English Heritage’s income has increased by 16% after recruiting a “record-breaking” 422,000 new members last year.
The charity’s member base now exceeds pre-pandemic levels and is nearing 1.2 million for the first time, according to its most recent accounts, “resulting in strong growth in trading revenue”.
Meanwhile, the charity has almost finished spending a one-off £80m government grant it received on its formation in 2015.
Some of the charity’s sites had their best-ever-year, it said, perhaps a result of the “staycation” effect.
In 2021-22, it received income of £116m compared to £99.8m in 2020-21. Membership income increased from £37.4m to £42.4m.
Meanwhile, the charity’s expenditure was £125.7m, compared to £96.2m the year prior.
Impact of Covid-19 and financial future
It received pledges from individuals, community groups, grantmakers, trusts and companies worth £13.3m against a pledge of £5.1m.
“This represents an increase in annual pledge totals of just over 100% compared to the previous financial year, and is £6.1m higher than the average annual pledge income received between 2018-19 and 2020-20,” read the accounts.
Despite an upshot in membership and an increased income, the accounts note “there can be no doubt that lockdowns and limits on travel severely dented our finances” adding in 2022-23 it will be the first year with no annual tapering subsidy from the government.
English Heritage was established as an independent charity from 1 April 2015, and received a one-off payment of a government grant of £80m in March 2015. It expects to have fully spent this by 2022-23.
It adds that in 2021-22 English Heritage “successfully started our recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic” and the Culture Recovery Fund loan of £23.4m received in March 2021 “helped to strengthen our balance sheet”.
Staff headcount down
English Heritage’s accounts also show the average monthly headcount in the year was 2,117 which is reduced from 2,245 the year prior.
Its gender pay gap is 7.82% which is down from 10.34% in 2020-21. The highest paid member of staff in 2021-22 received between £160,00 and £169,999.
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