THE TOLKIEN SOCIETY

Registered charity 1211591 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Objects

THE OBJECT OF THE CIO, TO BE CARRIED OUT FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT IN SUCH PARTS OF THE WORLD AS THE TRUSTEES SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE, IS:3.1.1 TO ADVANCE EDUCATION, AND PROMOTE RESEARCH, THE USEFUL RESULTS OF WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED, INTO THE LIFE AND WORKS OF PROFESSOR JOHN RONALD REUEL TOLKIEN CBE, IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY:3.1.1.1 AFFORDING A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION OF IDEAS BETWEEN SCHOLARS AND OTHERS WHO HAVE A COMMON INTEREST IN THE LIFE AND WORKS OF PROFESSOR J.R.R. TOLKIEN;3.1.1.2 AT SUITABLE TIMES, SPONSORING AND SUPPORTING SPECIAL PROJECTS RELATING TO THE LIFE AND WORKS OF J.R.R. TOLKIEN;3.1.1.3 PUBLISHING A JOURNAL AT REGULAR INTERVALS PROMOTING THESE OBJECTS;3.1.1.4 ESTABLISHING A MEMORIAL CENTRE DEVOTED TO STUDY, LECTURES AND EXHIBITIONS RELATING TO THE LIFE AND WORKS OF PROFESSOR J.R.R. TOLKIEN, PREFERABLY IN A LOCATION ASSOCIATED WITH HIM (SUCH A CENTRE MAY BE EITHER A NEW VENTURE OR AN EXTENSION OF EXISTING FACILITIES); AND 3.1.1.5 MAINTAINING AND EXPANDING AN ARCHIVE OF TOLKIEN-RELATED MATERIAL FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES.

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

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

Registered contact address: Newcastle upon Tyne, North East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£421k

Latest spending

£323k

Registered

2025

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated a net income of £86,318 for the year ended 31 December 2025, resulting in total unrestricted reserves of £525,158. This figure significantly exceeds the trustees' stated policy target of six months' operating costs, which amounted to £107,000. The trustees confirmed that the charity is a going concern with ample unrestricted funds and healthy cash balances.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: six months’ worth of operating costs in reserve (reserves figure: £525k)

“The trustees have agreed that the charity should aim to hold six months’ worth of operating costs in reserve.” — page 5

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses 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 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 150

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Dr Hannah McDonaldchair
Adam Stephen Daniel Pollard
Alison Esther Mable
Daniel Patrick Helen
Erik Edmond Andersson
Jeremy Edmonds
NEIL SHEPPARD ANDERSON
Niamh-Elizabeth Riordain

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

Operates in: Scotland · Throughout England And Wales · United States

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£421k	£323k

Common questions

Is THE TOLKIEN SOCIETY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a net income of £86,318 for the year ended 31 December 2025, resulting in total unrestricted reserves of £525,158. This figure significantly exceeds the trustees' stated policy target of six months' operating costs, which amounted to £107,000. The trustees confirmed that the charity is a going concern with ample unrestricted funds and healthy cash balances. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

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
SIR JOSEPH WILLIAMSON'S CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£183k
RICHARD WATTS AND THE CITY OF ROCHESTER ALMSHOUSE CHARITIES	1	£200

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE TOLKIEN TRUST.

THE TOLKIEN TRUST income £8.1m
TOLLGATE EVANGELICAL CHURCH income £237k
BNJC income £4.1m
THE I S A CHARITY income £52k
GAMLEARN income £310k
SIR JOSEPH WILLIAMSON'S CHARITABLE TRUST income £187k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE TOLKIEN SOCIETY	£421k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE TOLKIEN TRUST FY2025	£8.1m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
TOLLGATE EVANGELICAL CHURCH FY2025	£237k	—	—	above	—	no doubt
BNJC FY2025	£4.1m	£100,000-£140,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
THE I S A CHARITY FY2026	£52k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
GAMLEARN FY2024	£310k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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