PRESTON OPERA

Registered charity 512872 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as PRESTON OPERA COMPANY

The objects of Preston Opera are to entertain and educate the public in the operatic arts by promoting productions of operas, operettas, and operatic concerts. Our Charitable Aims are: Promote the Operatic Arts; Stage High-Quality Productions; Develop Emerging Talent; Enable Inclusive and Accessible Participation; Foster Health and Wellbeing & Provide Community Artistic Fulfilment.

Objects

TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC IN THE OPERATIC ARTS TO FURTHER THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC APPRECIATION AND TASTE IN THE SAID ARTS, TO ASSIST AND FURTHER SUCH CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS AND CHARITABLE PURPOSES AS THE COMMITTEE SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE. (FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE CLAUSE 2 OF THE CONSTITUTION)

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: Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

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

Latest income

£26k

Latest spending

£27k

Registered

1982

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity incurred a deficit of £5,186.77 for the year ending 31 December 2025, resulting in a decrease in net assets. The charity reports having no outstanding debt secured against its assets and maintains current bank balances.

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

What the accounts disclose

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). 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.

Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Risk management
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media 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: 10
Has a trading subsidiary

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

Volunteers: 20

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

Volunteers: 20
Government income: £500 — grants £500 (1); 2% of the £25,983 total gross income on the same return

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

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Kevin heskethchair
Marie'Louise Lane
Michael Akers
Susan Rice

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

Operates in: Lancashire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£26k	£27k
31/12/2024	£29k	£34k
31/12/2023	£26k	£24k
31/12/2022	£11k	£23k
31/12/2021	£3k	£6k

Common questions

Is PRESTON OPERA financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity incurred a deficit of £5,186.77 for the year ending 31 December 2025, resulting in a decrease in net assets. The charity reports having no outstanding debt secured against its assets and maintains current bank balances. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

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 BEHRENS FOUNDATION	2	£20k
THE FENTON ARTS TRUST	2	£15k
THE LIZ AND TERRY BRAMALL FOUNDATION	1	£950k
OPERA NORTH FUTURE FUND	1	£816k
The Keith Howard Foundation	1	£304k
PETTMAN (CLASSICAL MUSIC) FOUNDATION	1	£279k
Laidlaw Opera Trust	1	£200k
COLWINSTON CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£100k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with OPERA NORTH LIMITED.

OPERA NORTH LIMITED income £18.8m
NEW SUSSEX OPERA income £54k
THE PRESTON MUSICAL COMEDY SOCIETY income £55k
THE MERRY OPERA COMPANY income £178k
GRANGE PARK OPERA income £4.0m
THE BURTON MUSICAL THEATRE COMPANY income £74k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
PRESTON OPERA	£26k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
OPERA NORTH LIMITED FY2025	£18.8m	£110,000 - £119,999	—	below	—	no doubt
NEW SUSSEX OPERA FY2025	£54k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE PRESTON MUSICAL COMEDY SOCIETY FY2025	£55k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE MERRY OPERA COMPANY FY2025	£178k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
GRANGE PARK OPERA FY2025	£4.0m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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