THE PILGRIM TRUST

Registered charity 206602 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q7193955 · Wikipedia

The Pilgrim Trust makes grants to other charities and public bodies in the fields of preservation and scholarship and social welfare. It works within the priorities that are set by the Trustees and funds specific programmes that are outlined on its website.

Objects

SUCH CHARITABLE PURPOSES WITHIN GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AS THE TRUSTEES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

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

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

Registered contact address: Westminster, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£1.2m

Latest spending

£3.5m

Registered

1962

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total reserves increased to £94,706,447 at the end of the year, supported by net gains on investments of £8,535,886. The Trustees report that the endowment stood at £100,409,694, with a stated policy to maintain its value in real terms over the long term. The charity does not actively fundraise and relies on investment income to meet its distribution targets and operational costs.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £95,001 - £100,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £70k)

“One employee earned between £95,001 - £100,000 (2024: one between £90,001 - £95,000).” — page 42

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“One employee earned between £95,001 - £100,000” — page 42

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Year-over-year changes

Top pay band moved from £90,001 - £95,000 (FY2024) to £95,001 - £100,000 (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
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
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

Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£90,001–£100,000: 1)
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£90,001–£100,000: 1)
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)
Grant-making is its main activity

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

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Big Giver: Pilgrim Trust thirdsector.co.uk · 03/04/2012

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income

£1.2m

Total spending

£3.5m

Cost of raising funds

£15k

Reserves (reported)

£94.7m

Employees

Per its annual return, largest income source: Investments (96% 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: 1.2% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

ATULKUMAR BHOGILAL PATEL MBE · trustee of 3 other charities
Alice Flora La Trobe Weston · trustee of 1 other charity
CULLAGH WARNOCK · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr ANNA KEAY · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr Alexander John Sturgis · trustee of 3 other charities
Joan Winterkorn
Lord James Sassoon · trustee of 1 other charity
Marie Staunton · trustee of 1 other charity
Matthew William Ridley
Samira Ahmed · trustee of 1 other charity
Simone Spray
Tobias Alexander Anstruther

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£1.2m	£3.5m
31/12/2024	£1.3m	£3.2m
31/12/2023	£1.6m	£2.8m
31/12/2022	£1.9m	£3.6m
31/12/2021	£1.6m	£3.4m

Common questions

Is THE PILGRIM TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total reserves increased to £94,706,447 at the end of the year, supported by net gains on investments of £8,535,886. The Trustees report that the endowment stood at £100,409,694, with a stated policy to maintain its value in real terms over the long term. The charity does not actively fundraise and relies on investment income to meet its distribution targets and operational costs. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP.

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

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £95,001 - £100,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds THE PILGRIM TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE PILGRIM TRUST as a grant recipient include THE IDLEWILD TRUST, DR RADCLIFFE'S TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE IDLEWILD TRUST	FY2024	£20k	Collaborative project with Anna Plowden Trust, National Manuscripts Conservation Trust, Pilgrim Trust and Radcliffe Trust
DR RADCLIFFE'S TRUST	FY2025	£8k	Free Creative workshops in specialist arts and crafts, led by industry professionals to improve the careers of young artists

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 ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON FOR IMPROVING NATURAL KNOWLEDGE (COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE ROYAL SOCIETY)	1	£1.1m
THE CHRISTOPHER LAING FOUNDATION	1	£3k

Charities like this

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

THE PILLING TRUST FUND income £351k
THE CLERGY REST FUND income £27k
THE LEVERHULME TRUST income £124.5m
RAMBLERS HOLIDAYS CHARITABLE TRUST income £128k
PILGRIM SUPPORT income £125k
DR L H A PILKINGTON'S CHARITABLE TRUST income £27k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE PILGRIM TRUST	£1.2m	£95,001 - £100,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
THE PILLING TRUST FUND FY2025	£351k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE CLERGY REST FUND FY2025	£27k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE LEVERHULME TRUST FY2025	£124.5m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
RAMBLERS HOLIDAYS CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£128k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
PILGRIM SUPPORT FY2025	£125k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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