Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

WILTSHIRE CREATIVE

Registered charity 249169 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as SALISBURY PLAYHOUSE, THE SALISBURY ARTS THEATRE LIMITED

The objects of the Theatre, as set out in the Memorandum of Association are to promote, maintain, improve and advance education, particularly by the production of educational plays and the encouragement of the Arts, including the arts of drama, dance, singing and music

Objects

FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, TO PROMOTE AND ADVANCE EDUCATION INCLUDING BY THE PRODUCTION AND PRESENTATION OF AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE ARTS AND CULTURE, AND IN PARTICULAR THROUGH THE PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS AND A FESTIVAL.

Area of benefit: SALISBURY AND DISTRICT

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

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Wiltshire, South West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Received the assets of St Edmunds Art Trust Limited; Salisbury Festival Limited (as stated in the register file; not confirmed against the register) — merger registered 13/07/2019.
Source: Charity Commission register of merged charities (OGL v3.0).
Latest income
£7.1m
Latest spending
£6.8m
Registered
1966
Accounts read
FY2026

Financial health, per its FY2026 accounts

The accounts state that the charity achieved an operating surplus of £391,801 for the year, driven significantly by Theatre Tax Relief claims. Free reserves stood at £390,317 at year-end, which is below the Board-approved target of £600,000, though the trustees report the organisation is on a 'healthy and secure footing' with no material uncertainties regarding its ability to continue as a going concern.

Automated summary of the FY2026 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £70,001 - £80,000 — above the median for charities its size (£70k)
“In the band £70,001 - £80,000” — page 38
Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £390k; policy: three months of overheads which is calculated at £600,000)
“Free reserves as set out in note 17, in 2025/26 grew from £213,601 to £390,317.”
Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Donations from Trustees
“During the year, the Group received donations totalling £10,200 from six Trustees.” — page 47
Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Bishop Fleming Audit Limited. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Comparing this charity’s FY2025 and FY2026 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.

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 31/03/2026

  • Volunteers: 109
  • Government income: £1,572,502 — grants £1,572,502 (3); 22% of the £7,069,785 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£70,001–£80,000: 2)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025

  • Volunteers: 125
  • Government income: £1,542,163 — grants £1,542,163 (3); 28% of the £5,475,738 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£70,001–£80,000: 2)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

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

  • Volunteers: 120
  • Government income: £1,578,788 — grants £1,578,788 (6); 29% of the £5,354,741 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£70,001–£80,000: 1; £110,001–£120,000: 1)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

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).

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 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 31/03/2026)

Total income
£7.1m
Total spending
£6.8m
Cost of raising funds
£281k
Reserves (reported)
£390k
Employees
104

Reported reserves equal ~0.7 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (63% 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: 4.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Dorset · Hampshire · Wiltshire

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2026£7.1m£6.8m
31/03/2025£5.5m£5.5m
31/03/2024£5.4m£5.5m
31/03/2023£4.2m£4.9m
31/03/2022£3.2m£3.3m

Common questions

Is WILTSHIRE CREATIVE financially healthy?

Per its FY2026 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved an operating surplus of £391,801 for the year, driven significantly by Theatre Tax Relief claims. Free reserves stood at £390,317 at year-end, which is below the Board-approved target of £600,000, though the trustees report the organisation is on a 'healthy and secure footing' with no material uncertainties regarding its ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2026 accounts were audited by Bishop Fleming Audit Limited.

What does the highest-paid employee of WILTSHIRE CREATIVE earn?

Per its FY2026 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £70,001 - £80,000 band.

Who funds WILTSHIRE CREATIVE?

Funders whose own accounts filings name WILTSHIRE CREATIVE as a grant recipient include THE J P MARLAND CHARITABLE TRUST, THE GUNTER CHARITABLE TRUST, EARL OF CHICHESTER'S CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE COPPING JOYCE FOUNDATIONFY2025Unverified read£1.1mcapital appeals and charitable activities
THE J P MARLAND CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
THE GUNTER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1k
THE GUNTER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£1k
THE GUNTER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£1k
EARL OF CHICHESTER'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£500
THE J P MARLAND CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024amount not stated
EARL OF CHICHESTER'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022amount not stated
THE GUNTER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023amount not stated

Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Heritage Fund13/03/2019£10k"What did it do for her?"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund12/10/2012£10k"60s Stories"
The National Lottery Community Fund01/03/2006£4kSpectrum Project

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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
PETER STORMONTH DARLING CHARITABLE TRUST1£28k
THE BARBARA WARD CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION1£18k
THE ALAN EDWARD HIGGS CHARITY1£9k
LORD MAYOR OF MANCHESTER'S CHARITY APPEAL TRUST1£4k
SIR JULES THORN CHARITABLE TRUST1£3k
THE MICHAEL MARSH CHARITABLE TRUST1£250

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with WICKHAM THEATRE TRUST.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
WILTSHIRE CREATIVE£7.1m£70,001 - £80,000—below—no doubt
WICKHAM THEATRE TRUST FY2025£44k—0unclear—no doubt
THE CHIPSTEAD PLAYERS FY2025£134k—0unclear—no doubt
WOKINGHAM THEATRE FY2025£281k—0unclear—no doubt
HEBDEN BRIDGE LITTLE THEATRE LIMITED FY2025£60k—0unclear—no doubt
THEATRE WORKS FY2026£159k——above—no doubt

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