WATTS GALLERY TRUST

Registered charity 313612 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as WATTS GALLERY

The Watts Gallery Trust seeks to promote the understanding and appreciation of the Victorian artist G F Watts OM RA 1817-1904 and the ceramic artist Mary Seton Watts, in the context of the 19th Century, and to promote Compton as a centre for exploring Victorian art, social history and craft for present and future generations.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£2.8m
Latest spending
£3.4m
Registered
1967
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure deficit of £876,551 for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven by rising costs outpacing income growth. While total funds remain substantial at £25,010,342, free unrestricted reserves are critically low at £30,954, representing only approximately 11% of a month's operating costs against a policy target of 3 to 6 months. The trustees acknowledge current financial pressures and cash flow monitoring but express confidence in the organization's ability to continue as a going concern through FY2026/27.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £100,001 - £110,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £70k)
“In the band £100,001 - £110,000 1 1” — page 40
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Largest income source: Trading activities (50% of income)
“Trading activities of £1,624,190 (50% of total income) up 25% from FY2024 (£1,295,396)” — page 6
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £31k; policy: three to six months of current operating costs)
“This level of free reserve represents approximately 11% of a month’s current operating costs. We are committed to rebuilding our reserves to meet the organisation's agreed target level.” — page 8
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Azets Audit Services Limited. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£2.8m
Total spending
£3.4m
Cost of raising funds
£1.2m
Reserves (reported)
£88k
Employees
88

Reported reserves equal ~0.3 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Other trading activities (58% 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: 43.7% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Surrey

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£2.8m£3.4m
31/03/2024£2.6m£3.1m
31/03/2023£2.6m£3.2m
31/03/2022£2.7m£3.2m
31/03/2021£3.0m£2.9m

Common questions

Is WATTS GALLERY TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure deficit of £876,551 for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven by rising costs outpacing income growth. While total funds remain substantial at £25,010,342, free unrestricted reserves are critically low at £30,954, representing only approximately 11% of a month's operating costs against a policy target of 3 to 6 months. The trustees acknowledge current financial pressures and cash flow monitoring but express confidence in the organization's ability to continue as a going concern through FY2026/27. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Azets Audit Services Limited.

What does the highest-paid employee of WATTS GALLERY TRUST earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £100,001 - £110,000 band.

Who funds WATTS GALLERY TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name WATTS GALLERY TRUST as a grant recipient include THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUST, THE REED FOUNDATION, THE FOYLE FOUNDATION, THE CLORE DUFFIELD FOUNDATION, THE SANDERSON FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£200kAdvancement of the arts, culture, heritage and science
THE REED FOUNDATIONFY2022£79kChristmas Challenge
THE FOYLE FOUNDATIONFY2025£75k
THE CLORE DUFFIELD FOUNDATIONFY2024£56kArts, heritage and education
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£20kAdvancement of the arts, culture, heritage and science
THE SANDERSON FOUNDATIONFY2025£20k
THE SANDERSON FOUNDATIONFY2024£20k
THE BORROWS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£17k
THE BILLMEIR CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£15k
THE BORROWS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£15k
THE CHARLES SKEY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£13kAdvancement of arts, culture, heritage or science
ANSON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£10kCharitable Donation
ANSON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£10kCharitable Donation
ANSON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£10kCharitable Donation
ANSON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£10kCharitable Donation
THE BILLMEIR CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£10k
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2021£10kAdvancement of the arts, culture, heritage and science
THE STEVENSON FAMILY'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5kCulture and Arts
THE SANDERSON FOUNDATIONFY2022£5k
THE STEVENSON FAMILY'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5kCulture and Arts
DR RADCLIFFE'S TRUSTFY2022£4kConservation Fellowship
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£4k
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£4k
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£4kAdvancement of the arts, culture, heritage and science
THE BILLMEIR CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£3k
THE STEVENSON FAMILY'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£1kCulture and arts
THE BILLMEIR CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1kDonations
THE SANDERSON FOUNDATIONFY2023£0
THE REED FOUNDATIONFY2021—

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Heritage Fund05/02/2025£117k"Securing the sustainability of Watts Gallery"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund10/08/2020£243k"COVID 19 Watts Gallery Trust"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund21/12/2015£59k"Watts Gallery to ArtistsÂ’ Village: preserving heritage, meeting the needs of visitors and increasing sustainability"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund20/06/2014£39k"Watts in the Red Robe: Bringing Home The Artist's Last Remaining Self Portrait"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund21/05/2013£500k"Catalyst Endowment: Watts Gallery"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund13/11/2012£2.6m"Limnerslease - Saving the studios"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund12/12/2006£5.3m"Watts Gallery Hope Project"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund02/06/2005£329k"Watts Gallery lonides family portrait"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund21/03/2005£50k"Watts Gallery Hope Project"

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 ALBERT DAWSON EDUCATIONAL TRUST.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
WATTS GALLERY TRUST£2.8m£100,001 - £110,000—below—no doubt
THE ALBERT DAWSON EDUCATIONAL TRUST FY2025£119k—0unclear—no doubt
CWMNI PLAS GLYN'Y-WEDDW LIMITED FY2025£1.3m—0below—no doubt
WOTTON ARTS PROJECT FY2025£102k—0unclear—no doubt
THE VC GALLERY FY2025£607k—0unclear—no doubt
BANKSIDE GALLERY LIMITED FY2024£448k——unclear—no doubt

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