FRIENDS OF THE IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUM

Registered charity 518657 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The objects of the charity are to provide financial assistance to the charity registered as the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Limited to secure the preservation, restoration, improvement, enhancement and maintenance of features of historic and industrial importance.

Objects

THE ASSOCIATION IS ESTABLISHED FOR THE EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING THE CHARITY REGISTERED AS THE IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED TO SECURE THE PRESERVATION, RESTORATION, IMPROVEMENT, ENHANCEMENT AND OBJECTS OF HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL INTEREST.

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: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Telford and Wrekin, West Midlands, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£36k

Latest spending

£60k

Registered

1987

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity is closing down in March 2026 due to the transfer of its operations to the National Trust. Consequently, unrestricted reserves have been reduced to zero, with remaining funds accounted for as committed to the new entity. The independent examiner confirmed that no material matters came to attention regarding the accounts.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy

“The accounts have been prepared to reflect the transactions for 2025 and that the unspent funds remaining have been accounted for as committed, to leave reserves at zero due to the charity closing down in March 2026.” — page 5

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Going concern: accounts NOT prepared on a going-concern basis (closing, merging or winding up)

“The charity will close after the AGM, due to the transfer of the Charity to the National Trust on March 2nd, 2026, as the charity will no longer be able to fulfil it’s constitutional objects as highlighted below.” — page 4

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: The Ironbridge Gorge Museum (registered charity number 503717) is considered to be a related charity.

“The Ironbridge Gorge Museum (registered charity number 503717) is considered to be a related charity.” — page 4

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Going concern: no going-concern doubt (FY2024) → not a going concern (FY2025).

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

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.

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
Investment
Risk management
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses 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: 15
Grant-making is its main activity

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

Volunteers: 15
Grant-making is its main activity

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

Volunteers: 15
Grant-making is its main activity

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

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

Trustees · trustee networks

DAVID GLYN BOWEN
GERALDINE KING
Jennifer Edwards
John Mitchell Freeman
MR JIM CLARKE
MR STEVE EVANS
Martin James
RAY HARDMAN · trustee of 1 other charity
Rachel Waterson · trustee of 1 other charity
Raymond Farlow · trustee of 1 other charity
Sir Neil Cossons
Susan Tarr
WENDY WATERSON

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

Operates in: Shropshire · Telford & Wrekin

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£36k	£60k
31/12/2024	£40k	£41k
31/12/2023	£37k	£40k
31/12/2022	£33k	£25k
31/12/2021	£34k	£77k

Common questions

Is FRIENDS OF THE IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUM financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity is closing down in March 2026 due to the transfer of its operations to the National Trust. Consequently, unrestricted reserves have been reduced to zero, with remaining funds accounted for as committed to the new entity. The independent examiner confirmed that no material matters came to attention regarding the accounts. 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 HEADLEY TRUST	1	£59k
THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£50k
THE SACKLER TRUST	1	£50k
THE GEORGE CADBURY TRUST (EDWARD CADBURY SECTION)	1	£25k
CHARITY OF CHARLES CLEMENT WALKER (COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE WALKER TRUST)	1	£23k
THE ASHWORTH CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£18k
THE SIMON GIBSON CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£10k
THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATION	1	£10k

Charities like this

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

IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED income £9.2m
THE NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY MUSEUM TRUST income £38k
THE STONEBRIDGE TRUST income £322k
SEVERN GORGE COUNTRYSIDE TRUST income £489k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
FRIENDS OF THE IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUM	£36k	—	0	below	—	not going concern
IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED FY2024	£9.2m	—	—	unclear	—	material uncertainty
THE NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY MUSEUM TRUST FY2026	£38k	—	0	unclear	—	noted
THE STONEBRIDGE TRUST FY2025	£322k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
SEVERN GORGE COUNTRYSIDE TRUST FY2026	£489k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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