SARABANDE

Registered charity 1153464 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Sarabande supports creatively fearless minds of the future, artists and designers with a unique vision and dedication to their craft. Sarabande offers full and part scholarships, houses the most affordable artist studios in London and runs a pioneering public programme of events as well as mentoring its alumni to help build a successful and sustainable business that is unique to their vision.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£1.8m

Latest spending

£979k

Registered

2013

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £859,539 for the year ended 31 December 2025, driven by significant investment gains of £599,747. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves stood at £17,347,185, with free reserves at £15,273,390, which the trustees consider to be many times current and forecast annual expenditures. The charity holds substantial investments valued at approximately £13.3 million to support its ongoing operations.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £140,000 - £150,000 — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median £70k)

“The number of employees whose annual remuneration was £60,000 or more were: 2025 Number £140,000 - £150,000 1” — page 36

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“The number of employees whose annual remuneration was £60,000 or more were: 2025 Number £140,000 - £150,000 1” — page 36

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Fundraising cost ratio: 15.0% of fundraised income, as disclosed

“Costs of our London fundraiser are around 15% of income raised” — page 16

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by TC Group. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Funders the charity credits

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

The Golden Bottle Trust — “SUPPORTERS The Golden Bottle Trust” (source page)

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

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

Total income

£1.8m

Total spending

£979k

Cost of raising funds

£102k

Reserves (reported)

£17.3m

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~212.7 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Other (41% 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: 5.6% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (25/05/2016) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Benedict John Hooper
Camilla Ann Lowther OBE · trustee of 1 other charity
Damian John Bradfield
David Collison
Francesca Gaita Amfitheatrof
Reema Sharma

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£1.8m	£979k
31/12/2024	£1.9m	£968k
31/12/2023	£1.7m	£869k
31/12/2022	£939k	£824k
31/12/2021	£1.8m	£649k

Common questions

Is SARABANDE financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £859,539 for the year ended 31 December 2025, driven by significant investment gains of £599,747. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves stood at £17,347,185, with free reserves at £15,273,390, which the trustees consider to be many times current and forecast annual expenditures. The charity holds substantial investments valued at approximately £13.3 million to support its ongoing operations. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by TC Group.

What does the highest-paid employee of SARABANDE earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £140,000 - £150,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

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 SHANLEY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£667k
THE YOUTH ENDOWMENT FUND CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£543k
THE ELMA FOUNDATION (UK)	1	£350k
BAKER FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£267k
IMPETUS - THE PRIVATE EQUITY FOUNDATION	1	£111k
GLOBAL SCHOOLS FORUM	1	£100k
MARR-MUNNING TRUST	1	£62k
ALLAN AND NESTA FERGUSON CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	1	£50k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ART SERVICES GRANTS LIMITED.

ART SERVICES GRANTS LIMITED income £5.9m
SANDBLAST LTD income £480k
MARIA BJORNSON MEMORIAL FUND income £283k
THE YINKA SHONIBARE FOUNDATION income £315k
ARTSWORK LIMITED income £1.9m
FIFTY THREE TWO income £139k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
SARABANDE	£1.8m	£140,000 - £150,000	1	above	15.0%	no doubt
ART SERVICES GRANTS LIMITED FY2025	£5.9m	Over £60,000	1	above	—	no doubt
SANDBLAST LTD FY2025	£480k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
MARIA BJORNSON MEMORIAL FUND FY2024	£283k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE YINKA SHONIBARE FOUNDATION FY2025	£315k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ARTSWORK LIMITED FY2025	£1.9m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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