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

OPERA RARA

Registered charity 261403 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as OPERA RARA LIMITED

Opera Rara widens the operatic repertoire and develops artistic talent by restoring,recording, performing and promiting rare and forgotten works from the 19th and 20th centuries. We spend our charitable income on the execution of recording projects and on the production of concerts while nurturing the current and next generation of remarkable singers, as we have done since 1970.

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

Latest income
£996k
Latest spending
£1.2m
Registered
1970
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net outgoing resource of £168,155 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total funds from £721,643 to £553,488. Per the trustees' report, free unrestricted reserves of £500,000 were maintained, meeting the stated policy target of £500,000 equivalent to twelve months of core overhead costs. The trustees confirm the organization has adequate resources to continue as a going concern for the foreseeable future.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: £500,000 (held: £500k)
“A further goal is to maintain sufficient unrestricted funds at a minimum level of £500,000, equivalent to twelve months of core overhead costs. Free unrestricted funds (unrestricted funds excluding designated funds, stock and fixed assets) of £500,000 on 31 March 2025 is sufficient to meet this objective.” — page 8
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Income received from Trustees to the charity during the year amounted to £18,227 (2024: £19,780) including donations, fundraising income and ticket sales.
“Income received from Trustees to the charity during the year amounted to £18,227 (2024: £19,780) including donations, fundraising income and ticket sales.” — page 27
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£996k
Total spending
£1.2m
Cost of raising funds
£119k
Reserves (reported)
£500k
Employees
6

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

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (81% 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: 11.9% of total income — above the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Throughout London

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£996k£1.2m
31/03/2024£896k£852k
31/03/2023£710k£914k
31/03/2022£732k£546k
31/03/2021£930k£339k

Common questions

Is OPERA RARA financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net outgoing resource of £168,155 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total funds from £721,643 to £553,488. Per the trustees' report, free unrestricted reserves of £500,000 were maintained, meeting the stated policy target of £500,000 equivalent to twelve months of core overhead costs. The trustees confirm the organization has adequate resources to continue as a going concern for the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds OPERA RARA?

Funders whose own accounts filings name OPERA RARA as a grant recipient include THE PONTOON TRUST, COLWINSTON CHARITABLE TRUST, Laidlaw Opera Trust.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE PONTOON TRUSTFY2024£150k
THE PONTOON TRUSTFY2025£150k
THE PONTOON TRUSTFY2022£80k
COLWINSTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£45kA grant of £45,000, spread equally over three years, was offered to support the Donizetti Song Project.
Laidlaw Opera TrustFY2025£10kUnrestricted grant
THE PONTOON TRUSTFY2023£2kAdvancement of the arts, and in particular of classical music and opera

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
THE GOLSONCOTT FOUNDATION3£2k
THE ARNOLD BURTON 1998 CHARITABLE TRUST2£80k
THE ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION1£1.1m
OPERA NORTH FUTURE FUND1£816k
BACKSTAGE TRUST1£635k
THE LIZ AND TERRY BRAMALL FOUNDATION1£600k
The Keith Howard Foundation1£307k
PETTMAN (CLASSICAL MUSIC) FOUNDATION1£279k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with OPERA BRAVA LIMITED.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
OPERA RARA£996k——no_policy—no doubt
OPERA BRAVA LIMITED FY2024£155k—0unclear—no doubt
GARSINGTON OPERA LIMITED FY2025£9.9m——below—no doubt
OPERA PRELUDE FY2025£143k—0above—no doubt
THE MERRY OPERA COMPANY FY2025£178k—0unclear—no doubt
FRIENDS OF DIVA OPERA LIMITED FY2025£255k—0unclear—no doubt

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