Postal Heritage Trust

Also known as: The British Postal Museum and Archive

Educational Charity working to make the Royal Mail Archive and the Postal Heritage Trust collection accessible as widely as possible

Email Charity

Activities & Mission

Educational Charity working to make the Royal Mail Archive and the Postal Heritage Trust collection accessible as widely as possible

Areas of Operation

Where this charity is registered to operate, as self-declared to the Charity Commission. These are regulatory classifications, not a list of active programmes, and don't necessarily indicate fundraising activity in each location.

Region

England And Wales

Financial Information

Latest Income

£6,299,757

Latest Expenditure

£6,567,459

Financial Efficiency

Program Ratio 64.2%

% of income going directly to charitable activities

Higher than 32% of UK Heritage charities with income £1M to £10M (sample: 344). How is this calculated?

Overall Efficiency 61.5%

% of expenditure going to programs (vs overhead)

Higher than 15% of UK Heritage charities with income £1M to £10M. How is this calculated?

Administrative Ratio 40.2%

Overhead (fundraising + governance) as % of total expenditure

Lower overhead than 11% of UK Heritage charities with income £1M to £10M. (Lower overhead is generally read as more efficient.) How is this calculated?

Latest Financial Breakdown

Income Sources

Donations & Legacies £2,817,053

Charitable Activities £1,805,338

Other Trading £1,640,086

Investments £19,158

Other Income £18,122

Expenditure Categories

Charitable Expenditure £4,041,612

Raising Funds £2,525,847

Governance £111,098

Grants to Institutions £0

Other Expenditure £0

Financial Trend

Annual Returns

As filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Most recent filing covers the financial year ending 2025.

Financial Year	Income	Expenditure	Charitable Spending	Net Assets	Reserves	Staff
2025	£6,299,757	£6,567,459	£4,041,612	£12,656,311	£295,016	97 / 10
2024	£5,022,870	£6,217,433	£3,855,988	£12,924,013	£0	88 / 20
2023	£5,194,570	£7,016,108	£4,114,893	£14,118,577	£266,320	82 / 10
2021	£4,213,530	£5,002,964	£2,805,774	£15,940,115	£428,591	78 / 5
2020	£4,659,794	£5,000,040	£2,585,496	£16,729,549	£0	92 / 0

Staff column shows: Employees / Volunteers

Frequently asked questions about Postal Heritage Trust

What does Postal Heritage Trust do?

Educational Charity working to make the Royal Mail Archive and the Postal Heritage Trust collection accessible as widely as possible

How much income did Postal Heritage Trust report in 2025?

Postal Heritage Trust reported total income of £6.30m and reported expenditure of £6.57m for the financial year ending 2025, based on the most recent annual return filed with the Charity Commission.

How efficient is Postal Heritage Trust?

Postal Heritage Trust has a program ratio of 64.2%, meaning that share of its income goes directly to charitable activities. This is higher than 32% of UK Heritage charities with income £1M to £10M (sample of 344 charities). See our methodology for how this is calculated.

When was Postal Heritage Trust registered as a charity?

Postal Heritage Trust was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 26 February 2004 as charity number 1102360. It has been registered for 22 years.

Who runs Postal Heritage Trust?

Postal Heritage Trust is governed by a board of 12 trustees. The chair of trustees is Susan Jane Wilkinson. Trustees are legally responsible for the charity's governance and are listed in full on its profile.

Where does Postal Heritage Trust operate?

Postal Heritage Trust operates in England And Wales, as recorded in its Charity Commission filing.

Is Postal Heritage Trust a registered charity?

Yes — Postal Heritage Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 1102360.