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PHYLLIS RAMPTON NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY TRUST

Registered charity 292240 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The objectives shall be to preserve, exhibit, display and to loan for demonstration for the public benefit and for the advancement of technical, historical and general education, steam and other railway locomotives, rolling stock, equipment, machines and relics which are historical, operational and of general interest and in addition are of educational value.

Causes: Education/training · Environment/conservation/heritage · Get email alerts

Latest income
£2.3m
Latest spending
£2.0m
Registered
1985
Accounts read
FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that total funds increased to £26,436,006 from £24,143,020 in the prior year, driven by a net income of £2,292,986 and significant gains on fixed assets. The trustees confirm the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, with unrestricted funds of £25,802,356 held as free reserves.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: sufficient to cover management, administration and support costs (held: £25.8m)
“It is the policy of the Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust to maintain unrestricted funds which are the free reserves of the charity sufficient to cover management, administration and support costs.” — page 5
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee's wife paid for minute-taking services
“During the financial year the wife of one of the trustees was paid a remuneration of £400 (2023: Nil) to attend trustee meetings, record detailed notes and write the minutes of every meeting to be circulated to all trustees. The specific remuneration was agreed by the board of trustees and is considered a fair and reasonable amount in respect of the time and travel commitment.” — page 29
“During the year, Mr Llyr Ap Lolo received remuneration of £35,000 (net of VAT) for work done in relation to the sale of properties connected with the Estate of Peter Rampton. Payment in respect of these services are considered outside the scope of ordinary duties as a trustee, and paid for by the Vale of Rheidol Railway Ltd.” — page 22
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee Mr Llyr Ap Lolo paid for services outside ordinary duties
“During the financial year the wife of one of the trustees was paid a remuneration of £400 (2023: Nil) to attend trustee meetings, record detailed notes and write the minutes of every meeting to be circulated to all trustees. The specific remuneration was agreed by the board of trustees and is considered a fair and reasonable amount in respect of the time and travel commitment.” — page 29
“During the year, Mr Llyr Ap Lolo received remuneration of £35,000 (net of VAT) for work done in relation to the sale of properties connected with the Estate of Peter Rampton. Payment in respect of these services are considered outside the scope of ordinary duties as a trustee, and paid for by the Vale of Rheidol Railway Ltd.” — page 22
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Vale of Rheidol Railway Limited
“The Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Trust provides financial support to its charitable subsidiary the Vale of Rheidol Railway Limited.” — page 4
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Ashmole & Co. Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)

Total income
£2.3m
Total spending
£2.0m
Cost of raising funds
£319k
Reserves (reported)
£0
Employees
35

Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 13.9% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2024£2.3m£2.0m
31/12/2023£4.5m£1.9m
31/12/2022£11.4m£1.5m
31/12/2021£2.0m£885k
31/12/2020£429k£488k

Common questions

Is PHYLLIS RAMPTON NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that total funds increased to £26,436,006 from £24,143,020 in the prior year, driven by a net income of £2,292,986 and significant gains on fixed assets. The trustees confirm the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, with unrestricted funds of £25,802,356 held as free reserves. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Ashmole & Co.

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
GRANTSCAPE1£100k
THE EARL FITZWILLIAM CHARITABLE TRUST1£3k
SIR ROBERT GEFFERY'S ALMSHOUSE TRUST1£3k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with CHINNOR AND PRINCES RISBOROUGH RAILWAY ASSOCIATION LIMITED.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
PHYLLIS RAMPTON NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY TRUST£2.3m——unclear—no doubt
CHINNOR AND PRINCES RISBOROUGH RAILWAY ASSOCIATION LIMITED FY2025£200k—0above—no doubt
WESTERN LOCOMOTIVE ASSOCIATION LIMITED FY2025£191k—0unclear—no doubt
THE NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY MUSEUM TRUST FY2026£58k—0unclear—no doubt
STATFOLD NARROW GAUGE MUSEUM TRUST LTD FY2024£3.2m—0unclear—noted
WELSHPOOL AND LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY PRESERVATION CO. LIMITED FY2025£1.2m—0above—no doubt

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