THE BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM TRUST

Registered charity 504481 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM, THE BLACK COUNTRY MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED

The open-air Museum, through the use of its Designated collections, provides opportunities for the public, including many thousands of pupils and students, to gain a better understanding, appreciation and knowledge of the history and international significance and impact of the Black Country and its people, over a period of 200 years, to c1960.

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

Latest income

£10.8m

Latest spending

£11.1m

Registered

1975

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the Museum generated a net operating surplus of £191,815 and a positive net cash inflow from operating activities of £580,278 for the year ended 31 December 2025. The Trustees report that unrestricted free cash balances are forecast to remain above the stated policy target of £1.30m, with a non-committed balance of £1.344m at the balance sheet date. The financial position is described as materially strengthened following staff cost savings and strong trading performance.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £110,001 - £120,000 — below the median for charities its size (£130k)

“£110,000 - £120,000 1” — page 47

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: £1.30m (held: £1.3m)

“the Board has set the recommended minimum level of unrestricted free cash balances to be £1.30m.” — page 18

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustee Jonathan Badyal is a Senior Adviser to Saxton Bampfylde Hever Limited; transactions totalled £20,500.

“Jonathan Badyal, a Trustee of the Museum, is a Senior Adviser to the Arts and Creative Industries Practice for Saxton Bampfylde Hever Limited and during the year transactions between the organisations totalled £20,500.” — page 56

“During the year, the Museum charged the Company £331,090 (2024: £401,753) for rents and services and the Company donated its profits, through Gift Aid, of £508,297 (2024: £535,664).” — page 56

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Parent company charged subsidiary £331,090 for rents and services; subsidiary donated £508,297 to parent.

“Jonathan Badyal, a Trustee of the Museum, is a Senior Adviser to the Arts and Creative Industries Practice for Saxton Bampfylde Hever Limited and during the year transactions between the organisations totalled £20,500.” — page 56

“During the year, the Museum charged the Company £331,090 (2024: £401,753) for rents and services and the Company donated its profits, through Gift Aid, of £508,297 (2024: £535,664).” — page 56

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Crowe UK LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Going concern: material uncertainty (FY2024) → no going-concern doubt (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Property (HM Land Registry)

5 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (2 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income

£10.8m

Total spending

£11.1m

Cost of raising funds

£3.3m

Reserves (reported)

£1.3m

Employees

208

Reported reserves equal ~1.4 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (60% 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: 30.6% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 3.8%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (03/03/2020) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (08/01/2016) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Duncan Peter Bedhallchair
Caroline Southall
Councillor Philip Atkins
Dileep Singh Marway
Dr Nicola Claire Guy
Emma Norris
Hasan Afzal
Jonathan Badyal
Katy Baker
Louise Jones
Ruth Marie Levesley
Sally Bourner
Tarlok Singh Mander

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

Operates in: Birmingham City · Coventry City · Dudley · Sandwell · Shropshire · Solihull · Staffordshire · Walsall · Wolverhampton · Worcestershire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£10.8m	£11.1m
31/12/2024	£10.7m	£11.6m
31/12/2023	£12.9m	£11.2m
31/12/2022	£15.8m	£9.2m
31/12/2021	£19.7m	£7.3m

Common questions

Is THE BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the Museum generated a net operating surplus of £191,815 and a positive net cash inflow from operating activities of £580,278 for the year ended 31 December 2025. The Trustees report that unrestricted free cash balances are forecast to remain above the stated policy target of £1.30m, with a non-committed balance of £1.344m at the balance sheet date. The financial position is described as materially strengthened following staff cost savings and strong trading performance. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe UK LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM TRUST earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £110,001 - £120,000 band.

Who funds THE BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM TRUST as a grant recipient include THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITY, THE ROGER & DOUGLAS TURNER CHARITABLE TRUST, THE GRIMMITT TRUST, THE GEORGE CADBURY TRUST (GEORGE HENRY T AND LAURENCE J CADBURY SECTIONS).

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITY	FY2022	£30k	costs of further development of the site in Dudley, West Midlands
THE ROGER & DOUGLAS TURNER CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£5k
THE ROGER & DOUGLAS TURNER CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k
THE GRIMMITT TRUST	FY2023	£3k
THE GRIMMITT TRUST	FY2024	£2k
THE GEORGE CADBURY TRUST (GEORGE HENRY T AND LAURENCE J CADBURY SECTIONS)	FY2022	£1k

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	25/04/2017	£11.7m	"BCLM: Forging Ahead - creating a world-class visitor attraction in the Black Country (KickstartGIA2020)"
The National Lottery Community Fund	04/01/2017	£10k	Who Do You Think You Are?
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	10/09/2008	£348k	"The Bradburn and Wedge Garage"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	21/06/2005	£1.6m	"Cradley Heath Workers Institute"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	18/03/2004	£25k	"Thos.Trevis Smith Cooperage Factory"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	03/09/2001	£234k	"Marston Collection - Acquisition, Dudley"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	16/07/1998	£3.0m	"Black Country Museum Rolfe Street Project"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	10/09/1997	£99k	"Rolfe Street Project - Development Study"
UK government	—	£128k	DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund

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 HEADLEY TRUST	2	£154k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION	1	£125k
JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATION	1	£97k
THE SHERLING CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£65k
THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£50k
THE SACKLER TRUST	1	£50k
THE PILGRIM TRUST	1	£42k
THE PAUL MELLON CENTRE FOR STUDIES IN BRITISH ART	1	£30k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with SENHOUSE MUSEUM TRUST.

SENHOUSE MUSEUM TRUST income £131k
The African People's Historical Monument Foundation (Black Cultural Archives) Limited income £545k
BIRMINGHAM MUSEUMS TRUST income £12.6m
IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED income £9.2m
NATIONAL COAL MINING MUSEUM FOR ENGLAND TRUST LTD income £4.4m
CHILTERN OPEN AIR MUSEUM LIMITED income £952k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM TRUST	£10.8m	£110,001 - £120,000	—	unclear	—	no doubt
SENHOUSE MUSEUM TRUST FY2025	£131k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
The African People's Historical Monument Foundation (Black Cultural Archives) Limited FY2025	£545k	more than £60,000	1	above	4.2%	no doubt
BIRMINGHAM MUSEUMS TRUST FY2025	£12.6m	—	—	above	—	noted
IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED FY2024	£9.2m	—	—	unclear	—	material uncertainty
NATIONAL COAL MINING MUSEUM FOR ENGLAND TRUST LTD FY2025	£4.4m	—	—	above	—	no doubt

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