INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION

Registered charity 1108380 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also registered in Scotland as SC039336 (OSCR)

Icon promotes the long term preservation and conservation of cultural heritage; advances knowledge, education, training and research in conservation; raises awareness of the importance of caring for heritage; and represents the public interest and the conservation community on issues of concern across the wide range of heritage conservation sectors and disciplines.

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

Latest income

£847k

Latest spending

£867k

Registered

2005

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £19,921 for the year, resulting in unrestricted reserves of £198,600. The trustees note that this level is below their stated policy target of six months' unrestricted expenditure (approximately £444,000). Despite the deficit, the auditors confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £70,001 - £80,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £60k)

“One employee received emoluments between £70,000-£80,000 and one employee received emoluments between £60,000-£70,000” — page 31

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 2

“One employee received emoluments between £70,000-£80,000 and one employee received emoluments between £60,000-£70,000” — page 31

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £199k; policy: six months' unrestricted expenditure)

“The current level of free reserves is £198,600 at 31st March 2025 and is therefore below the overall level set by Trustees.” — page 18

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Prior year transaction only

“Clare Fry – Sponsorship of the Care of Collections Group and sponsorship of refreshments for Icon Members’ Meeting (May 2023)” — page 40

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Azets Audit Services. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Institute of Conservation (Icon) (matched by registered charity number).

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Getty Images — “We're pleased to announce that the Icon Photography Prize 2026, generously supported by Getty Images, is now open for entries” (source page)

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

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

Total income

£847k

Total spending

£867k

Reserves (reported)

£258k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~3.6 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (81% 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 (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Amber Clare Law
Charles William Morse
David Orr
Diana Davis
Emma Louise Callaghan
Emma Mary Elizabeth Lowe
Louise Hayward
Maria Jordan
Mark Ross
Matthew Read
Michael Osbaldeston · trustee of 2 other charities
Michelle Anne Stoddart
Nicolas Boyes
Philippa Jill Rader
Sarah Jane Peek
Tracy Jane Manning

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£847k	£867k
31/03/2024	£693k	£748k
31/03/2023	£696k	£741k
31/03/2022	£782k	£738k
31/03/2021	£763k	£730k

Common questions

Is INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £19,921 for the year, resulting in unrestricted reserves of £198,600. The trustees note that this level is below their stated policy target of six months' unrestricted expenditure (approximately £444,000). Despite the deficit, the auditors confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Azets Audit Services.

What does the highest-paid employee of INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £70,001 - £80,000 band, and 2 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION as a grant recipient include THE PILGRIM TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE PILGRIM TRUST	FY2025	£45k	Conservation Skills at Risk - Protecting Heritage for Future Generations. Research to assess which areas of conservation skills are most at risk of being lost,

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	14/01/2026	£178k	"Heritage Conservation: A Resilient and Engaging Future"
UK government	01/04/2024	£947	Supporting the delivery of Heritage Carbon Literacy Training to the sector - ICON
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	12/12/2022	£25k	"Explore: Institute of Conservation"
UK government	01/04/2019	£11k	ALB-Historic England-Sustainable Workforce Research Model
UK government	01/04/2018	£8k	ALB-Historic England-Sustainable Workforce Research Model
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	13/12/2005	£2.5m	"New routes into conservation through work based learning: HLF Training Bursaries Scheme"

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 VINEHILL TRUST	1	£6.6m
THE BRITISH COUNCIL	1	£1.9m
THE JULIA RAUSING TRUST	1	£761k
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£733k
THE HELEN HAMLYN TRUST	1	£404k
THE MERCERS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£59k
THE HEADLEY TRUST	1	£30k
JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATION	1	£25k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC AND ARTISTIC WORKS.

THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC AND ARTISTIC WORKS income £435k
THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION income £2.2m
BRESSINGHAM STEAM PRESERVATION COMPANY LIMITED income £1.0m
SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF LONDON income £2.6m
INTERNATIONAL NATIONAL TRUSTS ORGANISATION income £1.1m
THE HISTORIC ENGLAND FOUNDATION income £361k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION	£847k	£70,001 - £80,000	2	below	—	no doubt
THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC AND ARTISTIC WORKS FY2025	£435k	£60,000 - £69,000	1	above	—	no doubt
THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION FY2025	£2.2m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
BRESSINGHAM STEAM PRESERVATION COMPANY LIMITED FY2025	£1.0m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF LONDON FY2025	£2.6m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
INTERNATIONAL NATIONAL TRUSTS ORGANISATION FY2024	£1.1m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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