARDENS TRUST FY2025	£3.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ALNWICK DISTRICT PLAYHOUSE TRUST FY2025	£1.8m	—	0	above	—	noted
ALNWICK YOUNG PEOPLES ASSOCIATION FY2025	£132k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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