THORNBURY AND DISTRICT HERITAGE TRUST

Registered charity 296345 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THORNBURY AND DISTRICT MUSEUM

LOCAL MUSEUM RUN BY VOLUNTEERS. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON 3 DAYS A WEEK. COVERS THORNBURY TOWN AND SURROUNDING DISTRICT. CONSERVES AND DISPLAYS ARTEFACTS OF LOCAL PROVENANCE. UNDERTAKES SOME RESEARCH. RUNS ONE ASSOCIATED GROUP: ARCHAEOLOGY. ORGANISES OCCASIONAL PUBLIC TALKS AND WALKS.

Objects

TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN THE DISTRICT OF NORTHAVON IN THE COUNTY OF AVON AND OF THE NATION AT LARGE BY THE PROVISION AT THORNBURY IN THE DISTRICT OF NORTHAVON IN THE COUNTY OF AVON AND ELSEWHERE OF A MUSEUM.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

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 · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: South Gloucestershire, South West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£25k

Latest spending

£6k

Registered

1987

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity maintains a comfortable financial position with total cash at banks of £95,641.29 and a net current asset position of £99,231.29. However, the trustees report significant uncertainty regarding the charity's future tenancy, noting that their lease expires in January 2026 and has not been renewed. While the charity has generated an excess income of £6,044.47 for the year, the trustees highlight that any potential move would involve considerable costs.

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

What the accounts disclose

Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor

“In February, we were given notice that our lease would not be renewed when it expired in January 2026. This was completely unexpected and there were no alternative plans for our future. We are not yet clear what will happen but we have gone from what we were sure was certain closure to a more optimistic position.” — page 1

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Discloses 3 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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

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: 35
Government income: £19,175 — grants £19,175 (3); 76% of the £25,366 total gross income on the same return

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

Volunteers: 35
Government income: £19,885 — grants £19,885 (2); 62% of the £32,131 total gross income on the same return

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

Volunteers: 65
Government income: £12,341 — grants £12,341 (3); 39% of the £31,903 total gross income on the same return

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Aaron Forest Girdlestone
DAVID THOMAS
Jane Marks
MARTIN ELTON
MRS J NEWLEY
MRS M M WISE
MRS P D MONTGOMERY
Mr J M Shepherd
Stanley Michael Morrissey

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

Operates in: South Gloucestershire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£25k	£6k
31/12/2024	£32k	£26k
31/12/2023	£32k	£18k
31/12/2022	£32k	£12k
31/12/2021	£17k	£7k

Common questions

Is THORNBURY AND DISTRICT HERITAGE TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity maintains a comfortable financial position with total cash at banks of £95,641.29 and a net current asset position of £99,231.29. However, the trustees report significant uncertainty regarding the charity's future tenancy, noting that their lease expires in January 2026 and has not been renewed. While the charity has generated an excess income of £6,044.47 for the year, the trustees highlight that any potential move would involve considerable costs.

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	25/05/2006	£3k	"This Community Museum Will Upgrade And Install Fire Precautions And Warning Systems To Meet New Safety Requirements Which Will Enable Their"
The National Lottery Community Fund	25/05/2006	£3k	fire and safety improvements
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	26/01/1999	£21k	"Thornbury Millennium Heritage Trail"

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
KUSUMA TRUST UK	1	£1.0m
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION	1	£343k
GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION	1	£300k
THE EIGHTY EIGHT FOUNDATION	1	£21k
NATIONAL ART COLLECTIONS FUND	1	£13k
DR RADCLIFFE'S TRUST	1	£4k
WE ARE UNLIMITED ARTS	1	£3k
THE SALISBURY POOL CHARITY COMPRISING THE FIRST MOIETY ESTABLISHED BY CLAUSE 2 OF THE DEED OF DECLARATION DATED 23RD MARCH 1976	1	£3k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with POCKLINGTON DISTRICT HERITAGE TRUST.

POCKLINGTON DISTRICT HERITAGE TRUST income £42k
TENTERDEN AND DISTRICT MUSEUM ASSOCIATION income £26k
THE HORNIMAN PUBLIC MUSEUM AND PUBLIC PARK TRUST income £10.4m
CHARDON TRUST income £88k
THE HERTFORD MUSEUM CHARITY income £276k
THE PEMBROKE DOCK HERITAGE TRUST LIMITED income £96k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THORNBURY AND DISTRICT HERITAGE TRUST	£25k	—	0	unclear	—	noted
POCKLINGTON DISTRICT HERITAGE TRUST FY2025	£42k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
TENTERDEN AND DISTRICT MUSEUM ASSOCIATION FY2025	£26k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE HORNIMAN PUBLIC MUSEUM AND PUBLIC PARK TRUST FY2025	£10.4m	£120,001 - £130,000	4	unclear	—	no doubt
CHARDON TRUST FY2025	£88k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE HERTFORD MUSEUM CHARITY FY2025	£276k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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