CREATE LONDON

Registered charity 1146063 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The charity's main aim is to help improve the popularity of cultural events within the main east London area and, in particular, within younger age groups who traditionally do not have a track record of attendance at or involvement in such events.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£609k

Latest spending

£801k

Registered

2012

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total incoming resources were £609,392 against total expenditure of £800,854, resulting in a net expenditure for the year. The charity's unrestricted reserves stood at £151,706, which the trustees note equates to 4.4 months of core running costs. The trustees acknowledge that rebuilding reserves to the target of six months is challenging due to post-pandemic fundraising conditions and cost pressures.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Income from charitable activities (95% of income)

“Income from charitable activities was £576,065 (2024 - £833,484) of which £152,760 was attributable to unrestricted funds (2024 £152,760) and £423,305 was attributable to restricted funds (2024 - £680,724).” — page 21

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: three to six months of core operating costs (held: £152k)

“The Trustees’ objective is for Create London to hold unrestricted reserves to cover a minimum of 3 and ideally 6 months of core operating costs; 6 months equates to £200k at 2025 levels.” — page 14

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

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

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

Total income

£609k

Total spending

£801k

Cost of raising funds

£59k

Reserves (reported)

£151k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~2.3 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (95% 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: 9.7% of total income — above the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Andreas Paul Wesemann
Caroline McGinn
Cllr Anna Rose Kerr
Cllr Sam Mathys
Clrr Simon Perry
David Gregor Hrankovic
Ilona Anne Harris
Ingrid Petit
Louise O'Donnell · trustee of 1 other charity
Sarah Louise Mann
Siraaj Mitha
Tina John

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

Operates in: Scotland · Throughout London

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£609k	£801k
31/03/2024	£841k	£788k
31/03/2023	£629k	£944k
31/03/2022	£1.8m	£1.8m
31/03/2021	£730k	£956k

Common questions

Is CREATE LONDON financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total incoming resources were £609,392 against total expenditure of £800,854, resulting in a net expenditure for the year. The charity's unrestricted reserves stood at £151,706, which the trustees note equates to 4.4 months of core running costs. The trustees acknowledge that rebuilding reserves to the target of six months is challenging due to post-pandemic fundraising conditions and cost pressures. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds CREATE LONDON?

Funders whose own accounts filings name CREATE LONDON as a grant recipient include THE FREELANDS FOUNDATION LIMITED, NATIONAL ART COLLECTIONS FUND, THE MARCHUS TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE FREELANDS FOUNDATION LIMITED	FY2021	£181k	Create London Hackney Windrush Commission
THE FREELANDS FOUNDATION LIMITED	FY2022	£98k	Hackney Windrush Commission
NATIONAL ART COLLECTIONS FUND	FY2023	£16k	Acquisition grant
THE MARCHUS TRUST	FY2022	£5k

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
City Bridge Foundation	22/01/2024	£51k	Grant to Create London
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	03/05/2023	£174k	"Breaking Waves: A living archive of Thames Ward through the lens of The Great Flood 1953-2023"
City Bridge Foundation	25/07/2019	£58k	Grant to Create London
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	29/03/2019	£43k	"The Dividing Line: Learning from the Newham monitoring project & youth movement"
The National Lottery Community Fund	30/01/2019	£10k	The Front Room Programme
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	27/11/2018	£448k	"Living Together: 100 years of British social housing, through the lens of the Becontree Estate"
Greater London Authority	18/01/2018	£35k	Grant to Create London
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	01/12/2016	£84k	"The History and Legacy of the Walthamstow School of Art"
City Bridge Foundation	24/11/2016	£42k	Grant to Create London
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	08/10/2015	£46k	"Interpreting the Heritage of Hardy Amies"
Greater London Authority	02/09/2015	£8k	Grant to Create London
Greater London Authority	10/06/2015	£16k	Grant to Create
The National Lottery Community Fund	27/05/2014	£9k	Baltic Street Adventure Playground - Summer Activity Programme
City Bridge Foundation	18/04/2013	£75k	Grant to Create London