THE GARAGE TRUST LIMITED
Registered charity 1098975 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE ACADEMY TRUST (NORFOLK), THE GARAGE
The Garage is a performing arts venue in Norwich, supporting artists, audiences and young people across Norfolk and beyond. We programme professional performance, support artists to make work and deliver dance, drama and music participation activities for all ages. We place an emphasis on talent progression and engaging disadvantaged or vulnerable young people with least access to the arts.
Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity reported a surplus on unrestricted funds of £8,727 for the year ended 31 July 2025, with total unrestricted reserves standing at £117,707. The trustees note that the organisation relies on grants and income from hires and course fees to cover operating costs, with income from grants and contracts described as critical to maintaining activities. The financial statements were prepared on a going concern basis, with the auditors confirming no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue operations.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: three months operational commitment (held: £118k)
“The Trustees are continuing to work towards a minimum reserve of three months operational commitment, with an optimum of six months within two years.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Norfolk County Council owned the freehold of the premises occupied by The Garage Trust Limited until 29 September 2021. The charity then purchased the freehold from the Norfolk County Council for £28,719. During the year funding was received... Norfolk County Council Cultural Services £14,556.
“Norfolk County Council owned the freehold of the premises occupied by The Garage Trust Limited until 29° September 2021. The charity then purchased the freehold from the Norfolk County Council for £28,719. During the year funding was received, as follows: Norfolk County Council Cultural Services £14,556” — page 27
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Sexty & Co. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.
Property (HM Land Registry)
4 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (2 freehold); recorded price paid £120k. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/07/2025)
Reported reserves equal ~0.8 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 (89% 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 (5.2%) (benchmarks).
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (30/10/2018) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Michael Launchburychair
- Daniel Thrower
- Emily Field
- JEREMY Langton GILKS
- JOANNE WARR
- Nadine Zubair
- Sarah Crompton-Howes · trustee of 1 other charity
- Sarah Hamilton
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Cambridgeshire · Norfolk · Suffolk
Income and spending
Common questions
Is THE GARAGE TRUST LIMITED financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a surplus on unrestricted funds of £8,727 for the year ended 31 July 2025, with total unrestricted reserves standing at £117,707. The trustees note that the organisation relies on grants and income from hires and course fees to cover operating costs, with income from grants and contracts described as critical to maintaining activities. The financial statements were prepared on a going concern basis, with the auditors confirming no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue operations. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sexty & Co.
Who funds THE GARAGE TRUST LIMITED?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE GARAGE TRUST LIMITED as a grant recipient include NORFOLK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, THE THEATRES TRUST CHARITABLE FUND, Norwich Freemen's Charity, NORWICH CONSOLIDATED CHARITIES, THE GEOFFREY WATLING CHARITY.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
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 NORWICH ARTS CENTRE LIMITED.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.