HEART OF THE CITY PARTNERSHIP

Registered charity 1165434 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Preserve and protect Newcastle Castle. Advance culture and heritage by encouraging the local community and visitors to appreciate and enjoy the history and fabric of Newcastle Castle and buildings around the area of Old Newcastle. Advance education and learning in relation to Newcastle Castle, St Nicholas Cathedral and the area surrounding the two buildings.

Objects

4.1 THE ONLY OBJECTS FOR WHICH THE CHARITY IS ESTABLISHED ARE FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT TO: 4.1.1 THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION AND PROMOTION OF LEARNING, IN PARTICULAR IN RELATION TO THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF THE AREA AROUND ST NICHOLAS’ CATHEDRAL IN PARTICULAR NEWCASTLE CASTLE IN NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE (“THE CITY”); 4.1.2 THE ADVANCEMENT OF CULTURE AND HERITAGE BY THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND VISITORS TO THE CITY TO APPRECIATE AND ENJOY THE HISTORY AND FABRIC OF THE SAID BUILDINGS 4.1.3 THE PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF NEWCASTLE CASTLE BEING OF HISTORICAL INTEREST AND PUBLIC IMPORTANCE AND PARTICULARLY THE GRADE I LISTED BUILDINGS AND SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENTS KNOWN AS THE BLACK GATE AND CASTLE KEEP. (“THE OBJECTS”).

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

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated a small surplus of £27,309 for the year ended 31 December 2024, with unrestricted reserves standing at £255,079. The trustees maintain a reserves policy of holding six months of running costs, and the current free reserves of £253,638 are significantly above this target. The independent auditor confirmed that the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Accounts audited by Robson Laidler Accountants Limited. Discloses 5 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
• Conflicting interests
• Financial reserves policy and procedures
• 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
• Social media policy and procedures
• Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
• Trustee expenses policy and procedures
• Volunteer management

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Newcastle Castle (matched by registered charity number).

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)

Reported reserves equal ~5.7 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (66% 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: 9.9% of total income — above the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

• Gavin MacFarlane Blackchair · trustee of 6 other charities
• Adam James Serfontein
• Catherine Winfield · trustee of 3 other charities
• DR RICHARD MALCOLM PEARS
• Elizabeth Hannah MacRobert
• Ian Martin Ayris
• JOHN GRUNDY
• Katie Coralee Mountain · trustee of 1 other charity
• Pauline Allen
• Rev Lee Paul Batson · trustee of 2 other charities

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

Operates in: Newcastle Upon Tyne City

Income and spending

Common questions

Government & lottery funding

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