THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC

Registered charity 309268 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The objects of the College shall be to advance the Art of Music and promote the study of andeducation in music and musical instruction and research of the highest standard and such otherrelated academic subjects as the College may consider appropriate in the United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Northern Ireland and elsewhere throughout the world.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£41.1m
Latest spending
£37.8m
Registered
1964
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a surplus for the year of £10.7m, with unrestricted reserves standing at £60.3m and net cash of £15.4m. The trustees confirmed that there is no material uncertainty regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern, supported by a five-year financial forecast and stress tests.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: 60 to 120 days of operating cash (held: £60.3m)
“policy to maintain operating cash in a range of 60 to 120 days”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Donations from Trustees and related parties
“The total amount of donations received without conditions from Trustees and other related parties was £624,063” — page 58
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Pension scheme deficit: £87k
“The scheme showed a small actuarial deficit of £87k at the end of the year” — page 8
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: RCM Business Enterprises Limited
“RCM has a 100% holding in RCM Business Enterprises Limited (RCM BEL)” — page 52
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by MHA Audit Services LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

RCM BUSINESS ENTERPRISES LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • The company has a loan from its parent company RCM of £1,710,822 (2024: £1,945,696 implied by creditors note 4/5 context, though explicit 2024 loan figure not in note 5, note 4 shows long term debtors/creditors relationship). Note 5 explicitly states the borrowing from parent.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Property (HM Land Registry)

4 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 freehold); recorded price paid £14.5m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook (65,685 followers) · instagram (55K followers)

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/07/2025)

Total income
£43.4m
Total spending
£37.8m
Cost of raising funds
£1.0m
Reserves (reported)
£60.3m
Employees
279

Reported reserves equal ~19.1 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 2.4% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Kensington And Chelsea

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/07/2025£41.1m£37.8m
31/07/2024£37.1m£31.2m
31/07/2023£33.3m£32.4m
31/07/2022£32.5m£33.0m
31/07/2021£28.6m£26.7m

Common questions

Is THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a surplus for the year of £10.7m, with unrestricted reserves standing at £60.3m and net cash of £15.4m. The trustees confirmed that there is no material uncertainty regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern, supported by a five-year financial forecast and stress tests. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by MHA Audit Services LLP.

Who funds THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC as a grant recipient include THE LEVERHULME TRUST, L G HARRIS TRUST, THE LONDON WOMEN'S CLINIC FOUNDATION, NEW GENERATION EUROPE FOUNDATION, THE REED FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE LEVERHULME TRUSTFY2024£538k
L G HARRIS TRUSTFY2025£241kscholarship schemes
THE LONDON WOMEN'S CLINIC FOUNDATIONFY2025£177kScholarships
NEW GENERATION EUROPE FOUNDATIONFY2023£158k
THE REED FOUNDATIONFY2022£139kChristmas Challenge
ROYAL COMMISSION FOR THE EXHIBITION OF 1851FY2025£110kMSc studentship in performance science
THE HEADLEY TRUSTFY2025£75kTowards scholarship support for UK postgraduate instrumental students (wind, brass, percussion).
THE FOYLE FOUNDATIONFY2023£75k
THE HEADLEY TRUSTFY2023£60kTowards scholarship support for UK postgraduate instrumental students (wind, brass, percussion).
FISHMONGERS' COMPANY'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£58kEducational grants
THE LINBURY TRUSTFY2024£50kA grant for energy efficiency work towards LED light replacement.
THE PATRICK & HELENA FROST FOUNDATIONFY2025£45k
E B M CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£35kGrant paid to institution
DRAPERS CHARITABLE FUNDFY2024£35kScholarships
E B M CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£30k
HENRY WOOD ACCOMMODATION TRUSTFY2025£30kGrant funding of activities
THE PATRICK & HELENA FROST FOUNDATIONFY2022£30k
THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITYFY2022£30kcosts of their instrument procurement and maintenance fund
HENRY WOOD ACCOMMODATION TRUSTFY2026£30kGrant funding of activities
THE LONDON WOMEN'S CLINIC FOUNDATIONFY2022£30kScholarships/Donations
HENRY WOOD ACCOMMODATION TRUSTFY2023£29k
HENRY WOOD ACCOMMODATION TRUSTFY2024£29k
FISHMONGERS' COMPANY'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£29kEducational grants
FISHMONGERS' COMPANY'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£25kEducational grants
THE VASEPPI TRUSTFY2023£25k
THE VASEPPI TRUSTFY2022£25k
THE RISMAN FOUNDATIONFY2025£25kScholarships
FISHMONGERS' COMPANY'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£22kEducational grants
DAVID LAING FOUNDATIONFY2024£21kArts & Culture
THE HARBOUR FOUNDATIONFY2024£21kArt
THE HEADLEY TRUSTFY2024£20kNet grants payable/cancelled up to £20,000.
KATHLEEN BERYL SLEIGH CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£20k
THE SOUTH SQUARE TRUSTFY2023£18k
THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATIONFY2021£18k
THE VASEPPI TRUSTFY2025£18k
MARIA BJORNSON MEMORIAL FUNDFY2023£15k
E B M CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£15k
THE POLONSKY FOUNDATIONFY2023£15k
THE HARBOUR FOUNDATIONFY2023£15kArt
DAVID LAING FOUNDATIONFY2022£15kArts & Culture
ST MARYLEBONE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONFY2025£14kEducational grants
ST MARYLEBONE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONFY2023£13kEducational grants
ST MARYLEBONE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONFY2023£13kEducational grants
THE OFENHEIM CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£12k
ST MARYLEBONE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONFY2024£12kEducational grants
ST MARYLEBONE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONFY2024£12k
KATHLEEN BERYL SLEIGH CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£10k
THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATIONFY2023£10kThe Arts
KATHLEEN BERYL SLEIGH CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£10k
THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATIONFY2022£10kCulture and the environment

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
UK government31/03/2023£33kBringing early instruments to life through 3D modelling
St Giles & St George14/04/2022£2kGrant to Royal College of Music
The Mercers' Company12/05/2020£3kCovid-19 Rapid Response Fund Grant
The National Lottery Heritage Fund17/11/2015£3.8m"More Music: Re-imagining the Royal College of Music Museum"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund05/03/2014£10k"Singing a Song in a Foreign Land: oral history project"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund29/11/1999£18k"Danloux, Portrait of Jan Ladislav Dussek - Acquisition"

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 THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF ORGANISTS.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC£41.1m——unclear—no doubt
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF ORGANISTS FY2025£523k——unclear—no doubt
THE ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC ENDOWMENT FUND FY2025£4.0m—0unclear—no doubt
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS FY2025£53.7m——unclear—no doubt
THE ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC AWARDS FUND FY2025£1.9m—0above—no doubt
ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC FY2025£33.2m——unclear14.3%no doubt

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