THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN
Registered charity 227938 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as The Ri, The Royal Institution of Science
The Ri's mission is to harness science for the maximum benefit of society. The Ri's objects, as defined by the Royal Charter of 1800, are to diffuse knowledge, facilitate the general introduction of useful mechanical inventions and improvements and for teaching by courses of philosophical lectures and experiments, the application of science to the common purposes of life.
Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £3.25m for the year, consolidating a positive financial position. However, the charity reports an unrestricted deficit of £1.25m, which the trustees aim to eliminate through future surpluses, targeting a reserves range of £2.1m to £3.3m. The going concern assessment notes uncertainties regarding visitor behavior and potential building closure risks, though the trustees remain confident in continued income growth.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £-1.3m; policy: £2.1m to £3.3m)
“The Ri has a deficit on free reserves (general unrestricted funds excluding designated reserves) of £1.26m for the Charity and £1.25m for the Group” — page 23
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor
“The Trustees recognise that, in common with many other organisations, there are a number of uncertainties which have an impact on visitors’ and clients’ behaviour and hence the Ri’s financial position, in particular, the impact of the cost of living inflation and risks related to a possible forced closure of the building in the future.” — page 33
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: UCL, a tenant and related party (Chair is Professor at UCL), paid rent.
“Rental income from UCL was £246k in the year”
“One Trustee and their related parties made donations to the Ri totalling £30k”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee donations.
“Rental income from UCL was £246k in the year”
“One Trustee and their related parties made donations to the Ri totalling £30k”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Governance: One incident reported in line with Charity Commission guidance for potential or attempted fraud.
“We reported one incident in line with Charity Commission guidance during the year. Although non-serious it met the lower threshold set by the Commission for reporting potential or attempted fraud.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: RiGB Limited
“The Ri is the sole shareholder of the trading subsidiary RiGB Limited, company registration number 04065626.” — page 18
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by RSM UK Audit LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Royal Institution (matched by registered charity number).
Property (HM Land Registry)
2 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 30/09/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£873k
Reserves (reported)
£24.5m
Reported reserves equal ~42.3 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 8.9% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
- Prof Sir Charles Richard Arthur Catlowchair
- Alexandra Attelsey
- Baroness Estelle Morris · trustee of 2 other charities
- Christopher William Potter
- Dr Frank Maria Jozef De Jonghe
- GEOFFREY AUSTIN
- Harriet Wallace
- Kathryn Mary Hamilton
- OluFemi Olugbenga Oresanya · trustee of 2 other charities
- Professor Alison Woollard · trustee of 2 other charities
- Stephen Nuttall
- Vincent Wooter Nobel
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Throughout England And Wales
Income and spending
Common questions
Is THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £3.25m for the year, consolidating a positive financial position. However, the charity reports an unrestricted deficit of £1.25m, which the trustees aim to eliminate through future surpluses, targeting a reserves range of £2.1m to £3.3m. The going concern assessment notes uncertainties regarding visitor behavior and potential building closure risks, though the trustees remain confident in continued income growth. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by RSM UK Audit LLP.
Who funds THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN as a grant recipient include KUSUMA TRUST UK, THE ROSE FOUNDATION.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ROYAL INSTITUTION OF NAVAL ARCHITECTS.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.