THE HENLEY FESTIVAL TRUST

Registered charity 1174338 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE FRIENDS OF HENLEY FESTIVAL SOCIETY

The purpose of the charity is the advancement of the arts and the promotion and widening of public appreciation and interest in the arts in Henley-on-Thames and the surrounding area and other such places as the trustees may from time to time determine for the benefit of the public.

Objects

THE OBJECTS OF THE CIO ARE THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ARTS (WHICH FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS CLAUSE SHALL INCLUDE MUSICAL, VISUAL, LITERARY, DRAMATIC OR ANY OTHER ARTS) AND THE PROMOTION AND WIDENING OF PUBLIC APPRECIATION AND INTEREST IN THE ARTS IN HENLEY-ON-THAMES AND THE SURROUNDING AREA AND OTHER SUCH PLACES AS THE TRUSTEES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC.

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

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Wokingham, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£4.6m

Latest spending

£4.5m

Registered

2017

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity recorded a net income before taxation of £114,473, bringing total unrestricted reserves to £715,489. Per the trustees' report, this level of reserves is within the stated target range of £400,000 to £750,000. The trustees and auditors confirm that the charity has adequate resources to continue operating as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £100,001 - £110,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £70k)

“In the band £100,001 - £110,000” — page 28

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: £400,000 - £750,000 (reserves figure: £715k)

“have set a target to maintain unrestricted funds between £400,000 - £750,000.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Legal fees of £25,500 were paid to a legal firm for which one of the Trustees acts as a consultant, and sponsorship totalling £6,000 was received from that firm.

“During the year, legal fees of £25,500 (2024: £24,000) were paid to a legal firm for which one of the Trustees acts as a consultant, and sponsorship totalling £6,000 (2024: £6,000) was received from that firm.” — page 40

“During the year the charity received Patrons' fees and donations totalling £11,250 (2024: £10,500) from Trustees.” — page 40

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: The charity received Patrons' fees and donations totalling £11,250 from Trustees.

“During the year, legal fees of £25,500 (2024: £24,000) were paid to a legal firm for which one of the Trustees acts as a consultant, and sponsorship totalling £6,000 (2024: £6,000) was received from that firm.” — page 40

“During the year the charity received Patrons' fees and donations totalling £11,250 (2024: £10,500) from Trustees.” — page 40

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Henley Festival Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary (100% holding) carrying out commercial activities.

“During the year, legal fees of £25,500 (2024: £24,000) were paid to a legal firm for which one of the Trustees acts as a consultant, and sponsorship totalling £6,000 (2024: £6,000) was received from that firm.” — page 40

“During the year the charity received Patrons' fees and donations totalling £11,250 (2024: £10,500) from Trustees.” — page 40

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by FLB Audit LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Reserves position vs the charity's own policy moved from "above" (FY2024) to "within" (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

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.

Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Safeguarding policy and procedures

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 31/10/2025

Government income: £1,000 — grants £1,000 (1); under 1% of the £4,604,202 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£100,001–£110,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/10/2024

Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£90,001–£100,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/10/2023

Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£100,001–£110,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

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

Corporate structure

Trading subsidiary: HENLEY FESTIVAL LIMITED Companies House 02284295 · Financial health read from its filings

HENLEY FESTIVAL LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts

Profit before tax: £-7k
Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £100k
Loan write-off of £915,380 treated as capital contribution.

“The company made a charity donation of £100,000 (2024: £nil} to The Henley Festival Trust during the period.”

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/10/2025)

Total income

£4.6m

Total spending

£4.5m

Cost of raising funds

£443k

Reserves (reported)

£684k

Employees

8

Reported reserves equal ~1.8 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (80% 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: 9.6% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Susan Laingchair
Gary Hutchinson
Graham David Marchant
Lord HOWARD DARRYL LEIGH · trustee of 2 other charities
MALCOLM HEAD
Marija Rompani · trustee of 1 other charity
Mary Homer
Swagatam Mukerji · trustee of 1 other charity

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

Operates in: Bracknell Forest · Buckinghamshire · Oxfordshire · Reading · Slough · West Berkshire · Windsor And Maidenhead · Wokingham

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/10/2025	£4.6m	£4.5m
31/10/2024	£4.0m	£4.1m
31/10/2023	£4.1m	£3.9m
31/10/2022	£4.2m	£3.8m
31/10/2021	£3.0m	£2.8m

Common questions

Is THE HENLEY FESTIVAL TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity recorded a net income before taxation of £114,473, bringing total unrestricted reserves to £715,489. Per the trustees' report, this level of reserves is within the stated target range of £400,000 to £750,000. The trustees and auditors confirm that the charity has adequate resources to continue operating as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by FLB Audit LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE HENLEY FESTIVAL TRUST earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £100,001 - £110,000 band.

Who funds THE HENLEY FESTIVAL TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE HENLEY FESTIVAL TRUST as a grant recipient include THE ANNABEL ARBIB FOUNDATION, THE CHRISTOPHER LAING FOUNDATION, THE A S CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE ANNABEL ARBIB FOUNDATION	FY2021	£261k	Other
THE CHRISTOPHER LAING FOUNDATION	FY2025	£5k	Other
THE CHRISTOPHER LAING FOUNDATION	FY2023	£5k
THE CHRISTOPHER LAING FOUNDATION	FY2024	£5k
THE CHRISTOPHER LAING FOUNDATION	FY2022	£5k
THE A S CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£2k
THE ANNABEL ARBIB FOUNDATION	FY2022	£250	Other
THE A S CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	amount not stated

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 JOHN BROWNE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£130k
JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£86k
KUSUMA TRUST UK	1	£25k
THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUST	1	£10k
THE ARNOLD BURTON 1998 CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£2k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with HENLEY YOUTH FESTIVAL TRUST.

HENLEY YOUTH FESTIVAL TRUST income £35k
HARLOW ART TRUST income £490k
HASLEMERE FESTIVAL income £91k
CANTERBURY THEATRE AND FESTIVAL TRUST income £579k
THE FESTIVAL OF CHICHESTER income £32k
HAY FESTIVAL FOUNDATION LTD income £6.9m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE HENLEY FESTIVAL TRUST	£4.6m	£100,001 - £110,000	—	within	—	no doubt
HENLEY YOUTH FESTIVAL TRUST FY2025	£35k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
HARLOW ART TRUST FY2025	£490k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
HASLEMERE FESTIVAL FY2025	£91k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
CANTERBURY THEATRE AND FESTIVAL TRUST FY2026	£579k	—	—	above	—	no doubt
THE FESTIVAL OF CHICHESTER FY2025	£32k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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