FRIENDS OF THE HARRIS

Registered charity 503726 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as FRIENDS OF THE HARRIS MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY, PRESTON

The Friends of the Harris exists to support the work of the Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library through fundraising. In recent years we have funded a range of projects, including purchases, conservation, exhibitions, community-focussed work and a capital development.

Objects

THE OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY SHALL BE TO ADVANCE EDUCATION AND ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE BY SUPPORTING AND PROMOTING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE HARRIS MUSEUM, ART GALLERY AND LIBRARY PRESTON (HEREINAFTER CALLED THE HARRIS).IN FURTHERANCE OF THE OBJECTS BUT NOT OTHERWISE THE TRUSTEES SHALL HAVE THE POWER TO:A) GENERATE AND PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE HARRIS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE TRUSTEES AS MAY BY LAW BE DEEMED TO BE CHARITABLE.B) ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE THE OFFERING OF GIFTS TO THE HARRIS.

Area of benefit: PRESTON

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£55k

Latest spending

£504k

Registered

1974

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total income increased significantly to £54,985 from £7,785 in the prior year, driven largely by a £31,500 donation. However, the charity reported a net expenditure of £449,204, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £517,131 to £67,927. The trustees confirm that unrestricted free reserves were £55,212 at year end and that the charity remains a going concern with adequate funding sources.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: It is the policy of the charity to maintain unrestricted funds, which are the free reserves of the charity, at a level that provides sufficient income to cover grants payable and administration costs and to respond to emergency applications for funding by the Harris. (reserves figure: £55k)

“It is the policy of the charity to maintain unrestricted funds, which are the free reserves of the charity, at a level that provides sufficient income to cover grants payable and administration costs and to respond to emergency applications for funding by the Harris.” — page 5

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 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
Engaging external speakers at charity events 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
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

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

Grant-making is its main activity

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

Annual return filing dates (Charity Commission record)

Of its last 5 annual returns with a recorded received date, 2 were received after the due date: year ending 31/12/2025 (received 03/11/2026, 3 days after the 31/10/2026 due date); year ending 31/12/2024 (received 03/11/2025, 3 days after the 31/10/2025 due date).

Due and received dates as recorded in the Commission’s annual-return data; the data does not say whether an extension was agreed. Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Funders the charity credits

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

Preston City Council — “The Harris is owned and managed by Preston City Council” (source page)
Friends of the Harris — “Further supported by Friends of the Harris and The Harris Trust” (source page)
The Harris Trust — “Further supported by Friends of the Harris and The Harris Trust” (source page)

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

Trustees · trustee networks

ALAN LESTER HACKETT
Catherine Turner
Charlotte Katie Cullen
Deborah Maria Burns
Professor Peter Lloyd RE · trustee of 1 other charity
Sarah Louise Lakeland
Simon Nixon

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

Operates in: Lancashire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£55k	£504k
31/12/2024	£8k	£170
31/12/2023	£11k	£193k
31/12/2022	£80k	£152k
31/12/2021	£264k	£81k

Common questions

Is FRIENDS OF THE HARRIS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total income increased significantly to £54,985 from £7,785 in the prior year, driven largely by a £31,500 donation. However, the charity reported a net expenditure of £449,204, resulting in a decrease in total net assets from £517,131 to £67,927. The trustees confirm that unrestricted free reserves were £55,212 at year end and that the charity remains a going concern with adequate funding sources. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds FRIENDS OF THE HARRIS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name FRIENDS OF THE HARRIS as a grant recipient include THE HAROLD AND ALICE BRIDGES CHARITY.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE HAROLD AND ALICE BRIDGES CHARITY	FY2023	£2k
THE HAROLD AND ALICE BRIDGES CHARITY	FY2024	Unverified readamount not stated

Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.

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
THE JMCMRJ SORRELL FOUNDATION	1	£100k
PRISM THE GIFT FUND	1	£49k
THE GUY AND ELINOR MEYNELL CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£10k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE FRIENDS OF THE WHITWORTH ART GALLERY.

THE FRIENDS OF THE WHITWORTH ART GALLERY income £32k
FRIENDS OF BIRMINGHAM MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERY income £35k
FRIENDS OF THE RED HOUSE MUSEUM AND GARDENS income £38k
FRIENDS OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY income £1.7m
THE FRIENDS OF DEERHURST CHURCH income £141k
FRIENDS OF BRISTOL MUSEUMS, GALLERIES & ARCHIVES income £165k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
FRIENDS OF THE HARRIS	£55k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE FRIENDS OF THE WHITWORTH ART GALLERY FY2025	£32k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
FRIENDS OF BIRMINGHAM MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERY FY2025	£35k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
FRIENDS OF THE RED HOUSE MUSEUM AND GARDENS FY2025	£38k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
FRIENDS OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY FY2025	£1.7m	—	0	below	—	no doubt
THE FRIENDS OF DEERHURST CHURCH FY2025	£141k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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