FRIENDS OF UPMINSTER WINDMILL

Registered charity 1162180 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The Friends of Upminster Windmill manage Upminster Windmill on behalf of the London Borough of Havering. A major restoration programme funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and others, including a significant contribution of volunteer labour by ourselves, was completed in 2023, and we now operate the site as a visitor attraction and educational resource.

Objects

THE OBJECTS OF THE CIO ARE: THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE PRESERVATION, PROTECTION AND MAINTENANCE OF UPMINSTER WINDMILL FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY ALL OR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING MEANS:(1) REPAIRING, REFURBISHING AND RESTORING UPMINSTER WINDMILL TO SOUND CONDITION AND FULLWORKING ORDER.(2) CONSERVING AND MAINTAINING THE RESTORED MILL AS A WORKING MUSEUM OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.(3) DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING AN EDUCATIONAL CENTRE AND VISITOR FACILITIES ON THE MILL SITE SOAS TO ATTRACT VISITORS AND DEVELOP THEIR AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE HERITAGEASSET, INCLUDING THE PROVISION OF ACCESS FOR ALL PEOPLE.(4) COLLABORATING WITH OTHER ORGANISATIONS WHICH ARE ENGAGED IN THE RESTORATION OR PROMOTIONOF HERITAGE BUILDINGS OR OTHER HERITAGE ASSETS OR ARE PLANNING TO BECOME SO ENGAGED;THEREBY PROVIDING OR RECEIVING ASSISTANCE OR ADVICE RELATING TO THE CONSERVATION OFHERITAGE ASSETS, ENHANCING THEIR EDUCATIONAL VALUE OR DEVELOPING PUBLIC AWARENESS.

Area of benefit: LOCAL

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: Havering, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£52k

Latest spending

£40k

Registered

2015

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity held total reserves of £591,438 at the end of the 2024/25 financial year, resulting in a surplus of £12,008 against a budgeted surplus of £6,000. The trustees confirm the charity had no liabilities, guarantees, or outstanding debts at the year-end. While the charity does not have a significant event reserves policy, it believes the current level is necessary to cover potential major repairs or prolonged closure.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Donations and legacies (46% of income)

“Donations and legacies 24,111”

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.

Conflicting interests
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
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 31/03/2025

Volunteers: 102

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

Volunteers: 100
Government income: £43,744 — grants £43,744 (1); 47% of the £93,339 total gross income on the same return
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

Volunteers: 52
Government income: £13,538 — grants £13,538 (2); 59% of the £22,876 total gross income on the same return

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

Funders the charity credits

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

National Lottery Heritage Fund — “We are grateful to National Lottery Heritage Fund and Veolia Environmental Trust for their generous funding for the restoration of the windm…” (source page)
Veolia Environmental Trust — “We are grateful to National Lottery Heritage Fund and Veolia Environmental Trust for their generous funding for the restoration of the windm…” (source page)

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

Register events

Received assets from another charity (20/06/2016) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (06/04/2016) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Clive Constable
Justin Christopher Coombs
Keith Wilkinson
Marion Sach
Paul Leonard Sainsbury
Warren Alan George Lyons

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

Operates in: Havering

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£52k	£40k
31/03/2024	£93k	£60k
31/03/2023	£23k	£39k
31/03/2022	£24k	£25k
31/03/2021	£21k	£33k

Common questions

Is FRIENDS OF UPMINSTER WINDMILL financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity held total reserves of £591,438 at the end of the 2024/25 financial year, resulting in a surplus of £12,008 against a budgeted surplus of £6,000. The trustees confirm the charity had no liabilities, guarantees, or outstanding debts at the year-end. While the charity does not have a significant event reserves policy, it believes the current level is necessary to cover potential major repairs or prolonged closure. 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
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	24/05/2006	£5k	"The Group Plans To Restore Upminster Windmill To Working Condition And Develop It As An Educational Asset. The Award Will Fund A Crafts Fai"
The National Lottery Community Fund	17/05/2006	£5k	Country crafts fair

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 SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANCIENT BUILDINGS	1	£4k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with FRIENDS OF WINDMILL GARDENS.

FRIENDS OF WINDMILL GARDENS income £123k
NORTH LEVERTON WINDMILL TRUST income £17k
NEW WINDMILL HALL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION income £133k
FULBOURN WINDMILL CIO income £197k
WILLESBOROUGH WINDMILL TRUST LIMITED income £31k
HECKINGTON WINDMILL TRUST income £222k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
FRIENDS OF UPMINSTER WINDMILL	£52k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
FRIENDS OF WINDMILL GARDENS FY2026	£123k	—	—	above	—	no doubt
NORTH LEVERTON WINDMILL TRUST FY2024	£17k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
NEW WINDMILL HALL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION FY2025	£133k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
FULBOURN WINDMILL CIO FY2026	£197k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
WILLESBOROUGH WINDMILL TRUST LIMITED FY2025	£31k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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