WONDERSEEKERS
Registered charity 294582 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as INTECH, THE HAMPSHIRE TECHNOLOGY CENTRE TRUST LTD, WINCHESTER SCIENCE CENTRE, Winchester Science Centre
Wonderseekers is an educational charity that inspires children through science, particularly those who face barriers to participation. The charity delivers outreach programmes in schools and communities and operates Winchester Science Centre. Founded in 1986, the charity is committed to inclusion, accessibility and sustainability.
Causes: Education/training · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the Charity reported a deficit of £192k for the year, driven by strategic investments and rising costs, though this was partially offset by a one-off flood damage insurance claim. The trustees confirm that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operation for at least twelve months, with unrestricted reserves standing at £3,152k, although general unrestricted reserves of £386k fall below the stated policy target of £400k–£450k.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: three months of expenditure (held: £386k)
“In 2023/24 the Charity aimed to hold general unrestricted reserves of £400k – £450k, equivalent to three months of expenditure for full operations. This is still considered appropriate for 2024/25.” — page 13
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Sparking Curiosity Ltd
“The Charity’s wholly owned subsidiary, Sparking Curiosity Ltd, operates the onsite shop and café under licence from the Charity and gift aids the maximum permissible amount of its profits to the Charity” — page 15
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by HaysMac LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Corporate structure
SPARKING CURIOSITY LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
- Turnover: £876k
- Profit before tax: £115k
- Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £68k
- },
“Payment to parent charity made under the gift aid scheme”
Company officers (Companies House)
Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.
- WAYMAN, Robert Michael — director, appointed 25/02/2026on trustee list
- SHEPPARD, James Paul — director, appointed 17/07/2025on trustee list
- MAY, Janet Charis — director, appointed 17/07/2025on trustee list
- ROWLAND, Tariro Yvonne — director, appointed 18/10/2023on trustee list
- TAYLOR, Linda Sharon — director, appointed 18/10/2023on trustee list
- WYMAN, Thomas — director, appointed 18/10/2023on trustee list
- KEMP, Malcolm Hugh David — director, appointed 18/10/2023on trustee list
- OWEN, Janet Elizabeth, Dr — director, appointed 18/10/2023on trustee list
- THANAWALLA, Rutang Kirit, Dr — director, appointed 21/10/2021on trustee list
- JAMES, Phyllida Mary — director, appointed 21/10/2021on trustee list
Official officers record.
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£1.3m
Reported reserves equal ~0.7 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (57% 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: 34.0% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (07/05/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Dr Janet Owenchair
- Dr Rutang Thanawalla · trustee of 1 other charity
- James Sheppard
- Janet May
- Linda Sharon Taylor
- Malcolm Hugh David Kemp · trustee of 1 other charity
- Phyllida Mary James
- Robert Wayman
- Tariro Yvonne Rowland
- Thomas Wyman
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Throughout England
Income and spending
Common questions
Is WONDERSEEKERS financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the Charity reported a deficit of £192k for the year, driven by strategic investments and rising costs, though this was partially offset by a one-off flood damage insurance claim. The trustees confirm that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operation for at least twelve months, with unrestricted reserves standing at £3,152k, although general unrestricted reserves of £386k fall below the stated policy target of £400k–£450k. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by HaysMac LLP.
Who funds WONDERSEEKERS?
Funders whose own accounts filings name WONDERSEEKERS as a grant recipient include THE ANNANDALE CHARITABLE TRUST, THE O'SULLIVAN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST.
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 WONDER FOUNDATION.
Side by side with its peers
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