Heritage and Communities Trust

Registered charity 1104509 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as Markfield Beam Engine and Museum, THE PUMP HOUSE E17 THE LEA VALLEY EXPERIENCE, THE PUMP HOUSE STEAM & TRANSPORT MUSEUM TRUST, WALTHAMSTOW PUMPHOUSE MUSEUM, Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum

The preservation of the Grade 2 listed Victorian pump house at Low Hall and its Marshall pumping engines and ancillary equipment; the creation and operation of a heritage museum on the site dedicated to the history of pumps and pumping, reciprocating steam engines, local transport, fire fighting and manufacturing in Walthamstow and the Lea Valley.

Objects

TO PROMOTE INITIATE ADVANCE ENCOURAGE ADMINISTER SUPPORT AND PROCURE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC AT LARGE THE COLLECTION RESTORATION RECONSTITUTION RENOVATION REINSTATEMENT REPLACEMENT REPRODUCTION AND EXHIBITION OF SITES BUILDINGS PUMPS ENGINES PLANT EQUIPMENT APPARATUS DEVICES GADGETS CONTRIVANCES EXHIBITS PLANS MODELS AND INVENTIONS OF HISTORICAL AND TECHNICAL INTEREST PARTICULARLY AS THEY MAY RELATE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT MAINTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUPPLY OF WATER THE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE THE HANDLING OF SURFACE WATER AND/OR WHERE THEY ARE ASSOCIATED ASPECTS OF SCHEMES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

Area of benefit: MARKHOUSE, WALTHAMSTOW, LONDON

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£172k

Latest spending

£146k

Registered

2004

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £26,710 for the year ended 31 January 2025, with unrestricted reserves increasing to £85,327. The trustees confirmed that there are no specific reasons to think that the future of the museum is insecure, indicating a stable financial position. The charity operates under an independent examination rather than a full audit, consistent with its small company regime exemption.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: £10,000 (held: £85k)

“The Museum currently has a reserves policy of £10,000.” — page 7

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Volunteer management

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Dr Alison Leechair
Arielle Murphy
Barbara Blake
Emma Stell · trustee of 1 other charity
Ian McLaughlin
Joseph Andrew Cook
Katie Ann Smith
MAUREEN BLUNDEN
Malcolm Yull
Rick Limentani
Robert Harris
Ruth Britt

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

Operates in: Waltham Forest

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/01/2025	£172k	£146k
31/01/2024	£160k	£134k
31/01/2023	£116k	£94k
31/01/2022	£99k	£100k
31/01/2021	£57k	£58k

Common questions

Is Heritage and Communities Trust financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £26,710 for the year ended 31 January 2025, with unrestricted reserves increasing to £85,327. The trustees confirmed that there are no specific reasons to think that the future of the museum is insecure, indicating a stable financial position. The charity operates under an independent examination rather than a full audit, consistent with its small company regime exemption. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

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	10/08/2020	£7k	"COVID19:Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum"

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
LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM FRIENDS	1	£822k
KUSUMA TRUST UK	1	£130k
Q CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£100k
THE BALCOMBE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£17k
THE FINNIS SCOTT FOUNDATION	1	£750

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with MUSEUM OF POWER.

MUSEUM OF POWER income £429k
WESTERN LOCOMOTIVE ASSOCIATION LIMITED income £191k
LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM LIMITED income £19.9m
BRESSINGHAM STEAM PRESERVATION COMPANY LIMITED income £1.0m
RICHMONDSHIRE BUILDING PRESERVATION TRUST LTD income £2.2m
THE CROSSNESS ENGINES TRUST income £376k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
Heritage and Communities Trust	£172k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
MUSEUM OF POWER FY2025	£429k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
WESTERN LOCOMOTIVE ASSOCIATION LIMITED FY2025	£191k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM LIMITED FY2025	£19.9m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
BRESSINGHAM STEAM PRESERVATION COMPANY LIMITED FY2025	£1.0m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
RICHMONDSHIRE BUILDING PRESERVATION TRUST LTD FY2025	£2.2m	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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