The Powell-Cotton Trust
Registered charity 1167318 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as QUEX PARK, THE POWELL-COTTON MUSEUM
THE PROVISION AND MAINTENANCE OF A MUSEUM IN OR NEAR BIRCHINGTON FOR THE EXHIBITION TO THE PUBLIC OF SPECIMENS OF NATURAL HISTORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY (PARTICULARLY SUCH SPECIMENS COLLECTED BY PERCY HORACE GORDON POWELL-COTTON) AND, IF THE GOVERNORS THINK FIT, OF SPECIMENS OF OTHER SCIENCES AND OF THE FINE AND USEFUL ARTS.
Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · Recreation · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £20,708,003 for the year ended 31 March 2025, primarily due to receiving a legacy representing a fifty percent share in the Powell-Cotton Settled Estate. Unrestricted funds increased substantially to £27,000,285, providing reserves well above the stated policy target of three to six months' unrestricted expenditure. The trustees confirm that sufficient funds are available to meet future obligations and there are no material uncertainties affecting the going concern assumption.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: three to six months' unrestricted expenditure (held: £27.0m)
“It is the policy of the Charity to maintain unrestricted liquid funds at a level that approximates three to six months' unrestricted expenditure.” — page 12
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: The charity owns 47.08% of the issued share capital in The Quex Park Estates Company Limited. The charity exercises no significant control over the operations of this company and the accounts have not therefore been consolidated. The Quex Park Estates Company Limited is incorporated in the United Kingdom and its principal activity is farming and estate management.
“The charity owns 47.08% of the issued share capital in The Quex Park Estates Company Limited. The charity exercises no significant control over the operations of this company and the accounts have not therefore been consolidated. The Quex Park Estates Company Limited is incorporated in the United Kingdom and its principal activity is farming and estate management.” — page 35
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: The Quex Park Estates Company Limited
“The charity owns 47.08% of the issued share capital in The Quex Park Estates Company Limited.” — page 35
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Moore Kingstone Smith LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.
Property (HM Land Registry)
26 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (26 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)
Cost of raising funds
£43k
Reserves (reported)
£27.0m
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.2% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).
- Dr Ceri Zaria Ashleychair
- Donna Carr
- Dr Kaori Nagai
- Dr Zoe Troy Cormack
- Kirsty Paterson
- Patrick Donaldson Campbell
- Rachel Christina May
- Rodney Giddins · trustee of 1 other charity
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Kent
Income and spending
Common questions
Is The Powell-Cotton Trust financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £20,708,003 for the year ended 31 March 2025, primarily due to receiving a legacy representing a fifty percent share in the Powell-Cotton Settled Estate. Unrestricted funds increased substantially to £27,000,285, providing reserves well above the stated policy target of three to six months' unrestricted expenditure. The trustees confirm that sufficient funds are available to meet future obligations and there are no material uncertainties affecting the going concern assumption. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Moore Kingstone Smith LLP.
Who funds The Powell-Cotton Trust?
Funders whose own accounts filings name The Powell-Cotton Trust as a grant recipient include ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT MUSEUMS.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE HORNIMAN PUBLIC MUSEUM AND PUBLIC PARK TRUST.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.