--- title: "Bristol Museums Development Trust rating | CharityCompare" description: "Is Bristol Museums Development Trust a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 65/100. Accounts 2025: income £276k · cause-spend split not disclosed. Reg 1137777." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/bristol-museums-development-trust retrieved: 2026-08-18T02:40:44.525Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is Bristol Museums Development Trust a good charity? Bristol Museums Development Trust scores 65/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£276k total income, cause-spend split not disclosed). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown. Bristol · BS8 1RL | Reg [1137777](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/bristol-museums-development-trust) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.bristolmuseums.org/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1137777) Donate ## How can you give to BRISTOL MUSEUMS DEVELOPMENT TRUST? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official BRISTOL MUSEUMS DEVELOPMENT TRUST form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.bristolmuseums.org/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1137777) ## What does Bristol Museums Development Trust do? Bristol Museums Development Trust is a registered charity (no. 1137777) working in heritage in Bristol · BS8 1RL. Its latest Charity Commission filing does not disclose a charitable-activities spend split in recent filings, holding roughly 16 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈21% a year). CharityCompare's Clarity Score rates the organisation only from public Charity Commission accounts — accountability, financial health, efficiency and community support — not the quality or impact of its programmes. Summarised from public filings — Bristol Museums Development Trust hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=bristol-museums-development-trust) **In short:** BRISTOL MUSEUMS DEVELOPMENT TRUST scores 65 out of 100 (3 stars). Cause-spend split not disclosed in recent filings. Review the pillar breakdown below. ## What is Bristol Museums Development Trust? Bristol Museums Development Trust has a Clarity Score of 65 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1137777. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Heritage. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £276k, cause-spend split not disclosed in that filing. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 16 months of operating costs. No major red flags from our filing review. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation. Data from [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026. Overall score 65/100 3★ · Needs improvement Cause spend N/D Not disclosed in filings Accountability 83/100 Finance beacon Income £276k Latest year 2025 Reserves 16 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission Fundraising efficiency not stated · Overhead not disclosed · Website on register · Confidence: medium ## How does BRISTOL MUSEUMS DEVELOPMENT TRUST compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers BRISTOL MUSEUMS DEVELOPMENT TRUST scores higher than. Income band (£100k–£500k)38thpercentile **Scores higher than 38% of 972 charities in its income band** · 65/100 vs 70 peer average (marker). Heritage charities17thpercentile **Scores higher than 17% of 151 charities in this cause** · 65/100 vs 77 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is Bristol Museums Development Trust's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2025 Filing date 24 June 2026 Profile reviewed 17 July 2026 Medium confidence — some data missing or late Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Clarity Score measures how clearly the charity accounts for money in those filings — not programme impact. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources: [Charity Commission for England and Wales](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), [Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator](https://www.oscr.org.uk/) and [Charity Commission for Northern Ireland](https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/). [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). ## What is Bristol Museums Development Trust's Beacon report? Detailed accountability and finance metrics from UK regulator filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report. ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 83/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Filing history (5 years) 100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts. | 100% | 15/15 pts | | Trustee oversight Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three). | 100% | 12 trustees · 15/15 pts | | Declared policies Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return. | 30% | 3/10 pts | ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 73/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 100% | 16 months · 15/15 pts | | Income stability / growth +20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between. | 50% | 5/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 40% | 35% · 2/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 50/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 0% | Not stated · 0/10 pts | | Fundraising efficiency ≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income). | 100% | 0p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) | ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 0/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 0% | Not reported · 0/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is Bristol Museums Development Trust's Clarity Score? 65/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 83/100 Accountability & Transparency 73/100 Financial Health 50/100 Financial Efficiency 0/100 Community Support ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 83/100 Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts Trustee oversight12 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies3/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 73/100 Reserves (months of cash)16 months · 15/15 pts Income stability / growth5/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets35% · 2/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 50/100 Program expense ratioNot stated · 0/10 pts Fundraising efficiency0p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 0/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratioNot reported · 0/10 pts ## How much does Bristol Museums Development Trust raise and spend? Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £276k | — | | Total expenditure | £304k | — | | Charitable activities | Not disclosed | — | ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2025) · £304k spent. Not disclosed in this filing — the Charity Commission return omits the charitable-activities split. ## What trust indicators does Bristol Museums Development Trust have? Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported. - ✓ Accounts filed on time up to date · last filing 24 June 2026 - ✓ Trustee board size (3–12) 12 trustees on the Charity Commission register Fundraising Regulator Status not yet checked Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice. [Check Fundraising Regulator →](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/members/) Official register Reg 1137777 Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission. [View on Charity Commission →](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1137777) ### Trustees & officers - Fiona Jane Whiston Hallworth Chair · since 2019 - Samuel Matthew Alvis since 2021 - Eleanor Amy Denney since 2021 - Jocelyn Louis Ormond since 2023 - Huw Thomas James since 2023 - Edmund James Thomas Fay since 2023 - Philip James Murray Walker since 2024 - Celia Mary Downie since 2026 - Ian Peter Oxley since 2026 - Elizabeth Armour Harris since 2026 - Victoria Jane Swindells since 2026 - Cllr Joanne Stafford-Townsend since 2026 100 How we score charities +The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically. [Full methodology →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) Accountability & Transparency Scored from filings 40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10). Financial Health Scored from filings 30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises). Financial Efficiency Scored from filings 20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below). Community Support Scored from filings 10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio. Overall score Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated. ## How have Bristol Museums Development Trust's finances changed over five years? - Income - Spending - Cause spend Values in £ thousands · Cause spend plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission accounts ## What are the key facts about Bristol Museums Development Trust? Overall score 65/100 (3★) Income £276k Cause spend Not disclosed Reg number 1137777 Scope Local (bristol) Reserves 16 months Trustees 12 Accounts year 2025 Filing up to date ## How does BRISTOL MUSEUMS DEVELOPMENT TRUST compare, and where else can you look? [Compare BRISTOL MUSEUMS DEVELOPMENT TRUST with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=bristol-museums-development-trust) [More heritage charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/heritage) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where BRISTOL MUSEUMS DEVELOPMENT TRUST sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [heritage charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/heritage) - [environment charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/environment) - [arts charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/arts) - [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education) - [Charities in Bristol](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/bristol) ### Similar heritage charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [HARTLEBURY CASTLE PRESERVATION TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/hartlebury-castle-preservation-trust) 100/100 · £612k - [ST BARTHOLOMEW'S HERITAGE](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/st-bartholomew-s-heritage) 99/100 · £5.7m - [JANE AUSTEN'S HOUSE MUSEUM](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/jane-austen-s-house-museum) 98/100 · £2.0m - [MILTON KEYNES MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/milton-keynes-museum-trust-limited) 98/100 · £763k ## How can you share Bristol Museums Development Trust's rating? 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Free to use — a lightweight HTML badge or an embeddable score widget, each linking back to this independent profile and our [methodology](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology). BadgeScore widget [♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 65/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/bristol-museums-development-trust) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 65/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about Bristol Museums Development Trust's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is Bristol Museums Development Trust a good charity? + Bristol Museums Development Trust scores 65 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Its recent filings do not disclose a charitable-activities spend split and its accounts are up to date. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate. Is Bristol Museums Development Trust a legitimate charity? + Yes — Bristol Museums Development Trust is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1137777). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1137777. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is Bristol Museums Development Trust's charity number? + Bristol Museums Development Trust's charity number is 1137777. Check that number on the official register (Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI) or this CharityCompare profile before you donate — scammers sometimes reuse real numbers on fake appeals. What is Bristol Museums Development Trust's charity rating? + Bristol Museums Development Trust scores 65 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Needs improvement). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from UK regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). Stars use the same bands as those labels — 90+ is 5★ Exceptional. It is not an impact ranking. Does Bristol Museums Development Trust have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Bristol Museums Development Trust. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts. For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate. How much of my donation reaches Bristol Museums Development Trust? + Bristol Museums Development Trust does not disclose a charitable-activities spend split in its recent UK regulator filings, so there is no official figure for how much of a donation reaches the cause. CharityCompare reports this as "not disclosed" rather than assuming a number. What are Bristol Museums Development Trust's overheads? + Bristol Museums Development Trust's recent UK regulator filings do not disclose a fundraising or governance cost split, so no official overhead percentage is available. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Bristol Museums Development Trust's chief executive is paid — where disclosure rules apply, senior pay appears in the trustees' annual report on the Charity Commission register. How much income does Bristol Museums Development Trust receive? + Bristol Museums Development Trust reported £276k total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing. Are Bristol Museums Development Trust's accounts up to date? + Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score. Where is Bristol Museums Development Trust based? + Bristol Museums Development Trust is listed at Bristol · BS8 1RL, focused on heritage. How does CharityCompare score Bristol Museums Development Trust? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Bristol Museums Development Trust's regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 points — filing history, trustees, policies), Financial Health (30 — reserves, income trend, debt), Financial Efficiency (20 — cause spend and fundraising cost, on a graduated scale) and Community Support (10 — volunteer-to-staff ratio). An open statutory inquiry scores 0. The score measures reporting on paper, not programme impact. CharityCompare is free for donors, takes no commission on donations, and scores cannot be bought. How often is this page updated? + This profile was last updated on 17 July 2026 from the latest UK regulator data available to CharityCompare, and Bristol Museums Development Trust's most recent accounts cover 2025. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.