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CAMBRIDGE SCIENCE CENTRE

Registered charity 1146349 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The Cambridge Science Centre develops and hosts STEM-themed exhibitions and programmes. We aim to inspire broader public participation in tall STEM topics and to improve public accessibility to current research. We achieve this through hands-on exhibits and workshops, school visits, pop-up science engagements, evening programming for adults and supporting on-line content.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£1.4m
Latest spending
£1.2m
Registered
2012
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity recorded a surplus of £193,262 for the year ended 31 December 2025. However, the general free reserves balance was negative £29,388, which is below the trustees' stated policy target of £275,000. The trustees note that unrestricted reserves are insufficient to meet liabilities in a wind-down scenario without a major donor guarantee.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: £275,000 (held: £-29k)
“The Trustees have set the Reserves target at £275,000 which they consider adequate to enable Cambridge Science Centre to meet all its liabilities including the cost of winding up its operations in the event that it could not continue.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Donations from trustees
“During the year, donations totalling £12,047 were received from two trustees.” — page 42
“In addition, a £200,000 donation was received from Relithan Charitable Trust, of which A East is a director.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Donation from trustee-connected trust
“During the year, donations totalling £12,047 were received from two trustees.” — page 42
“In addition, a £200,000 donation was received from Relithan Charitable Trust, of which A East is a director.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Subsidiary debt
“During the year, donations totalling £12,047 were received from two trustees.” — page 42
“In addition, a £200,000 donation was received from Relithan Charitable Trust, of which A East is a director.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Cambridge Science Enterprises Limited
“Cambridge Science Enterprises Limited (Company Number 07584257) is our wholly owned subsidiary, which was set up to manage non charitable trading activities when these become material to the business. The company is currently dormant.” — page 10
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by PEM Audit Limited. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

Funders the charity credits

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

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

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

Total income
£1.4m
Total spending
£1.2m
Cost of raising funds
£124k
Reserves (reported)
£237k
Employees
22

Reported reserves equal ~2.3 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (83% 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: 8.8% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Cambridgeshire · Central Bedfordshire · Essex · Herefordshire · Lincolnshire · Luton · Milton Keynes · Norfolk · Peterborough City · Suffolk

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2025£1.4m£1.2m
31/12/2024£971k£917k
31/12/2023£999k£732k
31/12/2022£669k£850k
31/12/2021£622k£604k

Common questions

Is CAMBRIDGE SCIENCE CENTRE financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity recorded a surplus of £193,262 for the year ended 31 December 2025. However, the general free reserves balance was negative £29,388, which is below the trustees' stated policy target of £275,000. The trustees note that unrestricted reserves are insufficient to meet liabilities in a wind-down scenario without a major donor guarantee. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by PEM Audit Limited.

Who funds CAMBRIDGE SCIENCE CENTRE?

Funders whose own accounts filings name CAMBRIDGE SCIENCE CENTRE as a grant recipient include THE BRITFORD BRIDGE TRUST, THE RELITHAN CHARITABLE TRUST, SIR ROBERT GEFFERY'S ALMSHOUSE TRUST, THE OGDEN TRUST, MILLS AND REEVE CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE BRITFORD BRIDGE TRUSTFY2022£115kPrimary - The advancement of education
THE RELITHAN CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£48k
SIR ROBERT GEFFERY'S ALMSHOUSE TRUSTFY2023£10kGrant funding of activities
THE OGDEN TRUSTFY2023£5kGrants to institutions
MILLS AND REEVE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£5k
THE ANNIE TRANMER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1k
THE ANNIE TRANMER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£1k
THE EARL FITZWILLIAM CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1k

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund13/01/2023£10kCambridge Innovative Early Years Community Hub
The National Lottery Community Fund04/06/2014£10kPrimary Chain Reaction