INSTITUTE OF IMAGINATION

Registered charity 1109276 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as AMUSEUM, EUREKA THE LONDON CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, LCM, THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM FOR LONDONAND THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, THE LONDON CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

The Institute of Imagination works to advance the education for the public benefit in the subject of the arts, sciences and digital technologies by offering learning programmes to young people across the UK and internationally

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

Latest income

£512k

Latest spending

£528k

Registered

2005

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £15,403 for the year, with unrestricted reserves falling to £64,575. This level is below the trustees' stated policy target of three to six months of operating expenditure, which equates to a minimum of £116,030. However, the trustees consider the position manageable and confirm the charity remains a going concern, supported by confirmed future funding.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £80,001 - £90,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £60k)

“In the band £80,001 - £90,000” — page 30

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Largest income source: Donations and legacies (93% of income)

“Total income of £512,281 (2024: £572,531) including donations of £477,002 (2024: £557,686) used to fund our programmes and our operating costs.” — page 11

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £65k; policy: three to six months of operating expenditure)

“existing reserves at year end provided coverage of less than three months of operating spend.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustees and connected persons purchased tickets to a fundraising event on normal commercial terms.

“In the current year, two Trustees and a connected person purchased tickets to one of the Charity’s fundraising events on normal commercial terms. The total value of these transactions was £1,074 (2024: £Nil). No conditions were attached to this income, and no material benefits other than entry to the relevant fundraising event was provided.” — page 39

“In the prior year, the Charity received an unconditional donation of £5,000 from a Trustee.” — page 39

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Prior year donation from a Trustee.

“In the current year, two Trustees and a connected person purchased tickets to one of the Charity’s fundraising events on normal commercial terms. The total value of these transactions was £1,074 (2024: £Nil). No conditions were attached to this income, and no material benefits other than entry to the relevant fundraising event was provided.” — page 39

“In the prior year, the Charity received an unconditional donation of £5,000 from a Trustee.” — page 39

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: IOI Enterprise Limited

“The Charity owns the entire share capital of IOI Enterprise Limited, the principal activity of which is the delivery of commercial programmes that ultimately benefit the charity financially and reputationally.” — page 8

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

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

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

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

Total income

£512k

Total spending

£528k

Cost of raising funds

£108k

Reserves (reported)

£65k

Employees

5

Reported reserves equal ~1.5 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (93% 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: 21.1% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

BASIL JAMES DEMEROUTISchair
Bethany Koby-Hirschmann
CLAIRE TAVERNIER · trustee of 2 other charities
Charles Michael Metcalfe
DIANA ELIZABETH ANNE UEHLEIN
MICHELLE DORION
Simon Sotomey · trustee of 1 other charity
Tracey Gilbert

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

Operates in: Throughout London

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£512k	£528k
31/12/2024	£573k	£638k
31/12/2023	£605k	£864k
31/12/2022	£826k	£874k
31/12/2021	£1.5m	£927k

Common questions

Is INSTITUTE OF IMAGINATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £15,403 for the year, with unrestricted reserves falling to £64,575. This level is below the trustees' stated policy target of three to six months of operating expenditure, which equates to a minimum of £116,030. However, the trustees consider the position manageable and confirm the charity remains a going concern, supported by confirmed future funding. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

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

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £80,001 - £90,000 band.

Who funds INSTITUTE OF IMAGINATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name INSTITUTE OF IMAGINATION as a grant recipient include THE CHARLES SKEY CHARITABLE TRUST, THE ALDGATE AND ALLHALLOWS FOUNDATION, THE TEDWORTH CHARITABLE TRUST, A G MANLY CHARITABLE TRUST, THE MCLAIN FOUNDATION LIMITED.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE CHARLES SKEY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£60k	Advancement of arts, culture, heritage or science
THE CHARLES SKEY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£50k	Arts, culture, heritage or science
THE ALDGATE AND ALLHALLOWS FOUNDATION	FY2025	£20k	Building Brighter Futures, unlocking creative skills with children in Tower Hamlets
THE CHARLES SKEY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£20k	Advancement of arts, culture, heritage or science
THE TEDWORTH CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£15k	Towards core costs.
THE CHARLES SKEY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£10k	Advancement of arts, culture, heritage or science
A G MANLY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£4k
THE MCLAIN FOUNDATION LIMITED	FY2021	£4k
THE TEDWORTH CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£3k	Towards the provision of iOi Imagination Boxes for refugee children and their families in the summer of 2022.
THE TEDWORTH CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£3k	Towards its campaign to support children in hospital over the holiday season.
CHAPMAN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£2k
CHARLES S FRENCH CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£1k
BLACK HEART FOUNDATION (UK) LIMITED	FY2022	£0	In support of education

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	04/03/2026	£2.5m	Playing for a Fairer Future
Greater London Authority	01/01/2020	£150k	Institute of Imagination

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 GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£20.0m
THE JORDAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£1.2m
GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION	1	£500k
THE NUFFIELD FOUNDATION	1	£309k
THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£15k
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£10k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with House of Imagination.

House of Imagination income £116k
INSTITUTE FOR GOVERNMENT income £6.9m
IMAGINE FOUNDATION income £268k
INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL ILLUSTRATORS LIMITED income £139k
New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering income £5.6m
GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF CREATIVE THINKING LIMITED income £830k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
INSTITUTE OF IMAGINATION	£512k	£80,001 - £90,000	0	below	—	no doubt
House of Imagination FY2025	£116k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
INSTITUTE FOR GOVERNMENT FY2025	£6.9m	£240,000 - £249,999	—	below	—	no doubt
IMAGINE FOUNDATION FY2024	£268k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL ILLUSTRATORS LIMITED FY2025	£139k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering FY2025	£5.6m	—	—	below	—	no doubt

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