GAINSBOROUGH'S HOUSE SOCIETY

Registered charity 1170048 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as GAINSBOROUGH'S HOUSE, GHS

Gainsborough's House aim is to promote the wider knowledge, apprecaition and enjoyment of the art of Thomas Gainsborough within the context of the eighteenth century and the inspiration of the Suffolk landscape and to preserve and enhance Gainsborough's House and its collections for the benefit of present and future generations.

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

Latest income
£1.1m
Latest spending
£1.4m
Registered
2016
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a total incoming resource of £1,086,811 against total expenditure of £1,356,022, resulting in a net decrease in funds. The trustees confirmed the use of the going concern basis, citing adequate resources to continue operational existence for the foreseeable future.

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

What the accounts disclose

Accounts audited by Moore Green. Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Gainsborough's House Society (matched by registered charity number).

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

7 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (6 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£1.1m
Total spending
£1.4m
Cost of raising funds
£416k
Reserves (reported)
£737k
Employees
13

Reported reserves equal ~6.5 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (46% 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: 38.2% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Throughout England

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£1.1m£1.4m
31/03/2024£1.3m£1.4m
31/03/2023£2.0m£2.2m
31/03/2022£3.7m£3.3m
31/03/2021£3.1m£2.8m

Common questions

Is GAINSBOROUGH'S HOUSE SOCIETY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a total incoming resource of £1,086,811 against total expenditure of £1,356,022, resulting in a net decrease in funds. The trustees confirmed the use of the going concern basis, citing adequate resources to continue operational existence for the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Moore Green.

Who funds GAINSBOROUGH'S HOUSE SOCIETY?

Funders whose own accounts filings name GAINSBOROUGH'S HOUSE SOCIETY as a grant recipient include THE HEADLEY TRUST, THE BAND TRUST, THE LINBURY TRUST, THE PAUL MELLON CENTRE FOR STUDIES IN BRITISH ART, THE FINNIS SCOTT FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE HEADLEY TRUSTFY2025£105kTowards the post of Assistant Curator.
THE BAND TRUSTFY2022£100kSpecific grantee
THE LINBURY TRUSTFY2022£100kTowards the major redevelopment ‘Reviving an Artist’s Birthplace’.
THE LINBURY TRUSTFY2025£50kTowards an arts-led learning programme.
THE PAUL MELLON CENTRE FOR STUDIES IN BRITISH ARTFY2022£25kConservation Grant
THE FINNIS SCOTT FOUNDATIONFY2022£20k
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£14kAdvancement of education
THE WILLIE AND MABEL MORRIS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5k
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2021£5kAdvancement of education
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5kAdvancement of education
THE BILLMEIR CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£3k
THE BILLMEIR CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£2k
PAUL AND LOUISE COOKE ENDOWMENTFY2024£2k
THE GOLSONCOTT FOUNDATIONFY2024£2k
THE BILLMEIR CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£2kDonations
PAUL AND LOUISE COOKE ENDOWMENTFY2025£1k
THE FINNIS SCOTT FOUNDATIONFY2023£1k
THE GOLSONCOTT FOUNDATIONFY2025£1k
THE WILLIE AND MABEL MORRIS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£500
THE LECHE TRUSTFY2025£0Historic Objects and Collections

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Heritage Fund15/12/2023£245k"Gainsborough's House: Facing the Future"
UK government21/02/2022£176kCulture Recovery Fund: Emergency Resource Support
UK government23/07/2019£39kSaving the Joseph Mahoon Double-Manual Harpsichord for the Nation
The National Lottery Heritage Fund20/03/2017£550k"GainsboroughÂ’s Legacy: Securing GainsboroughÂ’s House and the heritage of Thomas Gainsborough for future generations"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund27/09/2016£6.0m"Reviving an ArtistÂ’s Birthplace: A National Centre for Gainsborough"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund22/12/2005£5k"Responding To Demand, Charity To Improve Its Ability To Make More Frequent, And Improved, Presentations And To Offer Inter-Active Exhibition"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund21/06/2004£417k"Gainsborough's House Renovation"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund24/07/2003£5k"House Organising A Learning Week (13th Sept) Designed To Introduce The Local Community To Learning Opportunities Available."
The National Lottery Heritage Fund03/07/1998£69k"Gainsborough, Descent from the Cross - Acquisition"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund02/09/1996£87k"Gainsborough's 'Study of the Artist's Daughters'"

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 GAINSBOROUGH TRUST.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
GAINSBOROUGH'S HOUSE SOCIETY£1.1m——unclear—no doubt
GAINSBOROUGH TRUST FY2025£108k—0unclear—no doubt
SHERBORNE HOUSE TRUST 2018 FY2025£5.6m£70,001 - £80,0001unclear—no doubt
SOMERSET HOUSE TRUST FY2025£25.3m——unclear—no doubt
THE GUST FY2025£128k—0unclear—no doubt
THE ASSEMBLY HOUSE TRUST FY2025£295k—0unclear—no doubt

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