EXETER CITY OF LITERATURE

Registered charity 1196686 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as EXETER UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE

ExCoL was established to steward the UNESCO Creative City designation granted to Exeter in 2019 and to improve cultural & creative programming throughout Exeter & Devon. We believe in the power of literature to enable us to better know ourselves and others, and to imagine new possibilities for this world.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£184k

Latest spending

£206k

Registered

2021

Accounts read

FY2026

Financial health, per its FY2026 accounts

The accounts state that the charity operated at a net expenditure of £21,962 for the year, reducing its total funds from £147,278 to £125,316. Unrestricted reserves stood at £115,095, which the trustees report is equivalent to approximately three months' operating costs plus additional contingency. The trustees confirm there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

Automated summary of the FY2026 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Grants (89% of income)

“Grants 157,415 6,875 164,290” — page 15

Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: three months' operating costs (held: £115k)

“The charity will hold reserves for the following purposes: * To allow the Trustees to prepare for an unexpected drop in income or other change of circumstances in a volatile environment. This will be a sum not less than three months’ operating costs”

Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Arts Council England — “After becoming a charity and independent organisation in late 2021, Arts Council England have awarded Exeter UNESCO City of Literature Natio…” (source page)
Great Western Railway’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund — “The artwork, created by local artists Billy Ruffian (an artist alias of Isabel Keen) and Jack Ratcliff , honours Devon’s rich literary histo…” (source page)

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Sharifa Milford Al Hashemychair
DEE ROWETT
Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
Frances Farley
Hannah Victoria Miller
May Argyle
Rob Bosworth
Thomas Staniford

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

Operates in: Devon

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2026	£184k	£206k
31/03/2025	£183k	£177k
31/03/2024	£256k	£174k
31/03/2023	£136k	£72k

Common questions

Is EXETER CITY OF LITERATURE financially healthy?

Per its FY2026 accounts: The accounts state that the charity operated at a net expenditure of £21,962 for the year, reducing its total funds from £147,278 to £125,316. Unrestricted reserves stood at £115,095, which the trustees report is equivalent to approximately three months' operating costs plus additional contingency. The trustees confirm there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2026 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds EXETER CITY OF LITERATURE?

Funders whose own accounts filings name EXETER CITY OF LITERATURE as a grant recipient include THE HILDEN CHARITABLE FUND.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE HILDEN CHARITABLE FUND	FY2025	£14k

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	13/10/2022	£150k	National Portfolio Organisations
UK government	13/10/2022	£150k	National Portfolio Organisations