PORTLAND MUSEUM TRUST

Registered charity 1132576 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The advancement of the education of the public by providing and maintaining a museum of artefacts and specimens relating to the natural sciences, natural history, archaeology, literature, music, the fine art and decorative arts, antiquities and local history relating in particular to the Island of Portland.

Objects

THE OBJECTS FOR WHICH THE TRUST IS FORMED ARE (BUT ONLY IN SO FAR AS THE SAME ARECHARITABLE): THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC BY PROVIDING ANDMAINTAINING A MUSEUM OF ARTEFACTS AND SPECIMENS RELATING TO THE NATURAL SCIENCES,NATURAL HISTORY, ARCHAEOLOGY, LITERATURE, MUSIC, THE FINE AND DECORATIVE ARTS,ANTIQUITIES AND LOCAL HISTORY RELATING IN PARTICULAR TO THE ISLAND OF PORTLAND

Area of benefit: PORTLAND

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

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

Registered contact address: Dorset, South West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£57k

Latest spending

£62k

Registered

2009

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the museum ended the financial year with a deficit of £6,284, resulting in total expenditure of £62,227 against income of £56,915. The Trustees report that they continue to monitor expenditure carefully to protect the museum's limited reserves amid significant financial pressures from costs such as electricity and insurance.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Admissions /sales/events combined (49% of income)

“Admissions /sales/events combined: £27,671” — page 8

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor

“To protect the museum’s limited reserves, Trustees continue to monitor expenditure carefully throughout the year.” — page 3

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 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
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest 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: 14
Government income: £20,952 — grants £20,952 (2); 37% of the £56,915 total gross income on the same return

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

Volunteers: 9
Government income: £18,000 — grants £18,000 (2); 33% of the £54,319 total gross income on the same return

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

Volunteers: 21
Government income: £8,000 — grants £8,000 (1); 11% of the £70,843 total gross income on the same return

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

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Anthony John Fluxchair
Amanda Wallwork
Andrea Frankham-Hughes
DAVID CARTER
James Michael Charles Ashwanden
James Ronald Barker
Robert Hughes · trustee of 1 other charity
Stella Margaret New

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

Operates in: Dorset

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£57k	£62k
31/12/2024	£54k	£49k
31/12/2023	£71k	£72k
31/12/2022	£100k	£106k
31/12/2021	£103k	£96k

Common questions

Is PORTLAND MUSEUM TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the museum ended the financial year with a deficit of £6,284, resulting in total expenditure of £62,227 against income of £56,915. The Trustees report that they continue to monitor expenditure carefully to protect the museum's limited reserves amid significant financial pressures from costs such as electricity and insurance. 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
UK government	01/04/2024	£995	Rufus Castle (St Andrew's Church)
UK government	01/04/2023	£2k	Rufus Castle (St Andrew's Church)
UK government	01/04/2022	£14k	St Andrew's Church, Portland
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	11/11/2021	£69k	"#Digital8 Diving into the digital archives of the Â‘Earl of AbergavennyÂ’"
The National Lottery Community Fund	30/03/2010	£10k	Facilities Upgrade

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
CONGLETON INCLOSURE TRUST	1	£13k
THE HEADLEY TRUST	1	£10k
THE CHARLOTTE BONHAM-CARTER CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£3k
The William Brake Foundation	1	£1k
Friends of the Nations' Libraries	1	£500
ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT MUSEUMS	1	£300

Charities like this

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

CONGLETON MUSEUM TRUST income £30k
THE PORTLAND SCULPTURE AND QUARRY TRUST income £62k
VERWOOD MUSEUM TRUST income £60k
STROUD DISTRICT (COWLE) MUSEUM income £42k
NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM CORNWALL TRUST income £2.4m
Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery Limited income £341k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
PORTLAND MUSEUM TRUST	£57k	—	0	unclear	—	noted
CONGLETON MUSEUM TRUST FY2025	£30k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE PORTLAND SCULPTURE AND QUARRY TRUST FY2025	£62k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
VERWOOD MUSEUM TRUST FY2025	£60k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
STROUD DISTRICT (COWLE) MUSEUM FY2025	£42k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM CORNWALL TRUST FY2025	£2.4m	£80,001 - £90,000	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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