TRUST PROPERTY ADMINISTERED IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMPANY OF THE MERCHANT ADVENTURERS OF THE CITY OF YORK

Registered charity 235256 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE 1944 TRUST, THE YORK MERCHANT ADVENTURERS' 1944 TRUST

Maintenance, repair and upkeep of The Merchant Adventurers' Hall, Chapel and premises.Payment of pensions to persons who have been engaged in trade in the area of benefit, and the dependants of such persons, who are in need because of age, illness or other infirmity, or the relief of financial hardship among persons resident in the area of benefit by such means as the trustees think fit.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Environment/conservation/heritage · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£847k

Latest spending

£825k

Registered

1965

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that free/unrestricted reserves stood at £1,052,621, which the trustees consider fit to meet at least six months' routine expenditure. The charity reported a net income of £59,043 for the year, supported by strong visitor numbers and rental streams, with no material uncertainties affecting its going concern status.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £70,000 - £80,000 — above the median for charities its size (£60k)

“The number of employees whose annual remuneration was £60,000 or more were: £70,000 - £80,000 1” — page 20

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“The number of employees whose annual remuneration was £60,000 or more were: £70,000 - £80,000 1” — page 20

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Administration and wages charges from connected trust

“During the year an administration charge of £3,000 (2024: £2,000) and a wages charge of £24,556 (2024:£23,249) was received from the 1988 Charitable Trust. The 1988 Charitable Trust is also under control of The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York. At the year end £5,679 (2024: £5,318) was due from the 1988 Charitable Trust.” — page 27

“During the year the Charitable Trust received no donations (2024: £60,000) from The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Donations from controlling Company

“During the year an administration charge of £3,000 (2024: £2,000) and a wages charge of £24,556 (2024:£23,249) was received from the 1988 Charitable Trust. The 1988 Charitable Trust is also under control of The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York. At the year end £5,679 (2024: £5,318) was due from the 1988 Charitable Trust.” — page 27

“During the year the Charitable Trust received no donations (2024: £60,000) from The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Hall hire by members

“During the year an administration charge of £3,000 (2024: £2,000) and a wages charge of £24,556 (2024:£23,249) was received from the 1988 Charitable Trust. The 1988 Charitable Trust is also under control of The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York. At the year end £5,679 (2024: £5,318) was due from the 1988 Charitable Trust.” — page 27

“During the year the Charitable Trust received no donations (2024: £60,000) from The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Pension scheme deficit: £632

“There was £632 due at the year end (2024: £2,325).” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

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

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

Total income

£847k

Total spending

£825k

Cost of raising funds

£194k

Reserves (reported)

£909k

Employees

20

Reported reserves equal ~13.2 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (48% 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: 22.9% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

COMPANY OF MERCHANT ADVENTURERS OF THE CITY OF YORK

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

Operates in: City Of York

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£847k	£825k
31/12/2024	£860k	£798k
31/12/2023	£769k	£757k
31/12/2022	£754k	£698k
31/12/2021	£708k	£524k

Common questions

Is TRUST PROPERTY ADMINISTERED IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMPANY OF THE MERCHANT ADVENTURERS OF THE CITY OF YORK financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that free/unrestricted reserves stood at £1,052,621, which the trustees consider fit to meet at least six months' routine expenditure. The charity reported a net income of £59,043 for the year, supported by strong visitor numbers and rental streams, with no material uncertainties affecting its going concern status. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

What does the highest-paid employee of TRUST PROPERTY ADMINISTERED IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMPANY OF THE MERCHANT ADVENTURERS OF THE CITY OF YORK earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £70,000 - £80,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	20/04/2006	£38k	"Meet the Merchants! York"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	28/11/2002	£257k	"Enhanced Visitor Access to Merchant Adventurers' Hall, York"

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 SIR TOM COWIE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£30k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE MERCHANT VENTURERS CHARITY.

THE MERCHANT VENTURERS CHARITY income £447k
AGED MERCHANT SEAMEN'S HOMES income £185k
THE MASTER PILOTS AND SEAMEN OF THE CORPORATION OF THE TRINITY HOUSE, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE income £189k
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY COMMERCIAL EDUCATION TRUST income £246k
JAMES ALFRED AND EMMA CLARA HALL FUND income £151k
HULL TRINITY HOUSE CHARITY income £4.2m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
TRUST PROPERTY ADMINISTERED IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMPANY OF THE MERCHANT ADVENTURERS OF THE CITY OF YORK	£847k	£70,000 - £80,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
THE MERCHANT VENTURERS CHARITY FY2024	£447k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
AGED MERCHANT SEAMEN'S HOMES FY2024	£185k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE MASTER PILOTS AND SEAMEN OF THE CORPORATION OF THE TRINITY HOUSE, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE FY2024	£189k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY COMMERCIAL EDUCATION TRUST FY2025	£246k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
JAMES ALFRED AND EMMA CLARA HALL FUND FY2025	£151k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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