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DORSET OPERA

Registered charity 1105318 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Providing an opportunity for young people to experience the demands and joys of participating in the choral or technical theatre aspects of opera production, through a residential summer school, alongside highly experienced professional soloist/tutors, production staff and orchestra, culminating typically in six public opera performances and a gala concert.

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

Latest income
£884k
Latest spending
£822k
Registered
2004
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity achieved a surplus of £62,515 for the year ended 30 September 2025, with total funds increasing to £302,571. The trustees confirm that general fund reserves of £199,915 exceed the stated solvency reserve requirement of £140,000, and total funds excluding Theatre Tax Relief credits exceed the liquidity requirement of £40,000.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: £140,000 (held: £200k)
“Having reviewed these scenarios in current circumstances, the Trustees have considered that the general fund reserve should be maintained at £140,000.” — page 11
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Payments to trustees: Mr Roderick Kennedy received £62,500 for consultancy services.
“Mr Roderick Kennedy, a Trustee and consultant, received a fee of £62,500 (2024: £60,000) for consultancy services” — page 24
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee remuneration/consultancy
“Mr Roderick Kennedy, a Trustee and consultant, received a fee of £62,500 (2024: £60,000) for consultancy services, and £6,566 (2024: £4,018) of travel and subsistence expenses were reimbursed or incurred by the Charity.” — page 24
“Mrs Susannah Selby Bennett, a Trustee, received travel and subsistence expenses incurred by the Charity of £123 (2024: £177).” — page 24
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee expenses
“Mr Roderick Kennedy, a Trustee and consultant, received a fee of £62,500 (2024: £60,000) for consultancy services, and £6,566 (2024: £4,018) of travel and subsistence expenses were reimbursed or incurred by the Charity.” — page 24
“Mrs Susannah Selby Bennett, a Trustee, received travel and subsistence expenses incurred by the Charity of £123 (2024: £177).” — page 24
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Connected person services
“Mr Roderick Kennedy, a Trustee and consultant, received a fee of £62,500 (2024: £60,000) for consultancy services, and £6,566 (2024: £4,018) of travel and subsistence expenses were reimbursed or incurred by the Charity.” — page 24
“Mrs Susannah Selby Bennett, a Trustee, received travel and subsistence expenses incurred by the Charity of £123 (2024: £177).” — page 24
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Connected person services
“Mr Roderick Kennedy, a Trustee and consultant, received a fee of £62,500 (2024: £60,000) for consultancy services, and £6,566 (2024: £4,018) of travel and subsistence expenses were reimbursed or incurred by the Charity.” — page 24
“Mrs Susannah Selby Bennett, a Trustee, received travel and subsistence expenses incurred by the Charity of £123 (2024: £177).” — page 24
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Connected person services
“Mr Roderick Kennedy, a Trustee and consultant, received a fee of £62,500 (2024: £60,000) for consultancy services, and £6,566 (2024: £4,018) of travel and subsistence expenses were reimbursed or incurred by the Charity.” — page 24
“Mrs Susannah Selby Bennett, a Trustee, received travel and subsistence expenses incurred by the Charity of £123 (2024: £177).” — page 24
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 30/09/2025)

Total income
£884k
Total spending
£822k
Cost of raising funds
£7k
Reserves (reported)
£300k
Employees
0

Reported reserves equal ~4.4 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (44% 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: 0.8% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Dorset

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
30/09/2025£884k£822k
30/09/2024£822k£837k
30/09/2023£654k£664k
30/09/2022£652k£622k
30/09/2021£437k£467k

Common questions

Is DORSET OPERA financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a surplus of £62,515 for the year ended 30 September 2025, with total funds increasing to £302,571. The trustees confirm that general fund reserves of £199,915 exceed the stated solvency reserve requirement of £140,000, and total funds excluding Theatre Tax Relief credits exceed the liquidity requirement of £40,000. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds DORSET OPERA?

Funders whose own accounts filings name DORSET OPERA as a grant recipient include THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATION, THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUST, THE LADY COBHAM FOUNDATION.

Shared trustees with funders

Register facts shown side by side: a person serves as trustee of both this charity and a funder whose accounts record grants to it. Shared trusteeship is lawful and common; well-run charities manage it through declared-interest procedures.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATIONFY2021£5k
THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONFY2023£5k
THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATIONFY2023£5kThe Arts
THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATIONFY2022£5kCulture and the environment
THE LADY COBHAM FOUNDATIONFY2023£3k
THE LADY COBHAM FOUNDATIONFY2024£1k
THE VALENTINE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£0

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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE FENTON ARTS TRUST3£14k
THE GOLSONCOTT FOUNDATION3£3k
THE IDLEWILD TRUST2£31k
THE CARRINGTON CHARITABLE TRUST2£7k
DORIS FIELD CHARITABLE TRUST2£4k
THE REED FOUNDATION1—
THE ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION1£1.1m
BACKSTAGE TRUST1£635k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with GARSINGTON OPERA LIMITED.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
DORSET OPERA£884k—0above—no doubt
GARSINGTON OPERA LIMITED FY2025£9.9m——below—no doubt
BRITISH YOUTH OPERA FY2025£446k—0unclear—no doubt
YEOVIL AMATEUR OPERATIC SOCIETY FY2024£107k—0above—no doubt
OPERA CIRCUS LIMITED FY2025£217k—0below—noted
WATERPERRY OPERA FESTIVAL FY2025£748k—0unclear—no doubt

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