American Museum & Gardens

Registered charity 1106989 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE AMERICAN MUSEUM IN BRITAIN

The mission of the American Museum is to educate, stimulate, and inspire its visitors in order to further the understanding of American history and culture. The Museum carries out this mission through the presentation of its historic rooms, its decorative art and folk art collections, and its special exhibitions, publications, educational programmes, and gardens.

Objects

TO HOLD THE PROPERTY ON TRUST THAT THE SAME SHALL BE USED FOR THE PURPOSES OF A MUSEUM FOR THE EXHIBITION OF AMERICAN FURNITURE AND CRAFTS AND DECORATIVE AND PICTORIAL ARTS OR FOR SUCH OTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSES AS THE TRUSTEES MAY IN THEIR DISCRETION FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED.

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 · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Bath and North East Somerset, South West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£1.6m

Latest spending

£2.4m

Registered

2004

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported an operational loss of £744k for the year, which was offset by investment growth, resulting in a net reduction in total funds. The trustees confirm the charity has sufficient cash reserves to meet liabilities and continue operating for at least 12 months. Unrestricted reserves are reported at approximately £3.4 million, which the trustees consider prudent for future financial flexibility.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy

“Reserves policy. The charity has unrestricted reserves of approximately £3.5 million, predominantly in the form of investments. The investments generate income that helps to compensate for the operational deficit of the Museum. Itis the Trustees’ view that it is prudent to ensure that there are sufficient reserves to provide financial flexibility for the future.” — page 5

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Payments to trustees: Mr G Thomas received remuneration in his capacity as Executive Chairman.

“The Trustees did not recsive any rernuneration during the year. Mr G Thomas (Trustee) received remuneration only in his capacity as Executive Chairman.” — page 28

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Charity rented property from George Bayntun, an entity which Mr E Bayntun-Coward (Trustee) is the owner. All transactions were conducted at the market rate. During the year the Charity paid rent in the sum of £13,000 (2024: £13,000).

“The charity rented property from George Bayntun, an entity which Mr E Bayntun-Coward (Trustee) is the owner. All transactions were conducted at the market rate. During the year the Charity paid rent in the sum of £13,000 (2024: £13,000).” — page 28

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: American Museum Enterprises Limited

“American Museum Enterprises Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary that operates the museum shop and the café.” — page 7

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Sumer AuditCo Limited. Discloses 3 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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 100
Employees paid over £60,000: 4 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £70,001–£80,000: 1; £80,001–£90,000: 2)
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; other trustee benefit
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Volunteers: 100
Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £70,001–£80,000: 1)
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Volunteers: 195
Government income: £8,507 — grants £8,507 (1); under 1% of the £2,133,427 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 4 (£60,001–£70,000: 2; £70,001–£80,000: 1; £80,001–£90,000: 1)
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit
Has a trading subsidiary

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income

£1.6m

Total spending

£2.4m

Cost of raising funds

£231k

Reserves (reported)

£290k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~1.5 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (37% 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: 14.1% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

William Henry Thomas Sheppardchair
Adrian Tinniswood
Alec Comba
Anne Millman
Christopher Charles Fisher
Dr David Galbreath
JACQUELINE KINGSLEY
Katie Pennington
MARK EDWARD HARANZO
MRS STANLEY DEFOREST SCOTT
Thomas Mirfield
Wendy Wick Reaves

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

Operates in: Somerset

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£1.6m	£2.4m
31/12/2024	£2.7m	£3.3m
31/12/2023	£2.1m	£2.8m
31/12/2022	£1.6m	£2.9m
31/12/2021	£1.7m	£2.6m

Common questions

Is American Museum & Gardens financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported an operational loss of £744k for the year, which was offset by investment growth, resulting in a net reduction in total funds. The trustees confirm the charity has sufficient cash reserves to meet liabilities and continue operating for at least 12 months. Unrestricted reserves are reported at approximately £3.4 million, which the trustees consider prudent for future financial flexibility. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sumer AuditCo Limited.

Who funds American Museum & Gardens?

Funders whose own accounts filings name American Museum & Gardens as a grant recipient include THE ANGLO-AMERICAN CHARITY LIMITED.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE ANGLO-AMERICAN CHARITY LIMITED	FY2022	£24k
THE ANGLO-AMERICAN CHARITY LIMITED	FY2023	amount not stated

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	01/04/2023	£4k	GCA PROG DEL RPA COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	04/10/2017	£10k	"The War to End all Wars: America and the First World War"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	21/03/2006	£451k	"American Heritage Exhibition"

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
ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT MUSEUMS	3	£5k
THE JULIA RAUSING TRUST	2	£1.7m
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£1.1m
THE HEADLEY TRUST	2	£460k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION	2	£358k
KUSUMA TRUST UK	2	£92k
NATIONAL ART COLLECTIONS FUND	2	£15k
The Ethos Foundation	1	£526k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION.

THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION income £2.2m
THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM income £2.0m
TENBY MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY income £93k
YORK ARMY MUSEUM income £166k
MUSEUM OF BRANDS income £851k
MUSEUM OF ARCHITECTURE income £145k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
American Museum & Gardens	£1.6m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION FY2025	£2.2m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM FY2025	£2.0m	—	—	within	—	no doubt
TENBY MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY FY2025	£93k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
YORK ARMY MUSEUM FY2025	£166k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
MUSEUM OF BRANDS FY2025	£851k	—	0	below	—	no doubt

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