THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES

Registered charity 231161 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

To promote and encourage the study of Iran, its history, civilisation and culture in all periods, including the archaeology of Iran

Objects

TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE THE STUDY OF IRAN, ITS HISTORY, CIVILIZATION AND CULTURE IN ALL PERIODS, INCLUDING THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF IRAN (FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE CLAUSE 3 OF MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION)

Area of benefit: UNITED KINGDOM AND COMMONWEALTH, IRAN

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

Causes: Education/training · Overseas Aid/famine Relief · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

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

Latest income

£301k

Latest spending

£289k

Registered

1964

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted funds decreased by £5,151 to £235,137, while total net assets increased to £282,895. The charity operates a defined benefit pension scheme but has no liability beyond the payment of contributions, and there were no employees with annual remuneration exceeding £60,000.

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

What the accounts disclose

Payments to trustees: An honorarium of £1,000 was paid to Cameron Petrie, one of the trustees, for editing the Iran Journal for the year.

“An honorarium of £1,000 was paid to Cameron Petrie, one of the trustees, for editing the Iran Journal for the year.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 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
Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
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 31/03/2025

Volunteers: 1
Government income: £253,658 — grants £253,658 (2); 84% of the £301,325 total gross income on the same return
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

Government income: £221,008 — grants £221,008 (2); 87% of the £254,892 total gross income on the same return
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

Government income: £196,750 — grants £196,750 (2); 88% of the £224,057 total gross income on the same return
Grant-making is its main activity

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

Funders the charity credits

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

British Academy — “The British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS) is a self-governing membership organisation and is one of the British International Research…” (source page)

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

Trustees · trustee networks

DAVID HUGH GYE · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr Cameron Andrew Petrie
Dr Evaleila Pesaran · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr Mariano Errichiello
Dr Saeedreza Talajooy
Dr Sarah Rosemary Anne Stewart PhD
Dr Shabnam Holliday Dr
Dr Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis PhD
Hossein Hamedani
Prof Ladan Akbarnia
Prof Robert Martin Gleave
Professor Ali Massoud Ansari · trustee of 2 other charities

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

Operates in: Iran · Throughout London

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£301k	£289k
31/03/2024	£255k	£278k
31/03/2023	£224k	£237k
31/03/2022	£184k	£168k
31/03/2021	£155k	£157k

Common questions

Is THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted funds decreased by £5,151 to £235,137, while total net assets increased to £282,895. The charity operates a defined benefit pension scheme but has no liability beyond the payment of contributions, and there were no employees with annual remuneration exceeding £60,000. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES as a grant recipient include THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES	FY2023	£226k	British International Research Institutes

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BRITISH SOCIETY FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES.

BRITISH SOCIETY FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES income £156k
IRAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION income £169k
ISLAMIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF GREAT BRITAIN income £193k
The British Omani Society income £394k
THE IDRIES SHAH FOUNDATION income £71k
THE SHI'AH INSTITUTE income £30k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES	£301k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
BRITISH SOCIETY FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES FY2025	£156k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
IRAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION FY2025	£169k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ISLAMIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF GREAT BRITAIN FY2025	£193k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
The British Omani Society FY2024	£394k	£48,897	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE IDRIES SHAH FOUNDATION FY2025	£71k	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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