AVONCROFT MUSEUM OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS
Registered charity 241644 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as AVONCROFT MUSEUM OF BUILDINGS LIMITED
Avoncroft is a museum of historic buildings rescued from imminent destruction and carefully rebuilt on an open-air site near Bromsgrove in the north of Worcestershire. Our principal aim isTo inspire enthusiasm for and understanding of the history of building as illustrated at Avoncroft, and the relationship of people with the buildings they constructed and in which they lived and worked.
Causes: Education/training · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity achieved a group surplus of £28,450 for the year ended 31 December 2025, reversing a deficit from the previous year. The trustees report that free reserves have dipped below the stated policy target of six months' costs due to planned investment but are being steadily rebuilt.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: six months (held: £826k)
“The Museum’s reserves policy is to hold sufficient reserves to cover salaries and costs for six months.” — page 7
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Net recharge from subsidiary
“During the year, the Charity recharged amounts to and from a wholly-owned subsidiary undertaking, amounting to a net total of £2,356 (2024: £4,472) recharged from the subsidiary to the Charity. The amount outstanding at the year end from the related party was £915 (2024: £3,271). All of these transactions were made at arm's length. As the wholly-owned subsidiary undertaking made a taxable profit in the current year, taxable profits of £7,922 were transferred to the Charity in accordance with the Deed of Covenant.” — page 43
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.
Property (HM Land Registry)
4 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (2 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 31/12/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£166k
Reported reserves equal ~1.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (38% 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: 25.0% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.9%) (benchmarks).
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (02/03/2017) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- MARK ARMSTRONGchair
- Adele Wood
- Edward James Kenneth Tolcher
- Lucy Hockley · trustee of 1 other charity
- Michael Paul Smith
- sarah BEAUCHAMP
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Birmingham City · Coventry City · Dudley · Herefordshire · Shropshire · Solihull · Staffordshire · Warwickshire · Wolverhampton · Worcestershire
Income and spending
Common questions
Is AVONCROFT MUSEUM OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a group surplus of £28,450 for the year ended 31 December 2025, reversing a deficit from the previous year. The trustees report that free reserves have dipped below the stated policy target of six months' costs due to planned investment but are being steadily rebuilt. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.
Who funds AVONCROFT MUSEUM OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS?
Funders whose own accounts filings name AVONCROFT MUSEUM OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS as a grant recipient include DELVES CHARITABLE TRUST, THE ROGER & DOUGLAS TURNER CHARITABLE TRUST, THE GRIMMITT TRUST, THE FINNIS SCOTT FOUNDATION, DUMBRECK CHARITY.
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
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Side by side with its peers
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