WORTHING THEATRES & MUSEUM
Worthing Theatres and Museum promotes arts and heritage, cultural events, the advancement of education and social inclusion in Worthing . The four venues we run are the Connaught Theatre and Studio, Pavilion Theatre, Assembly Hall and Worthing Museum and Art Gallery.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity finished the year with a small operating surplus of £8,790 and holds £2.0 million in cash, though unrestricted free reserves are low at £135,000. The trustees note that costs have escalated and local authority funding is under pressure, but they maintain a going concern basis with adequate resources for the foreseeable future.
What the accounts disclose
“One employee received remuneration in the band £80,000 - £89,999 during the year” — page 50
“Combining these with our accumulated free reserves of £135k leads to a total of £432k, which is a significant amount towards our uncommitted reserves target of £750k” — page 23
“A trustee of the Charity, Mike Pailthorpe, hired rooms from the charity during the year. The total amounts paid to the Trading Subsidiary were £3,847 + VAT” — page 60
“Commercial activities that do not directly further the charitable objectives are carried out by our Trading Subsidiary Company (Worthing Theatres & Museum (Trading) Limited, company number: 12296105)” — page 29
Property (HM Land Registry)
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Trustees
- James Peter Turnbullchair
- ANDREAS SPARSIS
- Cepta Kelly
- David Christopher Stewart Clark
- Helen Persson Swain
- Jane Sylvia Lodge
- Louise Burgess
- Lydia Cassidy
- Michael Desmond Pailthorpe
- Michelle Kirk
- Rebecca Louise Wakeford
- Samuel Alexander Fisher
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2025 | £5.8m | £5.8m |
| 31/03/2024 | £5.1m | £5.1m |
| 31/03/2023 | £4.7m | £4.9m |
| 31/03/2022 | £4.3m | £4.0m |
| 31/03/2021 | £2.8m | £2.4m |
Common questions
Is WORTHING THEATRES & MUSEUM financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity finished the year with a small operating surplus of £8,790 and holds £2.0 million in cash, though unrestricted free reserves are low at £135,000. The trustees note that costs have escalated and local authority funding is under pressure, but they maintain a going concern basis with adequate resources for the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by HaysMac LLP.
What does the highest-paid employee of WORTHING THEATRES & MUSEUM earn?
Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £80,000 - £89,999 band.
Who funds WORTHING THEATRES & MUSEUM?
Funders whose own accounts filings name WORTHING THEATRES & MUSEUM as a grant recipient include THE LAWSON TRUST CIO, THE IDLEWILD TRUST.
Known funders
| Funder | Year | Amount | Purpose (as stated by the funder) |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE LAWSON TRUST CIO | FY2024 | £5k | Other grants |
| THE IDLEWILD TRUST | FY2023 | £5k | |
| THE LAWSON TRUST CIO | FY2025 | £5k |
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| The National Lottery Heritage Fund | 05/03/2025 | £34k | "Threads of Change: Towards a Sustainable Future" |
| UK government | 22/10/2021 | £98k | Culture Recovery Fund: Continuity Support |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| BACKSTAGE TRUST | 1 | £300k |
| THE MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION | 1 | £171k |
| THE FOYLE FOUNDATION | 1 | £100k |
| THE BRANSFORD TRUST | 1 | £43k |
| THE ANGLO-AMERICAN CHARITY LIMITED | 1 | £27k |
| THE G D CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £25k |
| THE THEATRES TRUST CHARITABLE FUND | 1 | £20k |
| THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £15k |
Charities like this
- CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE
- WORCESTER THEATRES CHARITABLE TRUST LTD
- ADUR AND WORTHING TRUST LIMITED
- WORTHING SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
- CULTURE WARRINGTON
- PEARSONS AND ST ELIZABETHS COTTAGE HOMES
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WORTHING THEATRES & MUSEUM | £5.8m | £80,000 - £89,999 | — | below | — | no doubt |
| CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE | £20.2m | — | — | unclear | 11.0% | no doubt |
| WORCESTER THEATRES CHARITABLE TRUST LTD | £2.6m | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| ADUR AND WORTHING TRUST LIMITED | £100k | — | 0 | above | — | noted |
| WORTHING SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | £176k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| CULTURE WARRINGTON | £4.5m | — | — | unclear | — | no doubt |