CHILTERN OPEN AIR MUSEUM LIMITED
Registered charity 272381 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register
Museum which rescues historic buildings under threat in Chilterns Area and re-erects them within a 45 acre traditional landscape with interpretation for visitors. The buildings range from domestic, agricultural to rural industrial dating from 15c to post WW2. Activities include historical re-enactments, rural craft demos, traditional farming practices with livestock. Lifelong learning is provided.
Causes: Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the group reported an overall deficit of £186,175 for the year ended 31 January 2025, a reduction from the prior year's deficit of £223,312. The trustees note that the top risk is the possibility of being unable to reduce the deficit to sustainable levels due to increases in the cost base outpacing income growth. Despite the operating loss, the group maintains unrestricted reserves of £227,678, which the trustees consider adequate against their stated policy target of £125,000 to £150,000.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: between £125,000 and £150,000 (held: £228k)
“The trustees believe that an adequate level of free reserves is between £125,000 and £150,000.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Chiltern Open Air Museum Enterprises Limited
“The wholly owned trading subsidiary, Chiltern Open Air Museum Enterprises Limited, which is incorporated in England and Wales, pays a proportion of its profits to the charity by gift aid.” — page 26
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Azets Audit Services. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.
Property (HM Land Registry)
2 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 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 31/01/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£138k
Reported reserves equal ~2.4 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 (71% 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: 14.5% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.9%) (benchmarks).
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Buckinghamshire
Income and spending
Common questions
Is CHILTERN OPEN AIR MUSEUM LIMITED financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the group reported an overall deficit of £186,175 for the year ended 31 January 2025, a reduction from the prior year's deficit of £223,312. The trustees note that the top risk is the possibility of being unable to reduce the deficit to sustainable levels due to increases in the cost base outpacing income growth. Despite the operating loss, the group maintains unrestricted reserves of £227,678, which the trustees consider adequate against their stated policy target of £125,000 to £150,000. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Azets Audit Services.
Who funds CHILTERN OPEN AIR MUSEUM LIMITED?
Funders whose own accounts filings name CHILTERN OPEN AIR MUSEUM LIMITED as a grant recipient include THE SHERLING CHARITABLE TRUST, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, THE CARRINGTON CHARITABLE TRUST, ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT MUSEUMS.
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
Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with WEALD AND DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM LIMITED.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.