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CHELTENHAM FESTIVALS

Registered charity 251765 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q2962241 · Wikipedia · also known as CHELTENHAM ARTS FESTIVALS LIMITED

Cheltenham Festivals runs four international festivals of jazz, science, music and literature. The programme is accompanied by a wide-reaching education and outreach programme. The festivals also specialise in developing young talented musicians, scientists and writers.

Objects

TO PROMOTE THE ARTS AND SCIENCES GENERALLY AND ADVANCE EDUCATION BY MEANS OF FESTIVALS OF THE ARTS, SCIENCES AND ENTERTAINMENTS IN THE BOROUGH OF CHELTENHAM AND ELSEWHERE IN SUCH MANNER, AT SUCH TIMES, IN SUCH PLACES AND SO OFTEN AS THE BOARD OF THE ASSOCIATION SHALL THINK FIT AND DO ALL SUCH THINGS AS ARE INCIDENTAL OR NECESSARY TO THE ATTAINMENT OF SUCH OBJECTS.

Area of benefit: CHELTENHAM AND ELSEWHERE

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: Cheltenham, South West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income
£7.5m
Latest spending
£7.2m
Registered
1967
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a surplus for the year, with total incoming resources increasing by 5% to £7,498,644 compared to the previous year. The trustees confirm that the organization is prepared on a going concern basis, citing accumulated unrestricted reserves of £408,363 and adequate cash flows. The charity aims to build its general reserves to a target level of approximately £550,000, representing three to four months of core operating costs.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three to four months of core operating costs, currently £550,000 (reserves figure: £408k)
“The Board has determined that the target level of general (free) reserves should represent approximately 3 to 4 months of core operating costs, currently £550,000” — page 15
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: CF Productions Limited
“CF Productions Limited, a subsidiary company 100% owned by Cheltenham Festivals, was dormant throughout 2025 and 2024.” — page 12
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Hazlewoods LLP. 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.

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 31/12/2025

  • Volunteers: 327
  • Government income: £272,316 — contracts £7,500 (1), grants £264,816 (3); 4% of the £7,498,641 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£80,001–£90,000: 2)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

  • Volunteers: 337
  • Government income: £308,272 — grants £308,272 (4); 4% of the £7,123,232 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£80,001–£90,000: 2)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

  • Volunteers: 316
  • Government income: £217,480 — grants £217,480 (1); 3% of the £6,790,701 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£70,001–£80,000: 1; £80,001–£90,000: 1)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

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

Annual return filing dates (Charity Commission record)

Of its last 5 annual returns with a recorded received date, 1 was received after the due date: year ending 31/12/2022 (received 07/12/2023, 37 days after the 31/10/2023 due date).

Due and received dates as recorded in the Commission’s annual-return data; the data does not say whether an extension was agreed. 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).

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Cheltenham Festivals (matched by registered charity number).

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

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

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

Total income
£7.5m
Total spending
£7.2m
Cost of raising funds
£614k
Reserves (reported)
£318k
Employees
47

Reported reserves equal ~0.5 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 (54% 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: 8.2% of total income — above 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: Gloucestershire

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2025£7.5m£7.2m
31/12/2024£7.1m£7.0m
31/12/2023£6.8m£7.2m
31/12/2022£7.0m£6.9m
31/12/2021£4.2m£4.8m

Common questions

Is CHELTENHAM FESTIVALS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a surplus for the year, with total incoming resources increasing by 5% to £7,498,644 compared to the previous year. The trustees confirm that the organization is prepared on a going concern basis, citing accumulated unrestricted reserves of £408,363 and adequate cash flows. The charity aims to build its general reserves to a target level of approximately £550,000, representing three to four months of core operating costs. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Hazlewoods LLP.

Who funds CHELTENHAM FESTIVALS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name CHELTENHAM FESTIVALS as a grant recipient include THIRTY PERCY FOUNDATION, BARNWOOD TRUST, THE NOTGROVE TRUST, ROCKCLIFFE CHARITABLE TRUST, THE SEDBURY TRUST.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THIRTY PERCY FOUNDATIONFY2022£160kDiscretionary Fund
THIRTY PERCY FOUNDATIONFY2021£100kDiscretionary Fund
BARNWOOD TRUSTFY2024£100k
THE NOTGROVE TRUSTFY2022£60k
THIRTY PERCY FOUNDATIONFY2023£60k
ROCKCLIFFE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2021£26k
THE SEDBURY TRUSTFY2025£19k
THE NOTGROVE TRUSTFY2025£15k
COUNTY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONFY2023£9kChildren and young people
The Patricia Routledge FoundationFY2025£5k
THE IDLEWILD TRUSTFY2021£5k
PETER STORMONTH DARLING CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
THE IDLEWILD TRUSTFY2023£5k
PETER STORMONTH DARLING CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5k
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS FOUNDATIONFY2023£5kMusic Festivals
PETER STORMONTH DARLING CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£5kHeritage
PETER STORMONTH DARLING CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£5kCharitable donations
CHK FoundationFY2022£5kGrants to charitable institutions
THE JOHN S COHEN FOUNDATIONFY2021£5kEducation & Academic
The Patricia Routledge FoundationFY2021£3k
THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE ASSOCIATION FOR DISABILITYFY2024£3k
THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE ASSOCIATION FOR DISABILITYFY2025£3k
PETER STORMONTH DARLING CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2021£3k
THE DAIWA ANGLO-JAPANESE FOUNDATIONFY2023£2kSupport for the inclusion of an author from Japan in a Japan strand at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, also including manga workshops, a Japanese film scree
COUNTY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONFY2024£2kChildren and young people
The Patricia Routledge FoundationFY2024£2k
COUNTY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONFY2024£2kArts, Culture & Heritage
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS FOUNDATIONFY2024£2kPublic Performance
ROCKCLIFFE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1k
THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE ASSOCIATION FOR DISABILITYFY2022amount not statedOrganisation grant
THE REED FOUNDATIONFY2021amount not stated

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund04/03/2022£10kBSL interpreters & live-captioning at 2022 Cheltenham Sci & Lit Festivals
The National Lottery Community Fund01/09/2016£10kCelebrating Cheltenham's Culture
The National Lottery Community Fund26/08/2015£10kA Way with Words
Cheltenham Borough Council—£3kA Way with Words
UK government—£10kAstroMakers: Exploring astronomy through making

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
MUSICIANS BENEVOLENT FUND1£19k
BARNSBURY CHARITABLE TRUST1£6k
GERALD FINZI TRUST1£3k
DORIS FIELD CHARITABLE TRUST1£2k
EARL OF CHESTER'S FUND1£2k
THE EDWARD AND DOROTHY CADBURY TRUST1£1k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL OF PERFORMING ARTS.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
CHELTENHAM FESTIVALS£7.5m——unclear—no doubt
THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL OF PERFORMING ARTS FY2025£67k—0above—no doubt
THE FESTIVAL OF CHICHESTER FY2025£32k——unclear—no doubt
CHESTER FOLK FESTIVAL FY2025£59k—0unclear—no doubt
CHELTENHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FY2025£44k—0unclear—no doubt
STOCKTON HEATH FESTIVAL TRUST FY2025£39k—0below—no doubt

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