THE STORY MUSEUM

Charity number: 1107809
Charity reporting is up to date (on time)

Charity overview

Activities - how the charity spends its money

The Story Museum has three core charitable aims: a) to establish and maintain a museum dedicated to children's literature and the City of Oxford; b) to conserve, interpret and develop collections and heritage assets relevant to these subjects; c) to provide learning opportunities for and promote literacy and creativity among children, young people and families.

Income and expenditure

Data for financial year ending 31 March 2025

Total income:
£2,287,141

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Donations and legacies £1.24m
Charitable activities £1.04m
Other trading activities £0
Investments £0
Other £0

Total expenditure:
£2,302,467

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Raising funds £136.03k
Charitable activities £2.17m
Other £0

£0 investments gains (losses)

Total income includes £20,650 from 1 government grant(s)

Charitable expenditure

Charitable expenditure

Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.

In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.

Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.

By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.

Text alternative for this canvas graphic is in the data table below.
Raising funds and other expenditure £136.03k
Charitable expenditure £2.17m

People

59 Employee(s)

13 Trustee(s)

75 Volunteer(s)

Employees with total benefits over £60,000

No employees have total benefits over £60k for this charity

Fundraising

No information available

Trading

One or more trustees are also directors of the subsidiaries

Trustee payments

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.

What, who, how, where

What the charity does:
  • Education/training
  • Arts/culture/heritage/science
  • Environment/conservation/heritage
Who the charity helps:
  • Children/young People
  • The General Public/mankind
How the charity helps:
  • Provides Human Resources
  • Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
  • Provides Services
  • Provides Advocacy/advice/information
  • Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
  • Acts As An Umbrella Or Resource Body
Where the charity operates:
  • Throughout England And Wales

Governance

Registration history:
  • 26 January 2005: Standard registration
Organisation type:
Charitable company
Other names:

No other names

Company number:
04780380 Open in new window
Gift aid:
Recognised by HMRC for gift aid
Other regulators:
No information available
Policies:
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Social media policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Land and property:
This charity owns and/or leases land or property

Trustees

Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service

13 Trustee(s)

Name Role Date of appointment Other trusteeships Reporting status of other trusteeships
Conrad Philip William Bodman Trustee 26 August 2025
None on record
Perri Evans Trustee 25 April 2025
None on record
Heather Carter Trustee 24 April 2025
None on record
John Palmer Trustee 07 November 2024
None on record
Guy Gadney Trustee 18 January 2024
None on record
Sarah Love Trustee 18 January 2024
None on record
John William Fleming Glancy Trustee 17 March 2022
None on record
Dr Gabrielle Heffernan Trustee 17 March 2022
None on record
James Catchpole Trustee 20 January 2022
None on record
Katherine Howard-Cairns Trustee 20 January 2022
None on record
Patricia Jane Townsend Trustee 23 January 2020
None on record
Andrew Ryan Trustee 11 February 2019
None on record
Shirin Welham Trustee 22 March 2018
None on record

Financial history

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Financial period end date

Income / Expenditure 31/03/2021 31/03/2022 31/03/2023 31/03/2024 31/03/2025
Total gross income £1.88m £1.36m £1.82m £1.79m £2.29m
Total expenditure £1.33m £1.76m £2.04m £2.21m £2.30m
Income from government contracts N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Income from government grants £280.90k £111.72k N/A £88.22k £20.65k
Income - Donations and legacies £1.78m £761.26k £865.42k £715.19k £1.24m
Income - Other trading activities £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Charitable activities £97.74k £599.94k £958.46k £1.07m £1.04m
Income - Endowments £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Investment £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Other £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Legacies £0 £0 £220.00k £0 £0
Expenditure - Charitable activities £1.23m £1.66m £1.89m £2.08m £2.17m
Expenditure - Raising funds £94.21k £105.32k £140.62k £131.87k £136.03k
Expenditure - Governance £6.79k £9.19k £9.05k £15.05k £13.05k
Expenditure - Grants institution £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Investment management £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Other £0 £0 £0 £0 £0

Assets and liabilities

Definitions for assets and liabilities
Own use assets

These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.

Long term Investments

Investments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.

Other assets

These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.

Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability

This is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.

Total liabilities

These are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.

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Asset / Liability 31/03/2021 31/03/2022 31/03/2023 31/03/2024 31/03/2025
Own use assets £7.03m £6.69m £6.38m £6.12m £5.86m
Long-term investments £0 £0 £0 £0 £125
Other assets £860.12k £424.93k £531.43k £319.24k £629.98k
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Total liabilities £784.52k £415.02k £426.29k £370.40k £431.91k

Accounts and annual returns

This table shows the charity's record of submitting annual returns, accounts and trustees' annual report (TAR) for the last five financial periods.
Title Reporting year Date received Received Download
Annual return 31 March 2025 29 September 2025 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2025 29 September 2025 On time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2024 01 January 2025 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2024 01 January 2025 On time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2023 06 December 2023 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2023 06 December 2023 On time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2022 10 January 2023 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2022 10 January 2023 On time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2021 08 November 2021 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2021 08 November 2021 On time Download Open in new window
Submit annual return Open in new window

Governing document

Details of the type of governing document the charity has and when it was established.
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.

MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 29 MAY 2003 as amended on 19 Jan 2022 as amended on 26 Jan 2023

Charitable objects

TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN RELATION TO CHILDREN'S LITERATURE AND THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF OXFORD, IN PARTICULAR BY: A) ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING A MUSEUM DEDICATED TO THESE SUBJECTS; B) CONSERVING, INTERPRETING AND DEVELOPING COLLECTIONS AND HERITAGE ASSETS RELEVANT TO CHILDREN'S LITERATURE AND THE CITY OR OXFORD; C) PROVIDING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AND PROMOTING LITERACY AND CREATIVITY AMONGST CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES.

Area of benefit

The area the charity can operate in, as set out in its governing document.

NATIONAL

Contact information

Address:
ROCHESTER HOUSE
42 PEMBROKE STREET
OXFORD
OXFORDSHIRE
OX1 1BP
Phone:
07973396285
Email:
fundraising@storymuseum.org.uk
Website:

www.storymuseum.org.uk Open in new window